Readings & Reflections: Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time & St. Hilary, January 13,2020

Readings & Reflections: Monday of the First Week in Ordinary Time & St. Hilary, January 13,2020

Born into a pagan family, Hilary is said to have studied his way into the Church, meditating in part on the prologue to John’s Gospel. In 353 A.D. he was chosen bishop of Poitier, France. Only three years after being elected bishop of Poitiers, France. Hilary was sent into exile in Phrygia, present-day Turkey by the emperor, professed Arian, because he refused to condemn Athanasius. There Hilary composed his great doctrinal work On the Trinity. “Anyone who fails to see that Christ Jesus was at once true God and truly man is blind to his own life: to deny Christ Jesus, or God the Spirit, or our own flesh, is equally perilous,” he wrote. Hilary governed his diocese from afar, thwarted only the slow mail delivery. He returned to Poitiers and died in 367 A.D. Hilary was dubbed the “Athanasius of the West” because, like the great doctor from Alexandria, he worked tirelessly to uphold the truth of the divinity of the Son of God in an age dominated by the Arian heresy. Hilary was hailed by Saint Augustine as “the most illustrious doctor of the churches.”

Jesus comes to us today filled with promise: The Kingdom of God is at hand. Real repentance is possible for us. If we follow Jesus he will make of us more than we could ever imagine. What we formerly perceived as barrenness is our life has become filled with a Presence – the Presence fro which we were made.

AMDG+

Opening Prayer

“Lord Jesus, you have called me personally by name, just as you called your first disciples, Simon, Andrew, James, and John. Help me to believe your word and follow you faithfully. Fill me with the joy of the gospel that your light may shine through me to many others.” In your Name, I pray. Amen.

Reading I
1 Sm 1:1-8
There was a certain man from Ramathaim, Elkanah by name,
a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim.
He was the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu,
son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.
He had two wives, one named Hannah, the other Peninnah;
Peninnah had children, but Hannah was childless.
This man regularly went on pilgrimage from his city
to worship the LORD of hosts and to sacrifice to him at Shiloh,
where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas,
were ministering as priests of the LORD.
When the day came for Elkanah to offer sacrifice,
he used to give a portion each to his wife Peninnah
and to all her sons and daughters,
but a double portion to Hannah because he loved her,
though the LORD had made her barren.
Her rival, to upset her, turned it into a constant reproach to her
that the LORD had left her barren.
This went on year after year;
each time they made their pilgrimage to the sanctuary of the LORD,
Peninnah would approach her,
and Hannah would weep and refuse to eat.
Her husband Elkanah used to ask her:
“Hannah, why do you weep, and why do you refuse to eat?
Why do you grieve?
Am I not more to you than ten sons?”

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
116:12-13, 14-17, 18-19
R. (17a)  To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R.        Alleluia.
How shall I make a return to the LORD
for all the good he has done for me?
The cup of salvation I will take up,
and I will call upon the name of the LORD.
R.        To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R.        Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people.
Precious in the eyes of the LORD
is the death of his faithful ones.
O LORD, I am your servant;
I am your servant, the son of your handmaid;
you have loosed my bonds.
R.        To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R.        Alleluia.
My vows to the LORD I will pay
in the presence of all his people,
In the courts of the house of the LORD,
in your midst, O Jerusalem.
R.        To you, Lord, I will offer a sacrifice of praise.
or:
R.        Alleluia.

Gospel
Mk 1:14-20
After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of God: “This is the time of fulfillment. The Kingdom of God is at hand.
Repent, and believe in the Gospel.”

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they left their nets and followed him. He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them.
So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Reflection 1 – They left their nets and followed him.

What caught my heart in today’s gospel reading were the words “they left” meaning “they abandoned.” Simon and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus. James and John did not only abandon their nets but left their father Zebedee with his hired men as they responded to the invitation of Jesus.

Sometime ago, we heard God’s call to follow Him. Some of us may have instantaneously left (abandoned) our old lives and embraced our new lives in Christ. Others may have taken time in responding to God’s call. Whatever the case may be, each one of us left (abandoned) something behind. We had to forsake whatever we had in exchange for what we believed will achieve the reason why we are in this world. We all realized that to reach our final destination we had to give up a lot. We learned that we had to die to our selves and open our hearts to what is Christ-like and allow the Spirit to take full control.

Responding to God and His call means we have to make a complete turnaround and discard our old ways. It means we should never re-consider going back to our old lives or even look back at them but continuously and incessantly work at what will bring us close to our God. It means seriously pursuing our ministry and being fruitful in the Lord’s vineyard.

