the baptism is the special event commemorated by the Easterns on this
feast, and on account of its connection with the baptism, this feast
has, amongst the Greeks, the secondary title of the feast of lights.
And, in Ireland (Synodus II., St. Patricii, can. 20), contrary to the
ancient custom of the Church, solemn baptism was administered on this
feast day. This subject of the baptism forms the only theme of the
ancient sermons bearing on this feast. On the other hand, the visit of
the Magi is the sole event commemorated by St. Augustine in his six
sermons delivered on this feast day. The third event, the marriage
feast, is of later commemoration; and Maximus of Turin doubted if they
all actually happened on the same day.

The Octave to the feast dates from the eighth century. It was customary
on this date, in the Eastern Church, to read publicly the epistola
festalis of the Patriarch of Alexandria arranging the date of Easter and
the practice was ordered by the fourth Council of Orleans in 541.

In Epiphany the invitatory is not said in the beginning of Matins, in
order, say the liturgists, not to repeat the inquiry made by Herod from
the scribes about the birthplace of Christ, an inquiry and invitation
inspired by hatred and anger. The invitatory is omitted, they tell us,
that we, like the Magi, may come to Christ, without other than a silent
invitation. Teachers of olden time used to urge those who were slow to
believe to imitate the Magi. But, the invitatory is not quite omitted.
It is read in the third nocturn, which typifies the law of grace, in
which the Apostles and their successors invite all to praise and worship
God. The psalms of the feast are taken from the psalms of each day of
the week, but chiefly from Friday's psalms, perhaps because the Magi's
visit was on that day.

SEPTUAGESIMA.

"During the age of the persecutions it was scarcely possible for
Christians to observe any other festival than Sunday, and so it is not
surprising that the two writers who have occasion to speak of the
institution of the festivals of the Church, mention only Easter and
Pentecost, both of which fall on a Sunday. To these Christmas was added
in the fourth century and Epiphany somewhat earlier. These chief
festivals, along with others soon added to their number, formed the
elements for the organisation of a festal system in the Church, as
centres round which the lesser festivals grouped themselves. The last
step of imp