Ephiphany of the Lord

Selections from a Hymn by St Ephrem the Syrian

The Magi used to worship [fire]…
They left it and worshiped its Lord; Fire they exchanged for fire.
Blessed is He Who baptized us in His light!
Instead of the foolish fire that eats its own body itself,
the Magi worshipped the Fire Who gave His body to those who eat.
The coal drew near to sanctify unclean lips.
Blessed is He Who has mixed His fire with us!
Error blinded humankind that we should worship creatures.
Fellow-servants were worshipped, and the Lord of the universe was denied.
The Worshipful came down to birth and gathered worship to Himself.
Blessed is He Who is worshipped by all!

The All-Knowing saw that we worshipped creatures.
He put on a created body to catch us by our habit,
to draw us by a created body toward the Creator.
Blessed is He Who contrived to draw us [to Him].
The evil one knew [how] to harm us; with the luminaries he blinded us.
With possessions he maimed us, by gold he made us poor.
With graven images he made us a heart of stone.
Blessed is He who came to soften it!
They carved stones and set them up that humankind might stumble on them.
They did not put them on the road that the blind should stumble on them.
They named them gods that on them the seeing might stumble.
Blessed is He Who unmasks false gods!
Sin spread its wings to cover everything
So that no one could see the truth from above it.

Truth came down to the womb, emerged [and] rolled away error.
Blessed is He Who dispelled [sin] by His birth!
Frankincense that [had] served demons worshipped Your birth.
It was gloomy in its vapor; it rejoiced to see its Lord.
Instead of the incense of error, [Your birth] was offered to God.
Blessed is Your birth that is worshipped!
Myrrh worshipped You on its own behalf and for similar sweet spices…
Blessed is Your scent that made us smell sweet!
Gold, that had been worshipped, worshipped You as the Magi approached…

Come all you mouths, pour out and become a type
Of water and wells of voices; let the Spirit of truth come!
Let Her sing praise in all of us to the Father Who redeemed us by His child.
Most blessed of all is His birth!

1 Ephrem the Syrian. Classics of Western Spirituality – Ephrem the Syrian: Hymns. Trans. Kathleen E.

McVey. New York: Paulist Press, 1989. 181-186.