The Life of Our Holy Monastic Father Hilarion the Great

The Twenty-Ninth Day


of the Month of October

The Life of Our Holy Monastic Father


Hilarion the Great

From The Great Collection of the Lives of the Saints, Volume 2: October,


compiled by St. Demetrius of Rostov

Translated into English and published by Chrysostom Press www.chrysostompress.org

The venerable Hilarion was born in the village of
Tabatha, which is in Palestine near the city of Gaza. Hilarion was like
a rose blossoming among thorns, for although his parents were pagans,
he emitted the fragrance which is Christ. His father and mother sent
him to study in Alexandria, and there he acquired not only the
knowledge which the Hellenes seek and which is easily mastered, but
spiritual wisdom as well. He believed in our Lord Jesus Christ,
received Holy Baptism, and went frequently to church where he gave heed
to teaching that served to instruct and to enlighten him. As he
exercised himself in the virtues, his heart began to burn with love for
God, and he considered how he might serve the Lord.

Hilarion soon learned of Saint Anthony the Great, for
the fame of Anthony’s virtuous life had spread everywhere at that time.
Wishing to see Anthony, Hilarion hastened to where the saint lived.
When he reached Anthony’s dwelling place in the desert, he beheld his
countenance, comely with virtue, and hearkened unto his sweet
discourse. The godly one indicated to him the path that leads a man to
perfection, and Hilarion remained with Anthony for some time. He beheld
Anthony’s fervent and frequent prayers, his handiwork and constant
labor, his fasting and abstinence, hospitality and freedom from
avarice, and his perfect fulfillment of the statutes of monasticism,
and saw how Anthony’s life thereby rivalled that of the angels. But
since many visitors came to the venerable Anthony, some to be healed of
their infirmities, others to receive his blessing, and yet others to
hear his divinely inspired and edifying words, Hilarion did not wish to
remain there permanently. He could not have perfect solitude and quiet
there, and so he considered how he might find a place where he could
dwell alone with the one God without any distraction. Taking the
venerable one’s blessing, he returned to his homeland where he learned
that his parents had died. He divided his inheritance into two parts:
one portion he gave to his kindred, the other to the poor, leaving
nothing for himself. Counting all things as dung, he renounced himself
and the whole world, that he might become Christ’s disciple and an
emulator of His poverty.

Hilarion thus left behind every vain thing, went into
the desert about four and a half miles from Maiouma, the port of Gaza,
and settled alone between a lake and the sea. As that wilderness was
infested with robbers, many of his acquaintances warned him to depart,
so as not to fall into the hands of thieves and be murdered. But he did
not fear the death of the body and was only concerned that his soul not
perish. "It behooves us to flee the robbers that slay the soul," he
said. "I do not fear robbers who kill the body. The
Lord is my light and my Saviour; whom then shall I fear? The Lord is
the defender of my life; of whom then shall I be afraid?" Thus
he remained there, fasting and praying without ceasing. He ate fifteen
figs each day after the setting of the sun and was clad with a hair
shirt and a leather cloak which he received from the venerable Anthony.

When the devil saw that he was being overcome by the
young monk, he raised up warfare against him and sought to conquer the
spiritual warrior through the desires of the body. He set afire his
youthful flesh and confused his mind with defiled thoughts. As soon as
Hilarion perceived that the unclean serpent sought to destroy him with
the poison of sin, he trampled him underfoot by mortifying his flesh
yet more. He armed himself with fervent prayer to God and utterly
crushed the head of the foe. He added fasting to his fasts and labor to
his labors, remaining three and sometimes four days without food. He
wore down his flesh, now by digging the earth, now by plaiting rope,
and he repeated to himself the Apostle’s words: If any would not work, neither should he eat. He
beat his breast like the publican and sighed from the depths of his
soul, thus expelling the defiled thoughts lodged in his heart. He
called his body an ass, saying to it: "I will subdue you, 0 ass! I
shall feed you not barley but chaff! I shall afflict you with hunger
and thirst and load you with a heavy burden, that you may think of food
rather than of wantonness!"

He fulfilled these words which he spoke to himself, for he so mortified his flesh that his bones were covered only by skin.

When the enemy saw that he had achieved nothing
through this temptation and that he had not only failed to prevail over
Hilarion but had himself been overcome, he resolved to frighten the
blessed one with fantasies and specters. Thus, one night, as Hilarion
stood at prayer, he heard the crying of children, the wailing of women,
lions roaring, and the sounds of other beasts and cattle, a din and
clamor like that of a great battle. The devil had brought his
companions, the demons, and they made such an uproar that they hoped to
force Hilarion to flee the desert by the sound of their voices alone.
The saint understood that all this was merely a ruse of the demons, so
he signed himself with the Cross, took up the shield of faith, fell to
his knees, and prayed God fervently that He bestow upon him strength
from on high. As he prostrated himself in prayer, he laid low his
assailant. When he looked up, wishing to see with his eyes that which
his ears heard (for it was a bright, moonlit night), he beheld a great
chariot, pulled by wild steeds, which made much noise as it went by. He
cried out, "0 Lord Jesus Christ, help me!" and immediately the earth
split open and swallowed up the host of demons. The saint then chanted
the hymn of triumph over Pharaoh: "Horse and rider hath He hurled into the sea; He stretched forth His right hand and the earth consumed them. Some
trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will call upon the name
of the Lord our God. They have been fettered and have fallen, but we
are risen and are set upright."

