The Ancient Church

Edited by Bp. Joseph  ( Ancient Church of the West ) Commemorated October 21st/November 3th St. Hilarion the Great was born in the year 291AD in the Palestinian village of Tabatha. He was sent to study in Alexandria, where he met with Christians and accepted Holy Baptism. After listening to an account of the angelic life of St. Anthony the Great (January 17), Hilarion made his way to the Ascetic Saint to study all those holy disciplines that please the Lord.  Monk Hilarion soon returned to his homeland. His parents were already dead. After distributing his family wealth to the poor, the Monk began his askesis in the desert surrounding the city of Maium.  Hilarion struggled intensely with impure thoughts, harassment of the mind and burning  passions of the flesh. He defeated them with heavy labor, fasting and fervent prayers. The devil tried to terrorize the Monk with ghostly demons and horrific phantasms. During times of prayer, Saint Hilarion heard children crying, ...