Did the Nothing Catholic Hermit Share About St. Gerlach?

The nothing knows not where the time has gone; sorting some boxes in the library room and editing and reading and Mass and spiritual correspondence and not sure what else superseded the usual daily writing. So perhaps the nothing Catholic hermit has not shared the life of St. Gerlach, another hermit friend of the 12th century.

Gerlach lived in the area now southern Holland. His father was a great knight of the Crusades, and Gerlach grew up learning to be a knight, to joust, and to be strong and proud. He lived on the vast estate, and many worked for this noble family.

When Gerlach grew to manhood and oversaw the estate, he increasingly was rude and haughty, did not treat the servants well, shunned the poor, and settled himself into the spot of being the most skilled and strongest knight of the area. Tournaments (jousting dangerously as sport with other knights) had become popular in France in the century prior, and having spread northward, the Germananic people delighted in these fighting matches much as today people throng to football games or boxing matches.

Gerlach rode his fine steed one day to the major city where a grand tournament promised to establish the greatest jouster of the realm. He had no more than thrown down the gauntlet before the only other contender worthy of fighting, when a servant could be heard crying his name. The man bore the news that Gerlach's lady had been thrown from her carriage and lay dying--perhaps dead at that very moment.

This news affected Gerlach so severely, in an unusual way, and the Holy Spirit gained power in his soul after years of hardness and pride. The crowd jeered him, not understanding the transformation taking place, for Gerlach dismounted, lay down his sword, removed his armor and helmet, and walked away from the challenge.

In fact, he walked the way back to his noble estate, and found his beautiful, young wife a cold corpse. Even more deeply affected, Gerlach received the grace to see the fleeting foolishness of the world and of his thus-far wasted life. He grieved deeply and repented. It seemed the grace of his baptism rose within his soul, and he deteremined to walk to Rome and ask the Holy Father to give him the direction for his life; Gerlach only wanted to serve God now. He walked to Rome barefoot and clad in humble garb. He considered himself not worthy to even ride a mule.

By the grace of God, he was granted a meeting with the Pope who heard his confession. His penance was to go to Jerusalem and serve in a Christian hospital. Jerusalem at that time had been recovered from the Turks, and many pilgrims flocked there; thus there were many hospitals, for many who went were poor, sick pilgrims. Although the other workers at the hospital to which Gerlach offered himself, realized he was a nobleman and wanted him to take a better position, Gerlach would only agree to taking the lowest: as swineherd.

After seven years, he walked back to Rome, and again he asked the Pope for the next direction in his life. Gerlach shared what he felt he was to do, and the Pope prayed about it and felt this was the will of God. Gerlach returned to his estate, gave away possessions to the poor, keeping the farms for on-going income for future alms to the poor, and asked for and received permission from a nearby monastery of Norbertines, to wear their habit.

On his estate was an immense oak tree with partial rotting. Gerlach hollowed it out, laid stones on the floor and matting over the stones, and there he lived as a hermit. Each morning he arose early to walk barefoot the several miles to the nearby monastery where he would join the monks in matins and then pray until Mass. Then he would walk back to his abode in the oak, and there to pray and do penance. He kept this daily routine despite snow, rain, cold, heat. His austerities and life of prayer became known over time, and as he only desired to live for Christ, he gained wisdom and insight from the Holy Spirit. People began to come to this humble penitent for guidance and to ask his prayers.

Some canons of the Diocese became alarmed, as some evil-doers suggested Gerlach was a hypocrite and surely couldn't be living such a holy life. They envied and resented him. Rumors were spread that the hermit had gold and jewels stored under the floor of that oak tree; others suggested he was really a pagan, as oak trees held superstitious sway in that area and time period. The canons convinced, in turn, the Bishop who made a journey to visit Gerlach at the oak tree, with others gathering around to see what would be done. The Bishop ordered the oak to be felled, and Gerlach wept quietly but with joy, for he realized he was experiencing but a small part of Christ's life of persecution.

When the Bishop realized he had been misled by the people and the canons, he made retribution by ordering the oak to be hewn into planks and a chapel and small hut to be built for this holy Gerlach. Gerlach by that time had learned to love hardship and to deem himself thankful if the Lord brought him hardships. In fact, prior to this, he had one day stepped upon a thorn which wounded his foot, and he suffered for a long time. However, Gerlach immediately praised God, for he realized the thorn had pierced the same foot with which he had as a boy, kicked his own mother. Gerlach embraced any mortifications as a means of reparation for his sins.

Gerlach spoke to the people of the great love and mercy of God. People would stop him on his way to and from the daily walk to the monastery--a walk of enough miles to be a penance in itself. In time, Gerlach's health declined, and age also brought him to finally accept a mule to ride. Yet he was indefatigable in helping the poor, the sick, and the wealthy with his words of encouragement and of exhorting all to love God and live His commands.

When he felt his time was drawing near to death, he asked a man who was visiting him to go to the diocese canons and ask for one to assist him in his final moments. The priests at the monastery at that time were not available, having gone on retreat. The canons sent back the reply that none would come because the Bishop had placed Gerlach under the supervision of the Norbertines at the monastery. (No doubt, the Bishop had done this due to the canons ill-will and envy toward Gerlach previously.)

As Gerlach faced death without the sacraments, without bitterness, those who had gathered around him waited for this holy man to pass into eternity. But there came into his hut, a man dressed in white accompanied by a young assistant, also in white. The man approached Gerlach and gave him the Viaticum and performed the last rites. Then the two quietly left. And Gerlach gave up his last earthly breath and entered into paradise.

Hildegard of Bingen had earlier had a vision of Gerlach having for him a throne in heaven reserved. In the days, months and years following Gerlach's death, God seemed to want the people to know that Gerlach was indeed in Heaven. Many miracles resulted from intercessions of this man, and the crucifix which he always wore about his neck, when touched to some who were crippled or drowned, brought healing and life.

Gerlach had been buried in a coffin, in the ground. One day, his body was found lying on top of the earth--no sign of the coffin to be found. He was brought into the church, and his body was venerated as a remembrance of the merciful God Who allowed Gerlach such blessings on earth and in Heaven, as a result of his transformed life from sin into servant of God. He was canonized a saint, and St. Gerlach continues to assist through his prayers, those who ask.

Repentance, humility, obedience, forgiveness, charity: St. Gerlach reminds us of these key components in living our lives with, through and in Christ.