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Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Also known as

Athanasius of the West
Doctor of the Divinity of Christ
Hammer against Arianism
Ilario di Poitiers
Malleus Arianorum

13 January
formerly 14 January

Profile

Born to wealthy polytheistic, pagan nobility, Hilary’s early life was uneventful as he married, had children (including Saint Abra), and studied on his own. Through his studies he came to believe in salvation through good works, then monotheism. As he studied the Bible for the first time, he literally read himself into the faith, and was converted by the end of the New Testament.

Hilary lived the faith so well he was made bishop of Poitiers from 353 to 368. Hilary opposed the emperor’s attempt to run Church matters, and was exiled; he used the time to write works explaining the faith. His teaching and writings converted many, and in an attempt to reduce his notoriety he was returned to the small town of Poitiers where his enemies hoped he would fade into obscurity. His writings continued to convert pagans.

He introduced Eastern theology to the Western Church, fought Arianism with the help of Saint Viventius, and was proclaimed a Doctor of the Church in 1851.

Born

315 at Poitiers, France

Died

368 of natural causes

Canonized

Pre-Congregation

Patronage

Representation

Additional Information

1001 Patron Saints and Their Feast Days, Australian Catholic Truth Society
Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate
Catholic Culture
Catholic Encyclopedia
Catholic News Agency
Catholic News Agency - audio
Catholic Online
Christian Biographies, by James Keifer
CRadio - audio
Heiligen 3s
Katherine Rabenstein
Kirken i Norge
Lives of Illustrious Men, by Saint Jerome
Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler
New Catholic Dictionary
Our Sunday Visitor’s Encyclopedia of Saints
Pictorial Lives of the Saints
Prayer for Perseverance in Faith
Roman Martyrology, 1914 edition
Santi e Beati
Svetniki
uCatholic

Works

On the Councils at CCEL
On the Councils at NewAdvent
On the Trinity at CCEL
On the Trinity at NewAdvent
Homilies on the Psalms at CCEL
Homilies on the Psalms at NewAdvent

Readings

To those who wish to stand in God’s grace, neither the guardianship of saints nor the defenses of angels are wanting. - Saint Hilary, Commentary on the Psalms

When I look at your heavens, according to my own lights, with these weak eyes of mine, I am certain with reservation that they are your heavens. The stars circle in the heavens, reappear year after year, each with a function and service to fulfill. And though I do not understand them, I know that you, O God, are in them. - Saint Hilary

Lord, I pray Thee let not my weakness distract me, but let my speech be of that alone in which the salvation of my soul consists; and let me never break forth to that degree both of folly and wickedness, as to wish to be a judge of Thy omnipotence, and of Thy sacraments; and suffer me not to exalt my weak opinion above either the divine determination of Thy infinity, or that belief of Thy eternity which has been revealed to me. Amen. - Saint Hilary

We have been promised, and he who made the promise is trustworthy: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” Yes, in our poverty we will pray for our needs. We will study the sayings of your prophets and apostles with unflagging attention, and knock for admittance wherever the gift of understanding is safely kept. But yours it is, Lord, to grant our petitions, to be present when we seek you and to open when we knock. Impart to us, then, the meaning of the words of Scripture and the light to understand it, with reverence for the doctrine and confidence in its truth. Grant that we may express what we believe. Through the prophets and apostles we know about you, the one God the Father, and the one Lord Jesus Christ. May we have the grace, the face of heretics who deny you, to honor you as God, who is not alone, and to proclaim this as truth. - from a sermon on the Trinity by Saint Hilary

The Word Among Us

Meditation: 1 Samuel 1:1-8

Saint Hilary, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

Hannah, why do you weep? (1 Samuel 1:8)

Hannah bore the sorrow of her inability to conceive, enduring the constant reproach of Peninah, her husband’s other (fertile) wife, the lack of understanding of her husband, and the erroneous judgment of the priest Eli. Infertility has been a heavy cross for many throughout history. As Jacob’s wife, Rachel, once cried out, “Give me children or I shall die!” (Genesis 30:1). Yet despite the fact that as many as one in six couples struggle with infertility, many feel alone. In their distress, they feel isolated, misunderstood, depressed, uncertain about what to do, and worse, unheard by God.

Not being able to conceive can strain a marriage, even if the couple already has other children. Couples may disagree about which path to take. Some may blame each other or themselves. Others may feel pressured by potential grandparents or other well-meaning people. And in our technology-driven society, it can be very hard to navigate the complicated medical and moral options—not to mention the often anxiety-filled alternatives such as adoption—to determine the right course of action.

Is God listening? Does he care? Am I not worthy? Like Hannah, many women and men have prayed and wept until they felt spent.

If you’ve never experienced this heartache, let today’s reading move you to pray for all those who long to know the joy of parenthood but whose strength may be waning. And if you are in Hannah’s situation, know that God is just as aware of the wounds in your heart as he was of the wounds his Son endured on the cross. It may be hard to believe, but he really does have your best interest in mind. So keep praying for a heart open to his work and his will.

Take as your own the words of Pope John Paul II from a 1982 homily: “To couples who cannot have children of their own, I say: you are no less loved by God; your love for each other is complete and fruitful when it is open to others, to the needs of the apostolate, to the needs of the poor, to the needs of orphans, to the needs of the world.”

“Father, you generously answered the prayers of Hannah. Hear the prayers of those who cry out to you for a child to call their own. Give them wisdom in discerning your will and peace in accepting it.”

Psalm 116:12-19; Mark 1:14-20