Unfortunately any activity, even the most religious and spiritual in nature, when marred by tension and major differences can numb souls and may cause one to seek spiritual refreshment. One may in time find a need for a fresh anointing from the Lord Who is always at work in creating a masterpiece out of us.

Amid any difficulty and pain, the temptation to abandon our relationship with God and His Church may be knocking in our hearts. The temptation to give up our work in community is so strong because we feel pain in our relationships. We may have placed our ministry/apostolate dependent on whether we will get what we want from a situation..

Are we going to give in to the enemy and allow our servanthood to be jeopardized by our self centeredness?

God is asking us to abandon all that we are and all that have caused us to experience coldness in our hearts. He is calling us to make a return to Him for all the good He has done for us. He is asking us to give our all to Him so that He may work on us and purify us and cleanse us of our sins, so that we be made heirs of all things and the refulgence of His glory and the very imprint of his being, so that at journey’s end we may take our place in the greatest banquet that awaits all of us at the right hand of our Lord!

With humble and contrite hearts and in the presence of all His people, let us take the cup of salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord.

Let us pay our vows to the Lord.

Let us abandon the evil one and offer our Lord a sacrifice of thanksgiving!

Let us offer Him a sacrifice of praise!

Let us abandon everything that is not of Christ as “This is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!”

Direction

Let us abandon our old lives, seek God and His will. Change for the better.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I offer You a sacrifice of praise as You give me the grace to abandon my old life and follow Jesus. In Him, I live and move and have my being. Amen.

Reflection 2 – Barren or bearing fruits

Longtime barrenness in biblical parlance is often merely a prelude to bearing much fruit. Children born to women who have waited long and endured much are generally towering figures who bear abundantly in the vineyard of the Lord. Hannah’s son, Samuel, was certainly such a person.

The gospel of Mark today has Jesus opening his public ministry with the announcement, “This is the time of fulfillment.” Both Samuel and Jesus constitute bridges. Samuel was the last of the Judges and the first of the great prophets. As he implies in his announcement, Jesus fulfills the First Testament and inaugurates the Second Testament. But how does it apply to our own lives. Most of us would agree that one of the themes of Jesus’ ministry is his call to his followers to bear fruit. Simon and Andrew left their nets to follow Jesus. James and John did not only abandon their nets but left their father Zebedee with his hired men as they responded to the invitation of Jesus.

Responding to God and His call means we have to make a complete turnaround and discard our old ways. It means we should never re-consider going back to our old lives or even look back at them but continuously and incessantly work at what will bring us close to our God. It means seriously pursuing our ministry and being fruitful in the Lord’s vineyard.

God is asking us to abandon all that we are and all that have caused us to experience coldness in our hearts. He is calling us to make a return to Him for all the good He has done for us. He is asking us to give our all to Him so that he may work on us and purify us and cleanse us of our sins, so that we be made heirs of all things and the refulgence of His glory and the very imprint of his being, so that at journey’s end we may take our place in the greatest banquet that awaits all of us at the right hand of our Lord.

With humble and contrite hearts, let us abandon the evil one and offer our Lord a sacrifice of thanksgiving! Let us offer Him a sacrifice of praise! Let us abandon everything that is not of Christ as Jesus said: “this is the time of fulfillment. The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good new!”

“Heavenly Father, I offer You a sacrifice of praise as You give me the grace to abandon my old life and follow Jesus. In Him, I live and move and have my being. Amen.”

Reflection 3 – The kingdom of God is at hand

What is the Gospel of God which Jesus came to preach? The word “gospel” literally means “good news”. When a king had good news to deliver to his subjects he sent messengers or heralds throughout the land to make a public announcement – such as the birth of a newborn king or the victory over an invading army or occupied force. God sent his prophets to announce the coming of God’s anointed King and Messiah. After Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan and anointed by the Spirit he begins his ministry of preaching the Gospel – the good news that the kingdom of God was now at hand for all who were ready to receive it.

God rules over all
What is the kingdom of God? The word “kingdom” means something more than a territory or an area of land. It literally means “sovereignty” or “reign” and the power to “rule” and exercise authority. The prophets announced that God would establish a kingdom not just for one nation or people but for the whole world. The Scriptures tell us that God’s throne is in heaven and his rule is over all (Psalm 103:19). His kingdom is bigger and more powerful than anything we can imagine because it is universal and everlasting (Daniel 4:3). His kingdom is full of glory, power, and splendor (Psalm 145:11-13).

