January 13 | Saint Hilary of Poitiers

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine for a second that you are one of the smartest people in your city.

You have spent years studying, learning different languages, and figuring out the deepest truths of the universe. You are happy. You have a wife and a daughter. You are living a quiet, peaceful life. Suddenly, everything changes. The most powerful man in the world, the Emperor himself, decides that you are a threat. He kicks you out of your country. You are banished, exiled, sent away from your home and your people, because you refuse to believe a lie. So, who was this guy? Well, if we look at his beginnings, you might be surprised that he became a saint at all.

Hillary was born around the year 310 to a pagan family, and Hillary was brilliant. The records show he had extensive training in both Latin and Greek. He wasn't just memorizing facts. He was a deep thinker. He studied Greek philosophy, and eventually, the Bible.

Hillary realized that the logic of Greek philosophy and the teachings of the Bible were actually compatible. He found God through his studies. It was an intellectual journey, similar to another famous saint, St. Augustine. The people of his city saw how wise and holy he was. Even though he had been a baptized Catholic for less than 10 years, the people called on him to be their bishop. Becoming a bishop back then was dangerous. This was the mid-300s. The church was fighting the Arian heresy.

This was a false teaching that was spreading like wildfire, claiming that Jesus wasn't truly divine. And when Hillary became a bishop, he stood up for the orthodox beliefs. The emperor at the time was Constantius II, and he didn't like that, so he exiled Hillary. Thankfully, Hillary did not become discouraged. Instead, he got to work. During his exile, he wrote his most famous book, titled On the Trinity. He used his time away to clarify the faith for everyone else. Hillary wasn't just smart.

He was kind. He practiced the spiritual work of mercy known as instructing the ignorant. He didn't scream or shout. Instead, history tells us he gently guided them to the truth. Eventually, the Emperor Constantius died. And Hillary was able to return to his diocese. He lived long enough to see that Aryan heresy denounced and removed. He won, not with a sword, but with his pen and his patience.

He spent his final years passing on his wisdom to students, including another famous saint, St. Martin of Tours. Hillary died in 367, and in 1851, he was declared a doctor of the church. Because of his incredible ability to argue for the truth and defend the faith, St. Hillary of Poitiers is the patron saint of lawyers.

Here is your challenge for the day. Instruct the ignorant, but do it gently. If you hear someone saying something untrue about your faith, or if a friend is confused about something, don't make fun of them. Don't get angry. Like St. Hilary, use your knowledge to help them. Study the facts so you can explain things clearly and kindly. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.