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As I was reading Matthew's account in the Bible I noticed soon after the magis presented their gifts Mary and Joseph was told in a dream to go to Egypt. Being poor these gifts most likely financed their trip and help substain them. The gold would get them there and spices and myrth (used to embalm people) would have been highly prized in Egypt where they mummified their dead. This, of course is pure speculation on my part. But it struck me how God provides our needs when He calls us to do His will.

Additional legends to go along with your conjectures. It's hard for us to tell what is legend and/or true story.

December 28, 2003, Sunday, Feast of the Holy Family

Legends of the Holy Family in Egypt

The Holy Family’s flight to Egypt and their stay there gave rise to fascinating tales composed centuries later.

It is said that their journey to Egypt was blessed with many miracles – lions and leopards wagging their tails in homage, palm trees bending down to give them fruit.

Legends dating back to the fifth century say that the Holy Family stayed in the city of Matariyah, just northeast of the present-day Cairo. One story says that as a child, Jesus grew balsam trees producing balm that cured almost anything, including snakebite.

Another tradition is that the family passed through a city about 150 miles up the Nile and as they did, the pagan idol statues bowed to them.

A monastery further up the Nile claims to be on the site where the Holy Family lived for six months. One of the apocryphal gospels tells the story that while there, two robbers set upon the Holy Family, but one repented when he saw Mary’s tears.

These turned out to be the same two robbers, goes the legend, who were later crucified with Jesus. The one, who back in Egypt, had been moved by Mary’s tears, ended up to be the “Good Thief” on the cross.

And some additional thoughts to ponder:

The Holy Family

Jesus was raised in Nazareth, a small hill town up north. Such towns were a kinship network. Most everyone would have been a relative of Jesus. They lived in close proximity and were part of each other’s lives.

When we think of the family of Jesus, we can delete the image of Jesus sitting quietly with Mary while Joseph made chairs in his carpenter shop. The Holy Family lived in close quarters with cousins, in-laws, shirttail relatives of all kinds. There was no getting away from “family.”

Here’s a question: When extended families come together, do most people look forward to it, or do they find it difficult?

That’s not easy to answer. We worry about the relative who is likely to get drunk. We aren’t sure what to do about divorced and re-married members who bring in-laws we don’t know very well. Plus there’s always someone who’s currently on the outs with other family members. It’s quite a mix.

It takes a lot of virtue and patience to be part of such an extended family…a lot of indirect kindness that may or may not have an effect. We do our best and try to be kind, knowing that we can’t single-handedly change things around.

Jesus was part of an extended family no different from mine.