In the Book of Daniel we are told that this kingdom is given to the Son of Man (Daniel 7:14,18,22,27). The Son of Man is a Messianic title for God’s anointed King. The New Testament word for “Messiah” is “Christ” which literally means the “Anointed One” or the “Anointed King”. God sent us his Son not to establish an earthly kingdom but to bring us into his heavenly kingdom – a kingdom ruled by truth, justice, peace, and holiness. The kingdom of God is the central theme of Jesus’ mission. It’s the core of his gospel message.

As soon as John the Baptist had finished his testimony, Jesus began his in Galilee, his home district. John’s enemies had sought to silence him, but the gospel cannot be silenced. Jesus proclaimed that the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Jesus takes up John’s message of repentance and calls disciples to believe in the gospel – the good news he has come to deliver. What is the good news which Jesus delivers? It is the good news of peace (restoration of relationship with God – Ephesians 6:15), of hope (the hope of heaven and everlasting life – Colossians 1:23 ), of truth (God’s word is true and reliable – Colossians 1:5), of promise (he rewards those who seek him – Ephesians 3:6)), of immortality (God gives everlasting life – 2 Timothy 1:10), and the good news of salvation (liberty from sin and freedom to live as sons and daughters of God – Ephesians 1:13).

Two conditions for the kingdom – repent and believe
How do we enter the kingdom of God? In announcing the good news, Jesus gave two explicit things each of us must do to in order to receive the kingdom of God: repent and believe.When we submit to Christ’s rule in our lives and believe the gospel message the Lord Jesus gives us the grace and power to live a new way of life as citizens of his kingdom. He gives us grace to renounce the kingdom of darkness ruled by sin and Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44) and the ruler of this present world (John 12:31). That is why repentance is the first step.

Repentance means to change – to change my way of thinking, my attitude, disposition, and life choices so that Christ can be the Lord and Master of my heart rather than sin, selfishness, and greed. If we are only sorry for the consequences of our sins, we will very likely keep repeating the sin that is mastering us. True repentance requires a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17) and sorrow for sin and a firm resolution to avoid it in the future. The Lord Jesus gives us grace to see sin for what it really is – a rejection of his love and wisdom for our lives and a refusal to do what is good and in accord with his will. His grace brings pardon and help for turning away from everything that would keep us from his love and truth.

To believe is to take Jesus at his word and to recognize that God loved us so much that he sent his only begotten Son to free us from bondage to sin and harmful desires. God made the supreme sacrifice of his Son on the cross to bring us back to a relationship of peace and friendship with himself. He is our Father and he wants us to live as his sons and daughters. God loved us first and he invites us in love to surrender our lives to him. Do you believe that the gospel -the good news of Jesus – has power to free you from bondage to sin and fear?

Like fishermen – we are called to gather in people for the kingdom of Christ
When Jesus preached the gospel message he called others to follow as his disciples and he gave them a mission – “to catch people for the kingdom of God.” What kind of disciples did he choose? Smelly fishermen! In the choice of the first apostles we see a characteristic feature of Jesus’ work: he chose very ordinary people. They were non-professionals, had no wealth or position. They were chosen from the common people who did ordinary things, had no special education, and no social advantages. Jesus wanted ordinary people who could take an assignment and do it extraordinarily well. He chose these individuals, not for what they were, but for what they would be capable of becoming under his direction and power.

When the Lord calls us to serve, we must not think we have nothing to offer. The Lord takes what ordinary people, like us, can offer and uses it for greatness in his kingdom. Do you believe that God wants to work in and through you for his glory?

Jesus speaks the same message to us today: we will “catch people” for the kingdom of God if we allow the light of Jesus Christ to shine through us. God wants others to see the light of Christ in us in the way we live, speak, and witness the joy of the gospel. Paul the Apostles says, But thanks be to God, who in Christ Jesus always leads us in triumph, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing (2 Corinthians 2:15). Do you witness to those around you the joy of the Gospel and do you pray for your neighbors, co-workers, and relatives that they may come to know the Lord Jesus Christ and grow in the knowledge of his love?

Reflection 4 – The need for community in evangelization

In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus proclaims: “The reign of God is at hand! Reform your lives and believe in the good news!” Do you know anyone who’s on the wrong path, sinning, away from God, away from the Church? How we wish we could successfully convey Christ’s invitation to them. Why aren’t we able to?

Observe how Jesus did it. He gathered a team and formed them into a community. By his example, he shows us that we are never meant to evangelize alone. If you’re the only one inviting a coworker or family member to recognize their need for Christ, the message conveyed is that you’re an odd-ball fanatic who should be ignored. But when God sends one messenger after another into that person’s life, each delivering the message in their own unique ways, the reign of God becomes more obviously real.

And when that person is invited into a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly, the reign of God becomes desirable!

