St. Hilary (c. 315-367) was born in Poitiers in
France around 315 and was chosen bishop of Poitiers in 353.
Almost immediately Hilary became involved in the battle against
the Arian
heresy. During the next twenty years Hilary was in and
out of "office" several times as the Arian power waxed and waned.
When the orthodox creeds took shape after the Council
of Nicaea, Hilary was able to return home for the last
time. He died in Poitiers in 367. Hilary's feast day is January
13.
Hilary was a prolific writer of hymns, but only one
hymn attributed to him is included in, modern hymals, the Pentecost
hymn, Hail this joyful day's return, which comes from the old
monastic office for the day. See the Episcopal Hymnal 1982, #223-224.
[From Saint
Hilary's Episcopal Church -- Prospect Heights, Illinois.]
One of the things Hilary experienced in the East was how the Arians
had popularized their heresy among the people by hymn singing. Used
to the Latin Liturgy which put to music only Psalms and other
Scriptural verses, he found putting human-composed poetry
to music a very effective way to teach people. Almost one of
the first things he did on arriving back in France was to compose
Latin hymns. Some have called him the father of western
hymn singing, but he must be regarded rather as the initiator
of this practice in the West, because his hymns were not so good
as those of St. Ambrose who would shortly
follow him. In addition to theological treatises for bishops and
priests, hymns became a tool for St. Hilary in his struggle
to combat Arianism and repair the damage it had done in Gaul and
northern Italy. [From St.
Hilary (www.cathorth.hist.edu
(a site devoted to the effort of Catholics and Orthodox to find
a common history.)
See The
Te Deum
From St.
Hilary (The EWTN
Library):
The Emperor Constantius, having laboured for several
years to compel the eastern churches to embrace Arianism, came into
the West; and after the overthrow of the tyrant Magnentius, made some
stay at Arles, whilst his Arian bishops held a council there, in which
they engaged Saturninus, the impious bishop of that city, in their
party, in 353. A bolder Arian council at Milan, in 355, held during
the residence of the emperor in that city, required all to sign the
condemnation of St. Athanasius. Such as refused to comply were banished;
among whom were St. Eusebius of Vercelli, Lucifer of Cagliari, and
St. Dionysius of Milan, into whose see Auxentius, the Arian, was intruded.
St. Hilary wrote on that occasion his first book to Constantius, in
which he mildly entreated him to restore peace to the church. He separated
himself from the three Arian bishops in the West, Ursacius, Valens,
and Saturninus, and exhibited an accusation against the last in a
synod at Beziers. But the emperor, who had information of the matter
from Saturninus, sent an order to Julian, then Caesar, and surnamed
afterwards the Apostate, who at that time commanded in Gaul, for St.
Hilary's immediate banishment into Phrygia, together with St. Rhodanius,
Bishop of Toulouse. The bishops in Gaul being almost all orthodox,
remained in communion with St. Hilary, and would not suffer the intrusion
of any one into his see, which in his absence he continued to govern
by his priests. The saint went into banishment about the middle of
the year 356 with as great alacrity as another would take a journey
of pleasure, and never entertained the least disquieting thought of
hardships, dangers, or enemies, having a soul above both the smiles
and frowns of the world, and fixed only on God. He remained in exile
somewhat upwards of three years, which time he employed in composing
several learned works. The principal and most esteemed of these is
that "On the Trinity, against the Arians," in twelve books. In them
he proves the consubstantiality of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
In his exile he was informed that his daughter Apra,
whom he had left in Gaul, had thoughts of embracing the married state;
upon which he implored Christ, with many tears, to bestow on her the
precious jewel of virginity. He sent her a letter that is still extant,
in which he acquaints her that if she contemned all earthly things,
spouse, sumptuous garments, and riches, Christ had prepared for her,
and had shown unto him, at his prayers and tears, an inestimable never-fading
diamond, infinitely more precious than she was able to frame to herself
an idea of. He conjures her by the God of heaven, and entreats her
not to make void his anxiety for her, nor to deprive herself of so
incomparable a good. Fortunatus assures us that the original letter
was kept with veneration in the church of Poictiers in the sixth century,
when he wrote, and that Apra followed his advice, and died happily
at his feet after his return.[13] St. Hilary sent to her with this
letter two hymns, composed by himself: one for evening, which
does not seem to have reached our times; the other for the morning,
which is the hymn "Lucis largitor splendide."
... divine hymns have also been composed through
human ingenuity. Hilary, Bishop of Gaul, a native of Poitiers, distinguished
for his eloquence, first blossomed forth in the poetry of hymns.
After whom, Bishop Ambrose, a man of great glory in Christ and a
renowned teacher in the church, collected many of these sorts of
songs; and thereafter the hymns which first began to be resounded
in the church in Milan during his time were called Ambrosian after
his name; this festive devotion has subsequently been observed in
all the western churches.
However, any songs which are utterred in praise of
God are called hymns.
See St.
Hilary biography (the New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia)
See St.
Hilary biography (the Catholic Information Network)
See Athanasius
and Hilary
|
