THE FEAST OF ST HILARY OF POITIERS, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH.
FEAST OF ST HILARY OF POITIERS, BISHOP AND DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH
They abandoned everything and followed Jesus.
THE GOSPEL:
"After John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
"As he passed by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned their nets and followed him.
"He walked along a little farther and saw James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John. They too were in a boat mending their nets. Then he called them. So they left their father Zebedee in the boat along with the hired men and followed him." (Mark 1: 14 - 20).
Monday 13th January 2025 in the 1st Week of Ordinary Time is the feast of St Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church. (315 - 368). French.
Why is France called the eldest daughter of the Church? Look at the dates of St Hilary and you will see why. Before 315 AD, the Church hierarchy already existed in France.
Hilary is remembered in history especially for these reasons:
#1. Hilary helped us understand and profess the Divinity of Jesus Christ. This is contained in the Nicene Creed.
#2. He worked to undermine the Arian heresy which had plagued the Church for a long time.
#3. Hilary developed an authoritative doctrine on the Holy Trinity.
#4. He helped the Church understand the deeper significance of the Incarnation.
Hilary understood that bad theology inevitably leads to heresy.
Great quote from St Hilary.
“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.” (St Hilary of Poitiers, Bishop and Doctor of the Church).
In the Gospel of today, the very first word Jesus uttered in the mission field of Galilee is very important and significant:
“This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.”
"The time of fulfillment" or the fullness of time will be sure to catch the attention of any religious Jew. This is why. Every prophecy comes to birth in the fullness of time.
Does the proclamation of Jesus in today's Gospel has the same urgency for us now as the audience of Jesus in the first century AD? Absolutely sure.
In the Letter to the Hebrews, we read: "Indeed, the word of God is living and effective, sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating even between soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart."
In the fullness of time, Jesus came to Galilee and called four of His first disciples. They heard the Call and left everything and followed Jesus at once. Because it is the fullness of time.
The Church honors the Most Holy Name of Jesus in January.
“To holy people the very name of Jesus is a name to feed upon, a name to transport. His name can raise the dead and transfigure and beautify the living.”(St John Henry Newman (1801-1890).
For the Litany of the Most Holy Name of Jesus and prayer intentions click the link below:
No comments:
Post a Comment
23-Psalm1to2