Our individual failures to lead someone into the reign of God is not the end of the plan – it’s only part of the plan. We are not the Savior; we are the fisher-men and -women who use our own lives as bait to attract others to his love. But it takes more than one person to handle the net that catches them.

Notice that the disciples abandoned the net they had made to answer the call of Jesus. Simon, Andrew, James and John were already experiencing community with each other; we can imagine the camaraderie and commiserating they shared after a hard day’s work. But Jesus invited them to become part of a bigger community with a greater purpose.

What do you have to let go of in order to follow Jesus into community and its collaborative mission of evangelization? Your individualism? A too-busy schedule that caters to your own private goals? A fear of inadequacy? A lazy attitude that God will send someone else to do the work? Community is the cure for all of these sins!

As a Christian, you belong to the same community that the Apostles joined. What are you doing to help it with its outreach mission? What are you doing to receive growth and strength and support from the community so you can do what God has called you to do? What are you doing to build a community that is joyful, faith-filled, and friendly so that the reign of God becomes desirable to those who don’t go to church? – Read the source: http://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2019-01-14

Reflection 5 – Weeping with Jesus

Imagine yourself wearing Hannah’s sandals as you read or hear today’s first scripture. Peninnah is anyone in your life who claims to be a Christian but who behaves sinfully against you and has no remorse and suffers no punishment, month after month, year after year. Meanwhile, you have been a good and faithful worshipper of the Lord, yet your prayers for an end to this trial have been barren. Your Peninnah mocks your purity of faith, arrogantly treats you as inferior, and cares nothing about your sufferings.

Jesus is your Elkanah, your loving spouse. He says to you, “Why do you weep and mourn? Am I not more to you than everything else you wish for?”

He is, but his loving embrace cannot be felt physically, and his compassionate understanding does not end your sorrows. The injustices continue. You wonder why God hasn’t intervened to fulfill his promise of raising the lowly and humbling the arrogant.

In tomorrow’s verses, we’ll see how God finally answers Hannah’s prayers, but today Hannah doesn’t know that her trial will ever end. After so many years of enduring Peninnah’s abuses and watching her receive great blessings despite her sinfulness, Hannah has good reason to grieve. Her tears are our tears when we need our own life to improve and it doesn’t.

At times like this, we have nothing but the Lord himself to give us comfort and satisfaction and peace. Relief doesn’t come from our prayers getting answered, but from the Answerer of our prayers. For now, his answer might only be, “I am here, my beloved. You are not alone. I am weeping with you.”

In this intimacy is the salvation we await. In this intimacy is the victory we know we should expect, the fulfillment of God’s promises in which we trust. In this intimacy is the justice and the deliverance that is due for us. But we can only experience this victory in him. It’s not in our trials — not yet. Jesus asks, “Am I not more to you than everything else?”

The darkest hour is the moment we feel like giving up, but the Light of Christ is always here, waiting to be rediscovered. We are battling powers of darkness that make us feel discouraged and dejected. We need to remember that God never ignores the cries of his people. Jesus has already conquered the darkness. Don’t let anyone or anything steal this truth from you. Every trial will end. Every injustice will be vindicated by your Beloved Lord.

But in the meantime, find your relief in Jesus. – Read the source: https://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2020-01-13

For help in this, meditate in the Good News Prayer Room with “An Intimate Conversation You Can Have with Jesus”: gnm.org/intimateconversation

Also available as a downloadable, printable booklet at Catholic Digital Resources: catholicdr.com/prayer-resources/intimate-conversation-with-jesus/

Reflection 6 – Repent and believe in the Gospel

Jesus said; “Repent and believe” in the Gospel. What evil situation and sins that we are to repent at this time? Medical Journal Report: (Diary of Unborn Baby) wrote, “On November 1: My mother and father showed how much they love one another. The slept together and my life began; On November 15: My blood circulation system is beginning now. My body is beginning to grow. I am now big enough to be seen; On November 20: My two hands and two feet have begun to grow. I can now stretch and straighten my back; On December 15: Today my mother felt me moving around and she is sure that I am inside her. How happy I am! On January 6: Now hair is starting to grow on top of my head and above my eyes. Now I am starting to grow on top of my head and above my eyes. Now I am starting to make myself pretty; On January 19: My heart is really beating strong now. I am growing in all directions. I am happy and contented; On January 20: Today my mother killed me… If it had happened to you, you would not be listening this story of an unborn baby.

The story of an unborn baby is a reality that the crooks are still with us. The oppressors are still doing their evil work. We are as miserable as ever. This situation needs our attention and concern for action.