Although he was defeated, the foe, nevertheless, did
not cease to rise up and to attack the saint, tempting him by various
means. When the saint was at rest, he would present before his eyes
naked women who mocked him lewdly. When he hungered and thirsted, the
devil showed him sweet foods and drink. As Hilarion prayed, Satan would
now cause a wolf to appear before him and howl, now foxes to scamper
by, now soldiers to do battle before the saint. Once, one of the
soldiers fell mortally wounded at Hilarion’s feet and asked the saint
to give him burial.

One day, as the godly one stood at prayer, his mind
was overcome by the weakness of nature. His thoughts wandered off, and
he began to think about some other matter. Immediately, a demon jumped
upon his shoulders like a wrestler, kicked him in the sides with his
feet, and thrashed him upon his shoulders and neck with a switch,
saying, "Run, run! Why do you sleep?" Then the evil one laughed and
said, "Would you like some barley?" But the saint counted all these
demonic devices as nothing and caused them to vanish by the sign of the
Cross.

Saint Hilarion made a little cell for himself which
was like a grave. Although he could scarcely fit into it, he remained
there, struggling against the invisible spirits. One night, robbers
came searching for him, hoping to steal something from him, but though
they searched for him all night, they could not find him. In the
morning they came upon him and saw that he had no possessions. They
said to him, "What would you do if robbers were to come upon you?"

Hilarion answered them, "The naked do not fear robbers."

They said to him, "But they could slay you."

The saint replied, "Since I am prepared to die, I do not fear robbers."

So amazed were the thieves by his bravery and faith
that they told him how they had searched for him through the night but
could not find him. They promised to correct their lives and departed.

After Hilarion had lived in that desert for many
years, word of the holiness of his life began to spread throughout
Palestine. People who were in need of assistance began to come to him,
seeking aid through his holy prayers. The first to come was a woman
from Eleutheropolis, who had lived in wedlock for fifteen years and was
barren. She was reviled and reproached by her husband because she was
childless, so she determined to go to the saint and to fall down at his
feet. When the saint saw her, he turned away from her, but she said to
him, weeping, "0 servant of God, why do you turn away from me, who am
held fast by sorrow? Why do you run from her who entreats your help,
weeping? Do not reject me because I am a woman, but rather look upon
the sorrow of my heart and my tears. Have compassion on me, 0 servant
of Christ, and remember that the Saviour honored our sex by His
Incarnation. It was also a woman who bore you; therefore, do not reject
her who has come to you seeking to be freed by your prayers from the
bonds of barrenness, for my husband upbraids and reviles me unceasingly
because of my unfruitfulness."

By saying such things as these, the woman inclined
Saint Hilarion to show her mercy. The godly one lifted up his eyes unto
heaven, prayed for her, and told her to return to her house. He said,
"Go with firm faith, and the Lord will grant your request."

The woman departed rejoicing, for she believed the
saint’s words. God hearkened unto the prayers of His servant and loosed
the bonds of the woman’s barrenness. Soon she conceived and bore a son
as Saint Hilarion had foretold. The following year, she went to the
godly one, bearing the child in her arms, and said, "Behold the fruit
of your holy prayers, 0 servant of God! Bless the child whom you
besought God to grant me!"

The saint blessed both the child and his mother and
let them depart in peace. The woman praised the Lord and spread abroad
the glory of the saint throughout that land.

Later another woman, Aristenete, who believed in our
Lord Jesus Christ and was the wife of a nobleman named Elpidius, heard
that Saint Hilarion dwelt in the desert. She had three sons who had
fallen ill on the same day with malaria. No doctor could help them, and
they lay nearly dead. The woman took her maidservants and eunuchs and
went to the saint, fell at his feet weeping, and said, "I adjure you by
our Lord Jesus Christ and His precious Cross to come to Gaza and to
raise up from their bed of illness my three dying sons. Thus, the name
of the Lord shall be glorified in that pagan city, my children healed,
and Mamas, the vain god worshipped by the unbelievers of Gaza, shall be
put to shame."

The saint replied, "Never have I left the wilderness, either to go to the city or to a village."

