Remembering Saint Hilary, Bishop of Poitiers

Christ’s Lordship Over The Seasons

“There is no space where God is not; space does not exist apart from Him. He is in heaven, in hell, beyond the seas; dwelling in all things and enveloping all. Thus He embraces, and is embraced by, the universe, confined to no part of it but pervading all.” — Saint Hilary of Poitiers

The Life of Saint Hilary of Poitiers

In the quietude of his study, he gently closed The Book. The warm flicker of the candle bathed both the text and the enclosing walls with its gentle, golden radiance. The culmination of his reading, the Gospel of John, left him in a state of rapture.

“God the Word became flesh, that through His Incarnation our flesh might attain to union with God the Word.”

Having been nurtured in the tenets of Platonism throughout his upbringing, he immersed himself in the works of philosophers. He knew their words well. But now, He knew the Word of words — the Logos. With a mind illuminated like the sun, he came to the profound realization that the Logos he comprehended through his reason transcended being merely an impersonal force that brought order to the world. Instead, it was the personal God who orchestrated the order of both the world and men, intertwining them into the eternal life of the Godhead.

Having traced the golden verses of the New Testament, the hitherto unknown god dwelling in the tower of his towering intellect revealed Himself to Hilary of Poitiers. He became a catechumen and would become as a babe born anew through the watery baptismal womb of Mother Church. His wife and daughter followed.

The veil of passing time shrouds most of his life in mystery at this point. A silence, as profound as the sacred hush between verses, blankets his narrative. Even The Golden Legend, that venerable collection of saints' tales withheld its quill until the moment Hilary ascends to the seat as the Bishop of Poitiers.

As the shepherd of his flock, we know that Hilary assumed the mantle with a dedication that would earn him the titles of the "Athanasius of the West" and "The Hammer of the Arians." In the crucible of theological tumult, he stood as a bulwark, blazingly and brilliantly defending the sacred doctrine of the Son of God’s divinity from the encroaching shadows of Arian dissent, a threat that loomed forebodingly over the Bride that Christ purchased with His blood.

The unwavering conviction to the sacred principles of the faith eventually led Hilary down the path of exile in Phrygia. In a testament to his steadfastness, he chose the weight of banishment over compromising the beliefs he held as beloved. He refused to condemn Saint Athanasius and the Nicene Faith. The echoes of his exile emanate as an epic chapter in the saga of an earnest defender of orthodoxy who faithfully held to the foundations of the faith with steadfastness.

In 361 AD, after the death of Constantinus, the Hammer of the Arians returned to Poitiers, resuming his divine charge as the shepherd the people of God in Poitiers. With unwavering dedication, he tended to the spiritual welfare of his people until the appointed moment when he, the vigilant shepherd, met the Great Shepherd in glory in the year 368 AD.

It has been said in Chambers’ Book of Days that “the final triumph of the Nicene Creed over the Arian may be attributed in great degree to his energetic exhortations.”

Celebrating Saint Hilary’s Day

Saint Hilary's Day falls on January 13th and is acknowledged in the 2019 Book of Common Prayer as an optional ecumenical commemoration day. I believe that remembering Saint Hilary is important in our modern era that is marked by lingering confusion surrounding the Trinity. With continued debates surrounding the eternal subordination of the Son, the date of January 13th comes to us as a wonderful occasion to delve into Saint Hilary's profound work titled On The Trinity.

As a tradition that endures, Saint Hilary's day is often observed with a French feast, a custom that adds a delightful touch to the commemoration, inviting participants to partake in the celebration of faith and the French Athanasius who hammered the Arians. French Toast and On the Trinity doesn’t sound bad to me!

As we honor Saint Hilary's Day, let our doxology soar, a hymn of thanksgiving for this French luminary who, like a beacon, illuminated the path of orthodoxy.

Hallelujah for the moment when Saint Hilary transcended earthly wisdom to apprehend the Word of words — the Logos, a revelation that transformed his mind into a sun, radiating the brilliance of the eternal God who orchestrates the order of the world and intertwines it into the boundless life of the Godhead.

Hallelujah for the golden verses of the New Testament, where the God unknown to Saint Hilary revealed Himself. A catechumen, born anew through the watery embrace of Mother Church, he set out on a journey that, like a symphony, harmonized with the sacred mysteries of faith. His wife and daughter, like notes in a sacred melody, followed, composing a familial hymn to divine grace.

Hallelujah for the enduring legacy of Saint Hilary, whose energetic exhortations resonate throughout the ages. Many in our modern era may not remember his name, but they remember the Name above all Names that He spent His life defending. May his life be a beacon, guiding our minds and hearts toward the eternal truths of our faith. Amen.