In our Gospel today, Jesus said, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the good news. Jesus’ words and actions initiate God’s dynamic activity which aims at completing the work of salvation in a transformed universe. But how could Jesus say that all this was happening now? How could we repent our sins committed against the unborn baby and what action do I do for the liberation of the unborn baby?

God’s kingdom makes itself felt, wherever life is enhanced or broken life restored wherever we defend the rights of the unborn baby; wherever we find joy and true happiness; wherever people build community with vital life-giving relationships, there the kingdom has taken root. Wherever life is celebrated and God’s ultimate goal of leading all human beings into the great community of brothers and sisters in union with him is promoted, there we can smell and touch, the kingdom as having arrived already in our midst.

We are called to build this kingdom of God as Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John were called and they followed Jesus. And they left everything. As Christians we are called to follow them today by giving our life for the defense of an unborn baby in the womb of the mother. The Church has a planned for a March for Life in Washington, DC on January 22. This is now the time to witness and petition our government to restore legal protection to our helpless pre-born brothers and sisters. Let’s go and be there.

Reflection 7 – Life Beyond The Rituals

They immediately left their nets and followed Him. —Mark 1:18

A royal dignitary was greeting residents at a nursing home, when he was surprised by the unresponsiveness of one woman who just sat there and stared at him. Finally, the dignitary asked, “Do you know who I am?”—to which the woman responded: “No. But that nurse over there helps us with those kinds of things.”

Many people are confused about who Jesus is. But through His Word, God helps us know and enjoy the real Jesus. You will find Him wonderfully compelling. Tough fishermen, tax collectors, and zealots gave up everything to follow Him (Mark 1:18). Women felt safe with Him. Crowds stood in awe of His power and authority.

Jesus is not content to be just our “fire insurance,” saving us from eternal punishment in hell. Rather, He wants us to know Him for who He really is, and He desires to connect with us on a deeper, more personal level.

If you are weary of a religion that is about rules and regulations, then welcome to life beyond the rituals. Welcome to a relationship in which you can find companionship, comfort, wisdom, and reality. Welcome to the wonderful privilege of getting to know Jesus and the joy of following Him.

Get to know Him—and you’ll grow to love Him more and more each day. — Joe Stowell

Which of all our friends, to save us,
Could or would have shed their blood?
But our Jesus died to have us
Reconciled in Him to God. —Newton

To know Jesus is to love Jesus (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 8 – St. Hilary (315?-368 A.D.)

This staunch defender of the divinity of Christ was a gentle and courteous man, devoted to writing some of the greatest theology on the Trinity, and was like his Master in being labeled a “disturber of the peace.” In a very troubled period in the Church, his holiness was lived out in both scholarship and controversy. He was bishop of Poitiers in France.

Raised a pagan, he was converted to Christianity when he met his God of nature in the Scriptures. His wife was still living when he was chosen, against his will, to be the bishop of Poitiers in France. He was soon taken up with battling what became the scourge of the fourth century, Arianism, which denied the divinity of Christ.

The heresy spread rapidly. St. Jerome said “The world groaned and marveled to find that it was Arian.” When Emperor Constantius ordered all the bishops of the West to sign a condemnation of Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in the East, Hilary refused and was banished from France to far off Phrygia (in modern-day Turkey). Eventually he was called the “Athanasius of the West.” While writing in exile, he was invited by some semi-Arians (hoping for reconciliation) to a council the emperor called to counteract the Council of Nicea. But Hilary predictably defended the Church, and when he sought public debate with the heretical bishop who had exiled him, the Arians, dreading the meeting and its outcome, pleaded with the emperor to send this troublemaker back home. Hilary was welcomed by his people.

Comment:

Christ said his coming would bring not peace but a sword (see Matthew 10:34). The Gospels offer no support for us if we fantasize about a sunlit holiness that knows no problems. Christ did not escape at the last moment, though he did live happily ever after—after a life of controversy, problems, pain and frustration. Hilary, like all saints, simply had more of the same.

Read the source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1259

SAINT OF THE DAY
Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God’s invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint. Click here to receive Saint of the Day in your email.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_of_Poitiers

SAINT HILARY
The Ordination of Saint Hilary. From a 14th-century manuscript.
“MALLEUS ARIANORUM” AND THE “ATHANASIUS OF THE WEST;”BISHOP, CONFESSOR AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
BORN	c. 310 AD Pictavium, Gaul (modern-day Poitiers, France)
DIED	c. 367 Poitiers
VENERATED IN	Roman Catholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion Lutheran Church Oriental Orthodoxy
CANONIZED	Pre-Congregation
FEAST	13 January 14 January (in some local calendars and pre-1970 General Roman Calendar)

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hilaire de Poitiers.