But the woman continued to trouble Hilarion with her
tearful entreaties until at length he agreed to come after the setting
of the sun. After dark fell the saint went to Gaza, and when he touched
the ailing youths, calling upon the name of Jesus Christ as he stood
over them, sweat began to stream from them like water from a spring.
They arose healed at that very hour, and they ate, giving thanks to God
and kissing the holy hands of their physician. Word of this spread
throughout Gaza, and from that time those who were ill with various
maladies began to visit the venerable Hilarion in the desert. They
received healing through his prayers, and because of this a multitude
of pagans was converted to our Lord Jesus Christ. Moreover, many of
them wished to emulate the saint’s virtuous life, so they forsook the
world and went to dwell with him in the desert. Soon the number of his
disciples increased greatly, and thus Saint Hilarion in Gaza became the
instructor of the monks of Palestine, as Saint Anthony was of those in
Egypt.

Once, a woman who had been blind for ten years was
brought to the godly one. She had spent all her living on physicians
but had received no benefit from them. The saint healed her with
spittle, in imitation of his Lord, for when he spit into her face, she
immediately received her sight. Seeing this, all gave glory to God.

The servant and driver of a certain nobleman of Gaza
was set upon by a demon as he was driving his carriage. He became stiff
and could not move at all but remained able to speak. This servant was
brought to the godly Hilarion in the desert, and as soon as the saint
laid eyes on him, he said, "You cannot be cured of your infirmity unless you first believe in Christ the Lord, Who alone can heal you of your ailment."

The sick man cried out piteously, "I believe in Him; only let Him heal me!"

The saint prayed and healed the man by the power of
Christ, and then instructed him in the faith. He told the servant to be
baptized and sent him home freed from bondage to the devil and whole in
body and soul.

There was another young man named Marsitus, from the
region of Jerusalem, who had such strength that he could lift up and
carry more than five hundred pounds of wheat. He was so strong that he
did not need an ass to carry heavy burdens. A demon entered this man
and began to torment him, driving him through fields and deserts.
Finally, he was caught, bound hand and foot with chains and iron
shackles, and kept shut up under close watch. But so great was his
natural strength (to which was added the power of the demons) that he
broke his bonds and burst open the door behind which he was shut. He
then fled and began to assault everyone he met along the way. He cut
off the nose, the lips, or the ears of this one; broke the arms and
legs of that one; dug out the eyes of a third; and strangled still
another. He spread terror among all the inhabitants of that region, but
no one could subdue him. At length a multitude of people gathered
together, seized him, bound his whole body with chains, and dragged him
like a wild bull to the venerable one. When the godly Hilarion saw him,
he ordered that he be set free, and Marsitus became as meek as a lamb.
The saint then prayed for him and said to the demon which dwelt within
him, "0 unclean spirit! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I command
you to depart from this man and to flee into the desert!"

The demon shook the man, cast him to the ground, and
then departed from him. By the grace of the Lord and the prayers of the
saint, the man was healed and began to praise the venerable Hilarion
greatly. But the saint forbade him to do this and said both to him and
to the others who were there, "It was not we who brought this to pass
but the grace of our Saviour, Who loves mankind. Because of His
ineffable compassion for us, His servants, He bore our infirmities;
therefore, we ought to glorify, to thank, and to magnify Him without
ceasing."

As he said this, another man was brought to the saint,
bound with iron chains, for a legion of demons had taken possession of
him. His name was Orion; he was one of the chief men of the city of
Aila and was very wealthy. As he approached the saint, he tore himself
out of the hands of those accompanying him, seized the saint from
behind, and lifted him above his head. All those present cried out, for
they feared that Hilarion would be cast to the ground and his bones,
which were dried up from much fasting, would be shattered. But the
saint smiled and said, "Let my opponent wrestle with me!"

Then he stretched forth his hand, took the demonized
man by the hair, and forced him to lie down at his feet. After this
Hilarion bound Orion’s hands and stepped on his feet, and he said,
"Suffer, O legion of demons, suffer!"

The demons within the man cried out, shouting with
many voices like a great crowd of people, and the saint began to pray,
"0 Lord Jesus Christ, free this poor man from this legion of demons,
for as Thou canst overcome a single devil, so art Thou able to prevail
over a multitude of evil spirits."

Immediately, the demons came forth from the man,
crying out loudly. The man was freed from their torments, made whole,
and gave thanks to God and to His servant, Saint Hilarion. Some time
thereafter, he returned with his wife and friends, bearing rich gifts
for the saint in thanks for his healing. But the saint would not accept
them, saying, "Have you not heard how Gehazi suffered for taking gifts
from the man who was healed of leprosy? The grace of God cannot be
purchased. Go, distribute among the poor who live in your city the
things you have brought me. We who dwell in the desert have no need of
possessions." Thus he sent the man back with his gifts.

After this a stonemason of the city of Maiouma who was
sick of the palsy was brought to the godly one, and by the prayers of
the saint he was immediately made whole.

