After the era of martyrs to whom the Church had exclusively reserved the honours 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 (Gospel). 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 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 A.D. 372. St. Jerome wrote his life.
(Psalm 36:30-31,1 from the Introit of Mass)
Intercéssio nos, quaesumus, Dómine, beáti Hilarionis Abbátis comméndet: ut, quod nostris méritis non valémus, ejus patrocínio assequámur.May the intercession of the blessed abbot Hilarion, we beseech Thee, O Lord, commend us unto Thee, that what we cannot have through our own merits we may obtain through his patronage.
(Collect).
From the Catholic Encyclopaedia: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07347a.htm
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