The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1914-01-31
THE VIRGINS TREE

A VISIT TO THE SPOT MADE SA.
CRED BY THE HOLY
FAMILY.
Passing the terminal harbor of the
great Ismailish Canal, which conveys
the waters of the Nile to Suez and
Port Said, we arrive from Cairo to
Materieh, says writer in the Catho
lie Sun. There the world renowned
Tree and Sacred Spring mark the
spot where the Holy Family, Jesus
Mary and Joseph, dwelt after fleeing
into Egypt from the cruel death de.
signed by Herod for the infant Jesus
On the road to Matarieh we pass
Heliopolis, one of the most ancient
cities in Egypt, and the acknowledged
center of idol worship, it's sacred name
being "Pi-Ra," or the home of the
Sun. Very few of the temples or ODE,
lisks are left in Heliopolis; four OF
them can be seen in Rome. They
adorn the Vatican Square and the
Square of st. John Lateran, Del Pop
olo and Monte Ceterio. The two Cleo
patra Needles have been carried to
London and Central Park, N. Y.
In the temple of Heliopolis, accord
ing to it's priests, every four hundred
years the Phoenix burnt itself in a
nest of myrrh on the altar and arose
from it's ashes on the third day, q
fable which was held by the Fathers
In Isaiah's prophecy. Behold the LORD
will ascend in swift cloud and enter
Egypt, and the idols of Egypt shall
be moved at His presence"-the early
Fathers say that the idols of Heliop
oils fell down on the coming of Jesus
into Egypt.
The Holy Family were friendless
and homeless when they came tt
Egypt. They went into the temple
called the capitol of the City" There
were over three hundred idols there
where sacrilegious homage was of
fered daily. When Mary and hel
Child entered the temple all of the
idols fell on their faces and were
broken to pieces. When Aphrodisius
the governor Of the city, heard wha
had occurred, he rushed with hi:
troops to avenge the gods whose
images had been destroyed. Whel
he arrived at the temple and saw al
the gods on their faces, and discov
| nd Tho INF M IN a1.
he Frustrated himself before them
and turning to his soldiers he said
eff this Child, were not a God, ou
gods would not have fallen on thei
faces before Him; if we do not d.
the same and follow our gods Hi
anger will be upon us and we shall
die like King Pharaoh-having e8
posed ourselves to the wrath of GU
Lord and Master"
The "Tree of Life"
Aphrodisius was converted to tn
Gospel after the death of Christ an
was ordained first Bishop of Bizurs
According to IS. Thomas and Jerom
the Scripture itself supports the b.
lief in the Saviour having lived q
!. Heliopolis. A half hours walk frol
Heliopolis brings us to the village {
Materieh, through a road bordere
with heavily laden orange trees. w
, reach the Sultan's garden, inclosin
, the sacred sycamore. The trunk {
the tree is very large; the leave
, resemble those of the alder tree, an
? remain on the branches all the yea
3 In summer and autumn quantity {
f fesh-colored figs grow on it's branche
r The Arabs are very anxious to procul
5 figs from this tree, as they also ca
: is the "Tree of Life"
Y The Egyptians prefer the wood
1 the sycamore to all other trees fl
d making sarcophagi for their mur
/ mics. There are many specimens
, the Cairo museums that are over thrt
/ thousand years old.
J. The tree in question is not IL
L original tree, but an off-shoot sprin
ing from the mother-roots of the a
{ cient tree. Veneration extends mo-
to the spot than the tree, as Jesl
and Mary remained some time in Il
= garden that surrounded it. The boz
n is very large and greatly twisted.
A Miraculous Fount.
S We are told the trunk of the tr,
opened to afford the Holy Family she
n ter, Joseph, having fed by order
e the angel from the land of Isra
/. reached the spot with the Divine Chi
r and His Mother; worn out by the jou
e ney the Virgin sat down at the 70
e of the tree, complaining of thirs
t Joseph went from door to door be
S ging water, but no one would give hi
n aid. The Sacred Child sudden
e caused a spring to burst forth at IL
: Virgins side; the fountain now is
n large well, from which the flowers al
r trees in the garden receive nouris
S ment. Water is drawn up by meal
; of wheels turned by oxen. AS soc
n as the inhabitants came to know Il
e virtue of the waters which they So
!. havn curative n0uorc fhov d,.er q dos