Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and St. Joseph are the members of the Holy Family. The central figure is the Word-made-Flesh, the Son of God made man for the salvation of the world. He was conceived in the Blessed Virgin Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, so that Mary is His Mother according to His human nature. She is titled Mother of God because Her Son is a Divine Person. St. Joseph, husband of Mary, while not the biological father of Jesus, was guided by an angel to assume the responsibilities of fatherhood and as the “Custodian of the Redeemer” (Pope St. John Paul II). The history of the Holy Family is found in only two accounts, what are called the Infancy Narratives––the first two chapters of the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Writing to a Jewish audience, St. Matthew provides the Abrahamic and Davidic descent of Jesus, followed by an account of His Birth. In chapter 2 he tells of the visit of the Magi, King Herod’s pursuit of the Child and the flight into Egypt. He concludes his narrative with the return from Egypt to Nazareth, remaining silent on Jesus’ life in Nazareth. Jesus next appears as 30 years of age at His baptism by St. John (Mt. 3). St. Luke provides the most detail of Jesus’ early life. His precision reflects his profession as a physician (Col. 4:14), his desire for an accurate account (Lk. 1:1-4), and details which could only have been obtained from the Blessed Virgin. Luke begins with the conception of St. John and the Annunciation of the Lord. He continues with Mary’s visit to Elizabeth and the birth of the Baptist. He then provides an account of Nativity, the angels announcement to the shepherds, Jesus’ circumcision and presentation in the Temple, and Simeon’s and Anna’s recognition and prophecies. Luke concludes with the return to Nazareth, adding only one further detail, Jesus remaining in the Temple when He was 12 years old.   King Herod the Great, a non-Jew who could only conceive of Christ’s Davidic kingship as threatening his own, sought to put the Child to death. Matthew 2:13-15 tells us, Now when [the wise men] had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night, and departed to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfil what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt have I called my son.” Nazareth is a city in Galilee. In Our Lord’s time it may have been populated by craftsmen employed in Roman construction in nearby Sepphoris. Nazareth is where Joseph and Mary were betrothed, the Annunciation took place, and where the Holy Family lived after returning from Egypt after Herod’s death. The meaning of “Nazareth” is rather obscure. St. Jerome attributes it to the Hebrew word “nazir,” meaning “separated,” in reference to being dedicated to God (cf. Numbers 6:1-21). Other scholars, pointing to Isaiah’s use of a similar word, “netzer,” meaning branch, connect it with the house of Jesse and the Davidic kingship of Jesus. Isaiah 11:1 “There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch (netzer) shall grow out of his roots.” It may be that both possibilities are true, providentially justifying what was said of Jesus, Matthew 2:23 And he went and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, "He shall be called a Nazarene." After returning from Egypt, the Holy Family lived in Nazareth. Other than the fact of living there, both Matthew and Luke are silent on any details of His childhood. Pope St. John Paul II taught, The time [Jesus] spent in Nazareth, the greater part of his life, continues to be shrouded in deep silence. Very little information about it has been passed on to us by the Evangelists. However, if we aspire to a deeper understanding of Jesus' life and mission, we must draw close to the mystery of the Holy Family of Nazareth to observe and listen. (Angelus message, 30 December 2001) Some apocryphal writings tell fantastic stories of Jesus childhood, especially miracles He is alleged to have done. The Church rejects them on account of their fabulous content, as well as their lack of apostolic and patristic support.