An Epiphany

Adoration of the Magi from the Strozzi Altarpiece (1423) by Gentile da Fabriano (1370-1427)
Photos taken in the Uffizi Gallery, March 12, 2025 by Miss Marcel

"Three mysteries mark this holy day: today the star leads the Magi to the infant Christ; today water is changed into wine for the wedding feast; today Christ wills to be baptized by John in the river Jordan to bring us salvation." (Divine Office, Epiphany, antiphon for Magnificat)

"We keep this day holy in honor of three miracles: this day a star led the Wise Men to the manger; this day water was turned into wine at the marriage feast; this day Christ willed to be baptized by John in the Jordan for our salvation; alleluia." (Divine Office, Epiphany, second vespers antiphon at the Magnificat; alternate translation)

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This Sunday past, January 4, 2026, my family and some dear friends celebrated an amazing three fold mystery and miracle:

On the Feast of the Epiphany (in the new calendar), our two week old grandson Anthony Michael was baptized into the Holy Roman Catholic Church on the first anniversary of his parent's wedding.

How marvelous our Trinitarian God is, letting a little child contain in his tiny self the three-fold mystery of this great feast! And yet, that is what happened two thousand (and change) years ago in order that our salvation might be procured - the salvation of this tiny baby we are marveling at in our house this Christmastide, the salvation from the Tiny Babe of Bethlehem which the whole world is invited to marvel at this Christmastide and eternally.

I love the liturgical calendar, and I have to say that although I am often frustrated by the multiplicity of calendars extant in the Church and in the world, nonetheless, I am delighted - and it is much more to the joy of Our Savior that we be delighted than that we be frustrated - absolutely gobsmacked that We Get to Celebrate Some of Our Magnificent Feasts Twice!

Today, for instance, is Ephiphany. As was this past Sunday.
Why waste time asking how? or why?
The why is easy: for our delectation, our sanctification, our salvation, or more simply for Our Joy!
As to the how, well in my neck of the woods, on Sunday it was Epiphany.
And today, by the great condescension of Our Lord who willed to be adored by three Wise Men, it is Epiphany again, and I get to go (if He allows) to a Missa Cantata (extraordinary form) celebrated in the same chapel where I went to Sunday's Mass of Ephiphany (in the ordinary form).

If you are befuddled, well, this is nothing new in my world!

And one might consider that while the original great condescension of Our Lord, that of being born a sweet babe in Bethlehem, actually took place on December 25th (I wish I could give you the reasons we know this is true, but for now I take it from authority and the wonderful recent sermon of a priest learned in this matter), this next great condescension of allowing Himself to be approached and adored by the Magi was perhaps on a day a year or two and twelve days after the first Christmas: hence Herod's evil plot to kill all males 2 years old and younger in Bethlehem and its environs. 

Which brings us back to our glorious photos of the event which I gladly share with you at the top of this post. Mysteriously, miraculously, I took these last March, but clearly the event they record in a nearly exact reproduction happened long, long ago, and yet not so long ago as the first Christmas. Look at little Jesus - I can now attest, through recent joyful experience of adoring a newborn, that this is no newborn little Jesus blessing the first Wise Man! No, Jesus is older than brand new . . . so you see that we here at Miss Marcel's Musings use every possible documentary evidence for our theological and liturgical pronouncements!

Would it be out of place to take this moment to invite you to the Uffizi Gallery in Florence? When I said just now that "Mysteriously, miraculously, I took these last March," I did mean, quite literally, that my being there - at the Uffizi in Florence - was mysterious and miraculous. I had been there when I was eighteen, lucky girl that I am, and even finding myself again in Florence forty-two years later was mysterious and miraculous enough, but then I didn't plan to return to the Uffizi, thinking it was more than enough to see San Marco and Santa Maria Novella and get my fill of Blessed Fra Angelico (whom I'd missed the first time around). But I have the most wonderful daughter in law in the world, and she took my son to the Uffizi on this day which was the first anniversary or so of their first date (these two seem always to be having first anniversaries, but they are so generous at sharing them that none of us can complain!), and then he, being one of the two most wonderful sons in the world, insisted on taking me . . . which meant that the Holy Spirit had a clear path to guide me to this painting which I don't remember having seen on my first visit in 1983, but which I do remember piecing together in a gorgeous jigsaw puzzle more than once and admiring in wondrous Christmas cards I've received over the years . . . 