On another occasion a possessed maiden from the region
of Gaza was brought to the saint. The cause of her affliction was as
follows. There was a youth who fell in love with her and was stricken
with desire for her. She, however, would have nothing to do with him
and would not submit to his vile lusts. When the young man saw that he
could not gain his purpose either through enticing words or costly
gifts, he went to the sorcerers of Aesculapius in Memphis, a city of
Egypt. He told them how he had been wounded with desire for the maiden,
and they gave him a copper plate upon which magic spells were
inscribed. When he returned home, he buried the plate beneath the
portal of the house where the maiden lived, as the wizards had
instructed him to do. Immediately, a demon entered the maiden and set
her aflame with lust so that she began to cry out without shame the
name of the youth, telling him to come and fulfill his desires. She
lewdly stripped herself of her clothes, and the fire of desire brought
her to a frenzy. When her parents saw her condition, they understood
that a devil had gained possession of her, and they took her to the
monastery where the venerable one lived (for a multitude of brethren
had gathered about the godly one, and he had founded a great monastery).

As the maiden was being led there, the demon within
her cried out and wailed, saying, "It would have been better for me to
remain in Memphis, where I led people astray with dreams, than to be
sent here." Then, as she was brought before the saint, the demon cried,
"I did not enter this maiden willingly: I was sent to her against my
will by them that have charge over me. Now I am tormented cruelly and
cannot come forth from her, for I am bound to the copper plate buried
beneath the portal. I cannot come out until the youth who bound me
looses me!"

The saint laughed a little and said, "How great is
your strength, 0 devil! You are tied with a little string and held fast
by a plate of copper!" Then he asked the demon, "Why did you not enter
the young man who bound you?"

The demon replied, "He is possessed by one of my fellows, a demon of fornication."

The saint then prayed and expelled the demon from the
maiden, and he warned her to guard herself from the snares of the enemy
and to flee from conversations with shameless youths.

There was a certain prince who was possessed by an
unclean demon. He went to the saint and was healed by him, and to thank
his unmercenary physician, offered him ten litres of gold. The saint
showed him his barley bread and said, "Those who eat such bread count
gold as dirt." The Prince departed, completely healed, but the saint
would not take the gold.

When the venerable Anthony heard of the deeds Hilarion
worked, he rejoiced in spirit and began to write to him frequently. He
said to those who came to him from Syria to be healed, "Why do you
trouble yourselves, making such a long journey to come to me, when you
have nearby Hilarion, my son in Christ, who has received from God the
gift of healing every infirmity?"

Monasteries were established throughout Palestine with
Saint Hilarion’s blessing, and all the monks would come to him to hear
his instructions, by which he guided them along the path to salvation.
Once, the brethren entreated him to visit their monasteries, which
through his prayers and blessing had multiplied in number, that he
might give the monks a rule of life and establish them in the way of
virtue. As he prepared to begin his visitations, about three thousand
monks gathered around him. They followed the saint, delighting in his
sweet teaching. While the venerable one went about the monasteries and
visited their brotherhoods, he worked numerous miracles. There was one
brother, a most hospitable man, who had a vineyard that produced about
a hundred measures of wine every year. This monk received Saint
Hilarion kindly and besought the brethren to go into his vineyard,
permitting each of them to take as many grapes as he wished, for the
grapes were already ripe. The brethren, as has been said, numbered
about three thousand, and each of them took what he desired. When the
venerable one witnessed that man’s kindness, he blessed his vineyard,
and on account of his hospitality to the brethren, the brother’s vines
produced, through the saint’s blessing, more than three hundred
measures of wine that year. But there was another brother, a miserly
and heartless man, who when he saw the saint approaching with his
spiritual flock, set a watch about his vineyard so that no one could
take a single grape. When the brethren drew near, the guards cast
stones at them and said, "This vineyard belongs to another; do not come
near it." The saint did not bless those vines, and they gave very
little wine, and what they did produce turned to vinegar.

Once, as Hilarion was travelling through the
wilderness of Kadesh to visit one of his disciples, he passed by the
barbarous city known as Elusa. A multitude of barbarians and people
from the cities nearby had assembled there to celebrate a feast in
honor of the demons. As they were offering oblations and making merry
in the temple of the vile goddess Aphrodite, they heard that Saint
Hilarion was approaching. They went forth with their wives and children
to meet him, for they had heard for a long time that he was a great
wonderworker. When they saw him, they bowed their heads and cried out
in the Syriac tongue, "Varach, varach!" which means "Bless, bless!"
They brought to him many sick and demonized persons, and the venerable
one healed them all by the power of Christ. He taught them to know the
one, true God and led the people to the faith. He did not depart until
he had destroyed the pagan temple, shattered its idols, erected a holy
church, and baptized them all in the name of the Lord. After confirming
them in the faith and bestowing upon them his blessing, the godly
Hilarion continued on his way.

