May 5 | Saint Hilary of Arles

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 being caught in the ultimate, high-stakes tug-of-war. But this isn't a game during recess. This is a battle for your very soul. Listen to this quote. On one side, I saw the Lord calling me. On the other, the world offering me its seducing charms and pleasures.

Have you ever felt completely torn? Have you ever known exactly what the right thing to do was, but the fun, easy, and popular thing was staring you right in the face? Our saint today knew that feeling better than anyone. Today, we are traveling all the way back to the 5th century to meet a man who literally tried to run away from being in charge, only to be dragged back by an entire city. This is the story of St. Hilary of Arles.

Let's set the scene. Hillary was born in the year 400 in France, and he was born into privilege. We're talking noble parents, wealth, and the very best education a young guy could get back then. He studied classical rhetoric and philosophy, meaning he was incredibly smart and knew how to win an argument. But Hillary didn't care about God. At all. He threw himself into the world of the rich and the poor, and he didn't care about the rich and the poor. He was entirely into worldly pursuits and was completely uninterested in religion or the salvation of his own soul.

He was living for the moment, enjoying his wealth, his status, and all the seducing charms the world had to offer. But God had a plan. Hillary had a relative named Honoratus, who is actually a saint himself now. Honoratus had gone a totally different route in life. He was the founder of a monastery, and had dedicated his entire life to living in virtue and serving the church. Seeing his brilliant, wealthy relative wasting his life, Honoratus was deeply concerned. He didn't just casually invite Hillary to church.

The historical records tell us that he ...begged Hillary to change his ways and live a life devoted to Christ. This is what sparked that massive tug of war in Hillary's heart. After agonizing over his choices, wanting God, but also wanting his comfortable, worldly life, Hillary finally made the right choice. He completely surrendered, submitted himself to Honoratus' instruction, became a religious brother, and took the radical step of giving all of his worldly belongings away to the poor.

In 426, Honoratus became the Archbishop of Arles. Hillary followed him there for a little while, but the busy city life wasn't for him anymore. He craved the quiet life of prayer, so he returned to his monastery. But Honoratus missed him and called him back to his side.

Then Honoratus died. Without his mentor, Hillary decided he was done with city leadership. He packed up and tried to escape. Welcome back to the quiet, hidden life of the monastery to just pray in peace. But the people of Arles had seen how holy and capable Hillary was. They weren't going to let him get away that easily. In a scene straight out of a movie, the citizens of the town actually went out, tracked him down, and brought him back. They insisted that Hillary become their next archbishop.

Hillary accepted his role and became an absolute powerhouse of a leader. Even though he was an archbishop, a position of immense power, he stuck with The total poverty, dedication, and simplicity of his monastery days. He didn't let the power go to his head. He strengthened the local church's teachings, established new monasteries, and was even known to work miracles.

Perhaps the most amazing thing he did was for people who were being held captive. Hillary took valuable church property, sold it off, and used the massive amounts of money to pay the ransoms to set those captives free. Hillary died on May 5, 449. Hillary is the patron saint of the city of Arles, but he is also the patron saint against snake bites. So, if you're ever hiking in the woods and see a snake slithering by, St. Hilary of Arles is definitely the guy you want to ask for prayers.

Hillary recognized that the material things he owned—the fancy stuff, the wealth, the status—weren't as important as helping people. He gave all his own belongings to the poor, and later, he even sold the church's property just to buy the freedom of captives. Take a look at your own life this week. Are there things tying you down? Maybe it's a closet full of clothes you never wear. Old video games, or books you've already read. Donate them to a local charity or shelter.

Give something of yours away so that it can be a blessing to someone else who truly needs it. And when you feel torn between doing what's easy and doing what's right, remember Hillary's tug of war and ask God to help you make the courageous choice. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.