2023 YEAR 6 HIGHLY COMMENDED

'the flight of faith' 
athena arellano
st michael's catholic parish primary school, mittagong
year 6

The passage ‘The Flight to Egypt’, Matthew 2:13-15, tells us the story of how an angel came to Joseph in a dream, instructing him to flee to Egypt, due to King Herod’s heartless plan to destroy Him in fear of losing his place as king.

I was born in a developing country, with parents who struggled to provide for us. They worried about meals, bills, and our family. My parents feared poverty the same way Joseph and Mary dreaded King Herod. My father decided to leave the Philippines and my mother followed, leaving my brother and me behind. Their travel was challenging for all of us, but they knew they needed to do it. They sacrificed everything they had for our family to give us more opportunities and put their faith in God during their journey. This mirrors Joseph and Mary’s trust in God when they realised they had to leave Bethlehem to keep Jesus safe.

The lush tree in my artwork represents Joseph and Mary’s hope growing as they travel towards Egypt in the distance as a sign of new beginnings. In the sky, the trail of stars symbolises God guiding them to their destination.

View more of our Christmas Story Art Exhibition 2023 artworks by clicking on our young artists' names in the teal panel. Alternatively, click through our artworks below.

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