Such was the grace which the venerable one received
from God that he could tell by the smell of a man’s body and even of
the clothing he had worn what passion afflicted his soul. Once, a
certain brother who was a miser sent the saint vegetables from his
garden. That evening, when the saint sat down to supper, his disciples
offered him greens sent by the miserly brother. When the saint saw
them, he turned away and said, "I cannot bear the stench of those
vegetables; take them away!"

Then his disciple, the blessed Hesychius, began to
insist that Hilarion bless the vegetables and eat them, saying that the
brother had brought them out of love for the saint. He said, "Father,
do not disdain our brother’s gift, for he has come with faith, bearing
the first fruits of his garden."

The saint replied, "Do you not smell the stench of greed coming forth from those vegetables?"

Said Hesychius, "What smell can greens give off other
than that which is natural to them? How can vegetables smell of
someone’s passions?"

The saint answered, "Since you do not believe me, give the vegetables to the oxen, and see if they will eat them."

Hesychius took the greens and placed them in a trough
before the oxen, but unable to bear the stench, they began to bellow,
and they tore themselves free from the trough and fled.

When this took place the saint was sixty-three years
old. A large number of brethren had gathered about him, and it was
necessary to enlarge the monastery. The many cares involved in its
administration deprived the venerable Hilarion of his silence;
moreover, he was visited by a multitude of people, some to be healed,
others to receive a blessing. Bishops, presbyters and the other clergy,
princes and noblemen from various cities and lands all came to hear him
proclaim the word of God and to receive his blessing. This greatly
troubled the saint, for it did away with his silence, and he wept when
he remembered the solitude he had enjoyed in times past when he lived
alone. As the brethren saw him thus, always grieving and weeping, they
asked him, "Why do you sorrow and weep, Father?"

He replied, "I shed tears and lament, for it is as if
I have returned to the world and received my reward in this life. All
the inhabitants of Palestine and of the cities roundabout praise me,
and you also revere me as your master. Moreover, all who live in this
monastery call me their lord."

When the brethren heard him say this, they understood
that he wished to depart from them secretly, and so they watched him
carefully, lest he slip away. The elder thus remained in his grief for
two years.

Once Aristenete, the wife of the Eparch Elpidius,
whose three sons had been healed on their deathbed, came to the saint
to ask his prayers and to have him bless her journey, for she wished to
go to Egypt to do reverence to the godly Anthony. When the saint heard
Anthony’s name, he sighed and said, "Would that I could go there and
see my holy and beloved father Anthony! But I am kept here by the
brethren and cannot go to him."

After this he was silent for a moment and then began
to weep bitterly, saying, "This is now the second day since the world
has been deprived of its great luminary, for the venerable Anthony has
departed from the body."

When the woman and all those present heard this, they
understood that God had revealed to him that the venerable Anthony had
reposed. Aristenete returned to her home, and within a few days word
was received of Anthony’s death.

When Saint Hilarion could no longer bear the esteem of
men and the tumult of life in the monastery, he received a revelation
from God that he was to depart from that place. He summoned certain of
his disciples and commanded them to come with him. They brought an ass
and put the godly one on it, for because of old age he could no longer
travel by foot. They supported him as he sat upon the ass, and they
walked alongside him. When the other brethren and the inhabitants of
the villages nearby learned that the venerable one had forsaken them,
about ten thousand people gathered together and went out to pursue him.
When they overtook him, they fell down before him in tears and pleaded,
"After God, you are the father of all Palestine! It is you who
confirmed us in the faith and always help us; therefore, do not leave
us like sheep without a shepherd!"

Hilarion answered them thus: "Why, 0 my children, do
you seek to break my heart? You must know that I have not done this
contrary to the will of the Lord. I prayed to the Lord, and He
commanded me to depart, that I not behold the sorrows which are to come
upon the Church of God, nor see the desolation which is to befall the
temples of the saints, nor the destruction of altars, nor the shedding
of my children’s blood. Therefore, do not prevent me from departing, my
children."

When they heard the saint speak openly of the
misfortunes which were to come upon them, the people began to entreat
him yet more fervently not to forsake them but rather to remain and to
help them by his prayers. Then he became very angry and struck the
ground, saying, "I will neither eat nor drink until you let me go. If
you wish to see me dead, then keep me here."

For seven days they would not permit Hilarion to
depart and persisted with their entreaties, but when they saw that he
would not do as they wished, they let him continue on his way in peace.
The whole multitude of the people accompanied him further, weeping, and
when he reached the city of Betilium, he prostrated himself and prayed
with them. He then committed them unto the Lord and bade them depart to
their homes. After this he chose forty of the brethren whom he knew
were able to travel on foot while fasting, eating but a little food
after the setting of the sun, and these he took with him.

