Saint Gerlach sprang from a noble family, in the neighbourhood of Maestricht. He was a knight, and lived a somewhat disorderly life; but one day, as he was about to engage in a tournament, the news reached him of the sudden death of his wife, whom he loved passionately. Casting aside lance and shield, he hastened to his castle, and in grief over her loss, formed the resolution of renouncing the world. He visited Rome, and confessed the sins of his life to Pope Eugenius III., who bade him, as a penance, go to Jerusalem, and for seven years nurse the sick in its hospitals. He obeyed, and on his return to Rome, at the expiration of seven years, found Adrian IV. on the throne. Adrian bade him live a retired life. Accordingly, Gerlach returned to his estates, and distributed all his possessions among the poor, reserving for himself only sufficient for his support. He then took up his abode in a hollow oak; but some envious persons having complained to the Bishop of Liege that he offered idolatrous worship to the tree, the bishop ordered it to be cut down; but afterwards, recognizing the virtue of the penitent knight, he became his protector. He wore sack-cloth next his skin, and over that a battered suit of mail. He spent his nights in prayer, in the church of S. Servais, Maestricht. FOOTNOTES: [30] Hist., lib. iv. c. 10. January 6. The Epiphany. S. MELCHIOR, _one of the Magi_. S. MACRA, _V. M., near Rheims, circ._ A.D. 303. S. MELANIUS, _B. of Rennes_, A.D. 580. S. PETER, _Ab. of Canterbury_, A.D. 608. S. ERMINOLD, _Ab. of Prufening, and M._, A.D. 1121. THE VEN. GERTRUDE VAN OOSTEN, _V., at Delft_, A.D. 1358. S. JOHN RIBEIRA, _Patr. of Antioch, and Abp. of Valencia, in Spain_, A.D. 1611. THE EPIPHANY. The principal design of the Church in celebrating this feast is, that her members may show gratitude to God for manifesting the Gospel to the Gentile world, and vouchsafing to it the same privileges as to the Jews, who had hitherto been His chosen and peculiar people; the first instance of this divine favour was the Manifestation of Christ to the Wise Men of the East. But, in all, there are three great manifestations of our Saviour commemorated on this day; all of which, S. Chrysostom says, happened on the same day, though not in the same year. The first of these was His manifestation by a star, which conducted the Magi to come and worship Him. The second Manifestation was that of the Blessed Trinity, at His Baptism. The third was the Manifestation of the Divinity of Christ, at Cana, by miraculously changing water into wine. [Illustration: THE EPIPHANY. From the Vienna Missal. Jan. 6.]