Hilary (Hilarius) of Poitiers (c. 310 – c. 367^[1]) was Bishop of Poitiersand is a Doctor of the Church. He was sometimes referred to as the “Hammer of the Arians” (Latin: Malleus Arianorum) and the “Athanasius of the West.” His name comes from the Latin word for happy or cheerful. His optional memorial in the General Roman Calendar is 13 January. In the past, when this date was occupied by the Octave Day of the Epiphany, his feast day was moved to 14 January.^[2]

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Early life[edit]

Hilary was born at Poitiers either at the end of the 3rd or beginning of the 4th century A.D.^[3] His parents were pagans of distinction. He received a good pagan education,^[4] which included a high level of Greek.^[5] He studied, later on, the Old and New Testament writings, with the result that he abandoned his Neo-Platonism for Christianity, and with his wife and his daughter (traditionally named Saint Abra), was baptized and received into the Church.

The Christians of Poitiers so respected Hilary that about 350 or 353,^[6] they unanimously elected him their bishop. At that time Arianismthreatened to overrun the Western Church; Hilary undertook to repel the disruption. One of his first steps was to secure the excommunication, by those of the Gallican hierarchy who still remained orthodox Christians, of Saturninus, the Arian Bishop of Arles, and of Ursacius and Valens, two of his prominent supporters.

About the same time, Hilary wrote^{[citation needed]} to Emperor Constantius II a remonstrance against the persecutions by which the Arians had sought to crush their opponents (Ad Constantium Augustum liber primus, of which the most probable date is 355). Other Historians refer to this first book to Constantius as “Book Against Valens,” of which only fragments are extant.^[7] His efforts did not succeed at first, for at the synod of Biterrae (Béziers), summoned by the emperor in 356 with the professed purpose of settling the longstanding dispute, an imperial rescript banished the new bishop, along with Rhodanus of Toulouse, to Phrygia^[8]

Hilary spent nearly four years in exile, although the reasons for this banishment remain obscure. The traditional explanation is that Hilary was exiled for refusing to subscribe to the condemnation of Athanasius and the Nicene faith. More recently several scholars have suggested that political opposition to Constantius and support of the usurper Silvanus may have led to Hilary’s exile.^[9]

In exile[edit]

While in Phrygia, however, he continued to govern his diocese, as well as writing two of the most important of his contributions to dogmatic and polemical theology: the De synodis or De fide Orientalium, an epistle addressed in 358 to the Semi-Arian bishops in Gaul, Germany and Britain, analyzing the views of the Eastern bishops on the Nicene controversy. In reviewing the professions of faith of the Oriental bishops in the Councils of Ancyra, Antioch, and Sirmium, he sought to show that sometimes the difference between certain doctrines and orthodox beliefs was rather in the words than in the ideas, which led to his counseling the bishops of the West to be more reserved in their condemnation.^[10]

The De trinitate libri XII, composed in 359 and 360, was the first successful expression in Latin of that Council’s theological subtleties originally elaborated in Greek. Although some members of Hilary’s own party thought the first had shown too great a forbearance towards the Arians, Hilary replied to their criticisms in theApologetica ad reprehensores libri de synodis responsa. Hilary was a firm guardian of the Trinity as taught by the Western church, and therefore saw the foreseen Antichrist in those who repudiated the divinity of the Son and thought Him to be but a created Being. “Hence also they who deny that Christ is the Son of God must have Antichrist for their Christ,”^[11] was the way he stated it.^[12]

In his classic introduction to the works of Hilary Watson summarizes Hilary’s points:

“They were the forerunners of Antichrist. . . . They bear themselves not as bishops of Christ but as priests of Antichrist. This is not random abuse, but sober recognition of the fact, stated by St. John, that there are many Antichrists. For these men assume the cloak of piety, and pretend to preach the Gospel, with the one object of inducing others to deny Christ. It was the misery and folly of the day that men endeavoured to promote the cause of God by human means and the favour of the world. Hilary asks bishops, who believe in their office, whether the Apostles had secular support when by their preaching they converted the greater part of mankind. . . .

“The Church seeks for secular support, and in so doing insults Christ by the implication that His support is insufficient. She in her turn holds out the threat of exile and prison. It was her endurance of these that drew men to her; now she imposes her faith by violence. She craves for favours at the hand of her communicants; once it was her consecration that she braved the threatenings of persecutors. Bishops in exile spread the Faith; now it is she that exiles bishops. She boasts that the world loves her; the world’s hatred was the evidence that she was Christ’s. . . . The time of Antichrist, disguised as an angel of light, has come. The true Christ is hidden from almost every mind and heart. Antichrist is now obscuring the truth that he may assert falsehood hereafter.”^[13]

Constantius II coin.