When he had travelled for five days, Hilarion reached
Pelusium where he visited the brethren who lived in the desert near the
place called Lychnos. Three days later, he arrived in the city of
Theubatus, where he visited Dracontius, a bishop who was a confessor
and had been exiled to that place for the faith. Both saint and Bishop
received consolation from the divinely inspired words of the other.
Then he travelled again for several days and with great difficulty
reached Babylon [Cairo, Egypt], where he visited Philo, another bishop
who was a confessor. Both these men had been sent into exile by the
Emperor Constantius, who gave every sort of assistance to the impious
Arians. After the godly one had seen the blessed Philo and conversed
with him, he continued on his way. He came to the city of Aphroditus,
and then journeyed through a terrible and wild desert for three days
until he reached the high mountain where the venerable Anthony had
lived. There Saint Hilarion found two of Anthony’s disciples, Isaac and
Pelusianus, who greatly rejoiced to see him. That place was very
beautiful, and Saint Hilarion walked about it most joyfully. Isaac and
Pelusianus showed Hilarion the places which Anthony frequented, saying,
"In this place our holy father Anthony loved to chant, there he kept
silence, there he prayed, while there he used to sit and plait rope.
Here he would often rest from his labors, and here he slept. This is
the vineyard and there the trees which he planted. This threshing-floor
he prepared with his own hands, and he dug out this watering pond for
the garden with great labor. He used to draw water from it himself. The
saint used this shovel to dig the earth for many years."

The two monks showed the blessed one all these things,
and when they reached the place where Saint Anthony usually laid down
to rest, they kissed it with fear and joy and themselves laid down
there.

At the summit of that mountain, there were two cells
made of stone where the venerable Anthony would resort to find silence
and to escape the crowds of people who came to see him. As Anthony’s
disciples led Hilarion up the steps to that place, they showed him a
vineyard and various fruit trees laden with fruit, and they said,
"Saint Anthony planted these trees only three years ago."

The venerable Hilarion rested there with his monks for
a long time and then commanded them to return to their monastery in
Palestine. He kept only two brothers with him. He went with these into
the desert nearby and made his dwelling there. They lived in silence
and prayer, enduring such hunger and labors that they were left as
exhausted as if they had just begun to struggle in the monastic life
for Christ.

After the death of Saint Anthony, there was a drought
in that region which lasted for three years. Great famine came upon the
land, and the earth was burned by the rays of the sun as though by
fire. The people said, "Not only do men lament, but the earth itself
grieves over the death of the venerable Anthony, and the heavens refuse
to give rain."

Because of the drought and the famine which it caused,
both men and beasts began to perish. When the people heard that Saint
Hilarion, Anthony’s disciple, lived nearby, a great throng of men, with
their wives and children, gathered and went out into the desert to the
godly one. They fervently besought his assistance, saying, "God has
sent you to us in place of Anthony; therefore, have compassion on us
and pray to the Lord, that in His mercy He might send rain to our land,
which is parched by drought."

Since Saint Hilarion saw that the people were terribly
afflicted by hunger and thirst, he lifted up his eyes and hands unto
heaven and prayed with tears. Immediately, torrents of rain began to
fall, thoroughly soaking the earth. From that time forth the people
came to him, bearing their sick.

When the saint saw how the people thronged him and
destroyed his silence, he resolved to go to the desert called Oasim. He
arose and departed with his two disciples, and as he was passing
through the vicinity of Alexandria, he came to Bruchium. There he was
met by certain brethren who were known to him and who received him with
joy. He remained with them for several days and then wished to depart.
But the brethren did not want to let him go and besought him to stay
with them, so Hilarion determined to depart secretly by night. However,
as his disciples were saddling the ass, the brethren discovered that
they were about to leave, and they came and fell down before the
monastery gates. They said, "It would be better for us to die lying at
your feet than to be deprived of you so quickly."

"Rise up, my children," the saint entreated them. "It
is more profitable both for you and for me that you permit me to depart
now, for God has revealed to me that I must leave. It is because I do
not wish to bring sorrow upon you that I hasten to leave you. Truly,
soon you will understand that it is for a good reason I have departed
so quickly from this place."

When they heard this, the brethren arose, and after
the saint had prayed, he kissed them and went on his way. He journeyed
through trackless deserts, but the grace of God guarded him always.

The day after he departed from Bruchium, pagans from
Gaza arrived in that city with executioners, asking where Hilarion was.
When they learned that he had departed, they said to one another, "That
wizard learned what was to befall him at our hands, and so he fled!"

The pagans of Gaza had hated the saint for a long
time, for the people had forsaken their god Mamas and had begun to
visit Hilarion instead. The priests of Mamas were especially furious
with Hilarion, and they sought to destroy him by every means. They were
unable to do this, however, because all who lived in the cities and
villages nearby revered the saint greatly. But when the Emperor
Constantius died and was succeeded by the impious apostate Julian, the
servant of the demons, the iniquitous heathen found an opportunity to
accomplish the evil intention they had conceived long before. At that
time the idolaters of Gaza went to the wicked Emperor and slandered the
venerable Hilarion and his disciples. They asked that a decree be
issued ordering that his monastery in Palestine near Gaza be destroyed,
that his disciples be flogged and expelled from the country, and that
Hilarion be put to death, together with his disciple Hesychius. Thus,
the monastery was demolished by the impious and Christ’s flock
scattered, and Hesychius, whom the blessed Hilarion loved greatly (for
he was the most obedient of all the monks), hid in the desert to escape
the hands of the iniquitous.