Did you know that there are about 6,000 paintings in the Uffizi gallery?
Our January 1st post featured one (scroll down to see it again!) - one that I saw and took a picture of and have returned to again and again in the last months to revive my love and union with Jesus and Mary and the angels . . . 

And I have a great memory of Raphael's Madonna of the Goldfinch arresting my exit from the Uffizi when I'd seen about 200 paintings (of the 6,000) and didn't think I could manage even one more - ah, but that's what most visitors think, and then God bless those curators or museum designers or whoever is responsible for being His instrument in placing the Madonna of the Goldfinch and adorable little Jesus (standing on her foot) and His cousin St. John right where You Just Can't Miss them as you are heading down the one staircase that will take you back down to the exit . . . (I'll see if we can't put this trio at the bottom of our post, just to brighten your day like they have brightened mine so many times before and after that happy day at the museum).

But I digress, as one is apt to do among such uncountable, unseeable, undeserved mysteries and miracles . . . so let me attempt to get back to this one, crazy, fun painting I want you to see for yourself - at least virtually, but as your tour-guide I will point out two more astounding things.

First, we saw that Jesus is not an infant.
Second, note with me (as I only noticed today as I write) that the painter's first name is Gentile!
What mysteries of Providence were at work in this name?
And third - the wonder that I beheld when I stood rapt in awe before this painting I've loved in replicas for years but never thought of seeing face to face - please take a moment to check out the third photo above, the one featuring the dog (which looks to me like a greyhound).

The collar on the dog, and I'm pleased to say I took this picture just so I could show you (and wonder of wonders it is visible) - the collar on the dog is actually not merely painted on but attached to the painting in 3-D!

I wish I had a better grasp of art or more time to look up the correct way to express this, but the long and short of it is that as I stood marveling at this magnificent painting, and as I found myself able at last to look at the details in their original (very large) proportions, I noticed that this dog's collar was quite a sight to behold. I would have loved to touch it, but touching masterpieces is typically frowned upon in European galleries, so I simply gazed in amazement. Who knew?

Well now I did, and now you do!

And if there weren't two Epiphanies in my world, I never would have had the time to tell you about the dog's collar and what it means. . . 

It means that He has many more mysteries and miracles in store for you in 2026!
Will you find yourself in Florence?

I have to confess to you that on January 6th last year, recovering from the Most Beautiful Wedding Ever and calling the doctor to stall my next chemo because I was a bit tired from all the rejoicing, the last thing I suspected was that in 70 days or so I'd find myself in Florence (not to mention Milan, Turin, Padua, Rome, and Castel Gandolfo!).

The Holy Spirit, that brilliant 3rd Person of the Blessed Trinity and our dear Comforter and Guide to Truth (and Beauty), somehow brought me to the Adoration of the Magi when that was the last thing I expected or planned . . . and I wonder where He will bring us all this year?

Yes, if there's one thing I appreciate, it's a few minutes here and there to ponder the miracles and mysteries that He pours upon us as generously as He's filled the beaches with sand and the sky with stars . . . 
So join me today in celebrating another Epiphany. Holy Mother Church can't seem to help Herself from spoiling us rotten, and that makes it our joyful duty to let her. 

As I left the Uffizi, or rather as I intended to leave, when Our Blessed Mother stopped me, she stopped me good. I was drawn like a moth to a flame from the doorway of this room-at-the-top-of-the-stairs into her sweet blue-mantled presence. I stood and looked and looked and looked. I gazed, I pondered, I smiled, and I may have laughed because I realized that everything I loved was in that picture: a book, a flower, a stream, some clouds, a bird, Blessed Mother and hilarious little Jesus stepping on her foot as He had been stepping on mine the whole wonderful European journey . . . 

I pray that your year will be filled with all the things you love, and that you'll learn to love more things, and that Our Lord will surprise you whether He steps on your foot or simply invites you into His embrace. Happy Epiphany and may His revelations to your dear heart be many!

​Draw me; we will run!