Hilary also attended several synods during his time in exile, including the council at Seleucia (359) which saw the triumph of thehomoionparty and the forbidding of all discussion of the divine substance. In 360, Hilary tried unsuccessfully to secure a personal audience with Constantius, as well as to address the council which met at Constantinople in 360. When this council ratified the decisions of Ariminumand Seleucia, Hilary responded with the bitter In Constantium, which attacked the Emperor Constantius as Antichrist and persecutor of orthodox Christians.^[3] Hilary’s urgent and repeated requests for public debates with his opponents, especially with Ursacius and Valens, proved at last so inconvenient that he was sent back to his diocese, which he appears to have reached about 361, within a very short time of the accession of Emperor Julian.

Later life[edit]

On returning to his diocese in 361, Hilary spent most of the first two or three years trying to persuade the local clergy that the homoionconfession was merely a cover for traditional Arian subordinationism. Thus, a number of synods in Gaul condemneded the creed promulgated at Council of Ariminium (359).^[14]^[15]

In about 360 or 361, with Hilary’s encouragement, Martin, the future bishop of Tours, founded a monastery at Ligugé in his diocese.

In 364, Hilary extended his efforts once more beyond Gaul. He impeached Auxentius, bishop of Milan, a man high in the imperial favour, as heterodox. EmperorValentinian I accordingly summoned Hilary to Milan to there maintain his charges. However, the supposed heretic gave satisfactory answers to all the questions proposed. Hilary denounced Auxentius as a hypocrite as he himself was ignominiously expelled from Milan. Upon returning home, Hilary in 365, published the Contra Arianos vel Auxentium Mediolanensem liber,describing his unsuccessful efforts against Auxentius. He also (but perhaps at a somewhat earlier date) published theContra Constantium Augustum liber, accusing the lately deceased emperor as having been the Antichrist, a rebel against God, “a tyrant whose sole object had been to make a gift to the devil of that world for which Christhad suffered.”

According to Jerome, Hilary died in Poitiers in 367.^[16]

Writings[edit]

Recent research has distinguished between Hilary’s thought before his period of exile in Phrygia under Constantius and the quality of his later major works.^{[citation needed]} While Hilary closely followed the two great Alexandrians, Origen and Athanasius, in exegesis and Christology respectively, his work shows many traces of vigorous independent thought.

Exegetical[edit]

Among Hilary’s earliest writings, completed some time before his exile in 356, is his Commentarius in Evangelium Matthaei, an allegorical exegesis of the firstGospel. This is the first Latin commentary on Matthew to have survived in its entirety. Hilary’s commentary was strongly influenced by Tertullian and Cyprian, and made use of several classical writers, including Cicero, Quintilian, Pliny and the Roman historians.^[15]

Hilary’s expositions of the Psalms, Tractatus super Psalmos, largely follow Origen, and were composed some time after Hilary returned from exile in 360. Since Jerome found the work incomplete,^[17] no one knows whether Hilary originally commented on the whole Psalter. Now extant are the commentaries on Psalms 1, 2, 9, 13, 14, 51-69, 91, and 118-150.^[15]

The third surviving exegetical writing by Hilary is the Tractatus mysteriorum, preserved in a single manuscript first published in 1887.^[15]

Because Augustine cites part of the commentary on Romans as by “Sanctus Hilarius” it has been ascribed by various critics at different times to almost every known Hilary.

Theological[edit]

Hilary’s major theological work was the twelve books now known as De Trinitate. This was composed largely during his exile, though perhaps not completed until his return to Gaul in 360.^[18]

Another important work is De synodis, written early in 359 in preparation for the councils of Ariminium and Seleucia.^[18]

Historical works and hymns[edit]

Various writings comprise Hilary’s ‘historical’ works. These include the Liber II ad Constantium imperatorem, the Liber in Constantium inperatorem, Contra Arianos vel Auxentium Mediolanensem liber, and the various documents relating to the Arian controversy in Fragmenta historica.^[18]

Some consider Hilary as the first Latin Christian hymn writer, because Jerome said Hilary produced a liber hymnorum.^[17] Three hymns are attributed to him, though none are indisputable.

Reputation and veneration[edit]

Hilary is the pre-eminent Latin writer of the 4th century (before Ambrose). Augustine of Hippo called him “the illustrious doctor of the churches”, and his works continued to be highly influential in later centuries. Venantius Fortunatus wrote a vita of Hilary by 550, but few now consider it reliable. More trustworthy are the notices in Saint Jerome (De vir. illus. 100), Sulpicius Severus (Chron. ii. 39-45) and in Hilary’s own writings. Pope Pius IX formally recognized him as Universae Ecclesiae Doctor in 1851.