During this time the venerable Hilarion dwelt in the
desert of Oasim where he was preserved by God unharmed. When he had
lived in that wilderness for about a year, his disciple Adrian came to
tell him that the Emperor Julian had been killed. He asked the godly
one to return to Palestine where he had begun his monastic labors,
since peace had returned to the church. Loving silence as he did, the
saint did not wish to return, but he knew also that he could not remain
hidden from men by staying in the desert of Oasim. Therefore, he
travelled to the country of Libya with a single disciple, Zeno, and
Adrian returned to Palestine with the other disciple.

Arriving in the port of Paratonium, Hilarion took ship
and sailed to Sicily, hoping to flee human glory. The captain of that
ship had a son who was afflicted by an unclean spirit, and the demon
which was within him cried out, "0 Hilarion, servant of God! Why do you
not leave us in peace, at least on the sea? Suffer us to remain here
until we reach shore, that we be not plunged into the deep!"

The saint replied, "If God commands you to remain in
His creature, remain, but if He casts you out, what is it to me? I am
but a sinful man."

When the father of the suffering child heard this, he
and all who were on the ship fell at the saint’s feet and besought him
to have compassion on the boy and to cast the demon out of him. But the
saint did not wish to consent, saying that he was a sinner. Finally,
however, he said, "If you promise me that you will tell no one about me
in the land to which we sail, I shall entreat my Master to drive out
the evil spirit." They swore with an oath to tell no one of him. After
the venerable one had prayed, the demon was cast out of the youth, and
all gave glory to God.

When the ship reached the cape of Sicily called
Pachynum, the saint gave the captain the book of the Gospels which he
had copied with his own hand while he was still young, for he had
nothing else to give him in exchange for his passage, being poor both
in spirit and in goods. But the captain would not accept it even though
the saint pressed him to take it. He said, "How can I take anything
from one so poor?"

Hearing this, the saint began to reflect upon his poverty and rejoiced in spirit.

When he landed, Hilarion went inland about twelve
miles and took up his dwelling there. Every day his disciple would
gather a load of firewood, carry it to the nearest village, and buy a
loaf of bread with the money he received from the sale of the wood.
This bread, for which they gave thanks to God, served to feed them both.

But a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. A
man who was possessed by a demon began to cry out in the Church of
Saint Peter in Rome, "Christ’s servant Hilarion came not long ago to
Sicily. No one there knows him, and he imagines that he can hide
himself in that place. But I shall go there and make his presence
known."

The man was taken to Sicily, and he found Hilarion in
Pachynum. He prostrated himself before the saint’s cell and received
healing through the prayers of the godly one. After this the
inhabitants of that country learned of Hilarion, and a multitude of
people began to come to him, desiring that he heal their infirmities,
and they all received what they sought. The man who had come from Rome
seeking to be cured sent the saint rich gifts to thank him for his
healing, but the saint would not accept them, "For it is written," he
said, "Freely ye have received, freely give."

While Saint Hilarion was living in Sicily, his beloved
disciple Hesychius was searching for him, since he dearly loved his
venerable father. For three years he sought for him diligently in many
lands, in mountains and deserts, but did not find him. When he was in
the city of Modon, a port in the Peloponnesus, he heard from a Jewish
merchant that a Christian prophet had appeared in Sicily, working many
miracles. Hesychius asked the merchant what was the prophet’s name and
questioned him concerning his appearance, but the Jew replied, "I have
not seen him and do not know his name but have only heard of him."

Hesychius understood that the man of whom the Jew
spoke could only be Saint Hilarion, so he took ship and sailed to
Sicily. As soon as he arrived there, he began to hear of the saint from
the people, all of whom said, "He works numerous miracles and has never
taken a crust of bread from any of us."

When Hesychius found the venerable one in Pachynum, he
fell down at the saint’s feet, kissing them and washing them with
tears. He wept much from joy, and the elder was scarcely able to raise
him up from the ground. Then the saint began to speak to him of things
profitable to the soul, thereby consoling him.

A short time thereafter, seeing that many people came
to him, always praising him, the elder said to his disciples Hesychius
and Zeno, "Children, we cannot live here. Let us depart to another
country where no one will know us."

