The Epiphany of the Lord
Alice von Hildebrand, in her book The Privilege of Being a Woman, wrote as follows: “The aristocratic Magi followed suit, and Saint Matthew informs us that ‘...they fell down and worshiped Him.’ She also forgets that if all knees should bend in front of the Savior, all heads should bow in front of His mother.” Epiphany is mostly focused on the Three Kings, but we often forget the central role of Mary in the story of Epiphany. Saint Ephrem the Syrian even composed Mary’s Song at the Epiphany. Mary sang, “All the chaste daughters of the Hebrews and virgin daughters of rulers are amazed at me. Because of you [Jesus], a daughter of the poor is envied. Because of you, a daughter of the weak is an object of jealousy…Behold, your worshippers surround me, and their offerings encircle me.”
If we have to imagine Mary’s song at the Epiphany, perhaps we can imagine the following:
From this day, all generations shall call me blessed,
For He who is mighty has done great things through me.
Behold, the kings of the earth bring their tribute to my breast,
And every knee shall bend before the Mother of the King.
As it was in the beginning, the promise is now fulfilled.
Every tribe and every tongue shall honor the Mother and the Son.
In this Epiphany of grace, the world finds its home,
And I, lowly Mary, am lifted up in His eternal light.