Saint Hilarion. Abbot. Feast Day 21 October.

Text is from The Saint Andrew Daily Missal.

Saint Hilarion.

Abbot.

Feast Day 21 October.

Simple.

White Vestments.

English: Saint Hilarion Castle, Kyrenia, Cyprus.

Français: Château Saint Hilarion à Chypre.

Date: 17 September 2005 (original upload date).

Source: Atak.

Author: Atak Kara.

(Wikimedia Commons)

After the era of Martyrs, to whom the Church had exclusively reserved the honours of public Veneration, 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.

Saint Hilarion, in the East, and Saint Martin, in the West, are at the head of the list of Saints known as "Confessors". A native of Palestine, Saint Hilarion studied at Alexandria, and, desiring to embrace a more perfect life, he left all to follow Jesus (Gospel).

He heard of Saint 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  gave to this boy, of fifteen years of age, a hair-shirt and a garment made of skin, saying: "Persevere to the end, my son, and thy labour 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 (Epistle), he retired to the island of Cyprus, to escape the crowd of admirers attracted by his heroic virtues. He died a holy death, at the age of 80, about 372 A.D. Saint Jerome wrote of his life.

Mass: Os justi, of Abbots.

Commemoration of Saint Ursula, from the Collects of Several Virgins, Martyrs.

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