Saint Hilarion, Abbot and Confessor
by VP
Posted on Friday October 21, 2022 at 01:00AM in Saints
Wikipedia: Hilarion the Great, by Basil II, c.1000 (Vatican Library)
Cursed be he who looks for the refreshment of the body before that of the soul. Let us pray, let us sing, let us do our duty to God, and then we will hasten to the vineyard." Saint Hilarion, Life of Saint Hilarion by Saint Jerome
"After the era of martyrs to whom the Church had exclusively reserved the honors of public worship, she began to raise to the altars the servants of God who had distinguished themselves by their heroic virtues, although they had not won the glory of shedding their blood for Jesus Christ.
St. Hilarion in the East, and St. Martin in the West, are at the head of the list of saints known as 'Confessors". A native of Palestine, St. Hilarion studied at Alexandria, and desiring to embrace a more perfect life, he left all to follow Jesus. He heard of St. Anthony's holiness and went to see him in Egypt. The Saint kept him for two months in order to train him to a life of penance and contemplation. He then delivered to this boy of 15 years of age a hair-shirt and a garment made of skin, saying: "Persevere to the end, my son, and thy labor shall be rewarded by the delights of heaven."
Hilarion returned to Palestine and founded monastic life there. After having built several monasteries for which he made laws, as Moses had done of old for God's people, he retired to the island of Cyprus, so as to escape the crowd of admirers attracted by his brilliant virtues. He died a holy death at the age of 80 about A.D. 372." Daily Missal with Vespers, 1924