In the Roman calendar of saints, Hilary’s feast day is on 13 January, 14 January in the pre-1970 form of the calendar. The spring terms in the English Law Courts and at Oxford and Durham Universities are called the Hilary term since they begin on approximately this date.^[19] Some consider Saint Hilary of Poitiers as the patron saint of lawyers.^[20]

Iconography[edit]

From his writing St. Hilary’s symbol came to be three books and a quill pen.^[21]

Dedications[edit]

Sulpicius Severus‘ Vita Sancti Martini led to a cult of Saint Hilary as well as of St. Martin of Tours which spread early to western Britain. The villages of St Hilary inCornwall and Glamorgan and that of Llanilar in Ceredigion bear his name.

In France most dedications to Saint Hilary are west (and north) of the Massif Central, and the cult in this region eventually extended to Canada.

In northwest Italy the church of Sant’Ilario at Casale Monferratowas dedicated to St. Hilary as early as 380.

References[edit]

Jump up^ General Audience Libreria Editrice Vaticana
Jump up^ “Calendarium Romanum” (Libreria Editrice Vaticana 1969), p. 85
^ Jump up to:^a ^b Hunter, p.302.
Jump up^ Bettenson, Henry. The Later Christian Fathers OUP (1970), p.4
Jump up^ Watson E.W. “Introduction to the Life and writings of St Hilary of Poitiers” in Library of Nicene and Post Nicene Fathers – Series II N° IX Eerdmans reprint 1983, p. ii
Jump up^ Hunter names the date as 350. David G Hunter, ‘Fourth-century Latin writers’, in Frances Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Young, eds, The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, (2010), p302
Jump up^ “Early Christian Greek and Latin Literature, A Literary History” O’Connell, Mathew, Peabody Mass, 2002, p.252-253
Jump up^ Clavis Patrum Latinorun, E. Dekkers, Claudio Moreschin, Enrico Norello, Vienna, 1995
Jump up^ David G Hunter, “Fourth-century Latin writers”, in Frances Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Young, eds, The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, (2010), p302
Jump up^ Clugnet, Léon. “St. Hilary of Poitiers.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 7. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. 14 Aug. 2014
Jump up^ Hilary, De Trinitate, book 6, chap. 46, in NPNF, 2d series, vol. 9, p. 115
Jump up^ Froom 1950, pp. 408-409.
Jump up^ E. W. Watson, Introduction to Hilary of Poitiers, in NPNF, 2d series, vol. 9, pp. lii, liii.
Jump up^ Sulpicius Severus, Chronicum 2.45
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c ^d Hunter, p.303.
Jump up^ Jerome, Vir Ill 100; David G Hunter, ‘Fourth-century Latin writers’, in Frances Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Young, eds, The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, (2010), p303
^ Jump up to:^a ^b Vir Ill 100
^ Jump up to:^a ^b ^c Hunter, p.304.
Jump up^ Cross, F.L.; Livingstone, E.A., eds. (1974). “Hilary of Poitiers, St.”. The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. OUP.
Jump up^ Farmer, David Hugh (1997). The Oxford dictionary of saints (4. ed.). Oxford [u.a.]: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 0-19-280058-2.
Jump up^ “Saint Hilary of Poitiers”, St. Hilary’s Episcopal Church; Hisperia, California

Bibliography[edit]

Carl Beckwith, Hilary of Poitiers on the Trinity: From De Fide to De Trinitate (New York and Oxford, 2009).
J. Doignon, Hilaire de Poitiers avant l’exil. Recherches sur la naissance, l’enseignementet l’épreuve d’une foi épiscopale en Gaule au milieu du IVé siècle, EAA, Paris 1971.
Froom, LeRoy (1950). The Prophetic Faith of our Fathers (DjVu and PDF) 1.
Hunter, David G. “Fourth-century Latin writers”, in Frances Young, Lewis Ayres and Andrew Young, eds, The Cambridge History of Early Christian Literature, (2010)
Rondeau, Marie Josèphe (1962). “Remarques sur l’anthropologie de saint Hilaire”. Studia Patristica (Berlin: Akademie-Verlag). 6 (Papers presented to the Third International Conference on Patristic Studies held at Christ Church, Oxford, 1959, Part IV Theologica, Augustiniana, ed. F. L. Cross): 197–210.
P.T. Wild, The divinization of man according to Saint Hilary of Poitiers, Mundelein, Illinois 1955.

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