So, Hilarion with his disciples went to Epidaurus in
Dalmatia. The Lord led him to that place so that he might profit many.
Several days after he arrived in the region of Epidaurus and had taken
up his dwelling there, the inhabitants of that land learned that the
servant of God had come from Sicily to their country, for God revealed
the presence of His servant, in order that Hilarion be glorified. Now
there lived in that region a very great and fearsome serpent which
devoured oxen and men and had destroyed an innumerable multitude of
both men and beasts. This serpent terrified the people; therefore,
after they learned of the saint, they gathered together and came to
him, fell down before him, and began to entreat him to help them. The
saint listened to their story and ordered that much firewood be
gathered and a great fire lit. Then he fell prostrate and besought the
Lord to have compassion upon His people, to deliver them from the
deadly serpent, and thereby to glorify His holy name. After this he
began to call the serpent, and lo, it was compelled to appear,
slithering forth quickly as if it were in a hurry to be sacrificed. All
who beheld this were filled with fear. The saint then ordered it to
enter the fire, and without delay it obeyed his words, plunged into the
flames, and was burned. The people gave glory to God, and they thanked
Saint Hilarion.

After this many began to come to visit the godly one;
therefore the elder was grieved and began to consider how he might find
a place where he could conceal himself from men and remain in silence.
At that time there was a great earthquake which caused enormous tidal
waves. They rose so far beyond the shore that hills were covered with
the sea’s waters and boats cast upon high places by the waves. When the
inhabitants of the city of Epidaurus, which lay near the sea, saw this,
they supposed that a second Flood had begun. In their great fear they
thought that the whole world would be destroyed, and they wept and
wailed loudly, awaiting death. Then they remembered Saint Hilarion; and
all of them, great and lowly, men, women, and children, went forth
weeping to entreat him to pray God to turn away His righteous anger.
The saint arose, went with them to their city, and stood between it and
the sea. The water rose up high into the sky so that it seemed to touch
the clouds, and it was about to flood the city. Then the saint drew
three crosses on the ground, lifted up his hands, and prayed God, Who
loves mankind, to have mercy upon that which He created. And when the
saint had prayed, God showed His compassion for men: by the command of
the Lord, the sea little by little grew quiet. It returned to its
place, the quaking of the earth ceased, and the winds died down. The
story of this great miracle worked by the Lord through Saint Hilarion’s
prayers was passed on from father to son for generations in the city of
Epidaurus.

But the saint, unable to endure the praise of men,
departed from that place by night. He found a ship sailing for Cyprus
which he took with his disciples. While sailing, they were overtaken by
pirates, and all who were in the ship were stricken with fear. But the
saint sought to calm them, saying, "Are not these pirates fewer in
number than Pharaoh’s soldiers, whom the Lord drowned in the sea?"

When the pirates had come within a stone’s throw of
the ship, the saint shook his fist at them and said, "You have come
close enough!"

The pirates’ boat stopped, and they could sail no
closer to the ship in which the saint sat. They continued to row until
they had wearied themselves and could go no farther. Then, by the power
of God, their boat began to move backwards. Thus put to shame, they
departed.

When Saint Hilarion reached the island of Cyprus, he
took up his abode in a solitary place a little more than a mile from
the city of Paphos. However, he was unable to hide himself there, for
the demons proclaimed his coming to the people through the mouths of
those in whom they dwelt. By the command of God, about two hundred men
and women who were possessed gathered together and went to the saint,
and by his prayers the demons were driven out of them. After remaining
there for two years, Hilarion wished to depart and to find a place in
the wilderness where he could end his life in silence. He went inland
about seven miles from the sea and found a remote and awe-inspiring
place situated amid lofty mountains. There were many fruit trees
nearby, but the saint never ate of their fruit. Good water flowed down
from the heights; there was a garden there and a deserted temple of the
idols, in which lived numerous demons. The saint loved this place, for
it was hidden deep in the wilderness, and he remained there five years.
Day and night the demons cried out, threatening the saint and hoping to
frighten him and to drive him away, but he withstood them by means of
unceasing prayer. No one dared to come to that place on account of the
multitude of demons which dwelt there and because it was so difficult
to reach.

One day, the elder came out of his cell and saw a man
who was a paralytic lying on the ground. He asked his disciple
Hesychius, "Who is this man?"

Hesychius replied, "He is the owner of this place where we live."

The saint wept, and stretching forth his hand over the man, he said, "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, arise and walk!"

The paralytic immediately arose. All of his members
were healed, and he was made altogether whole. He began to walk and
gave praise unto God. After the saint had worked this miracle, all the
people who lived nearby began to come to him, and they no longer feared
either the evil spirits or the difficult journey.

The godly one did not forget the brethren in Palestine
and sent the blessed Hesychius to visit them and to greet them on his
behalf. When Hilarion saw that the people who lived near the place
where he now dwelt had begun to revere him, he wished to flee, but he
remained for a time to await Hesychius’ return. It was about that time
that his disciple, the blessed Zeno, reposed. Moreover, the saint
himself was drawing near the end of his life of labors, for he was
already eighty years old.

Since he knew that he was soon to depart unto God,
Hilarion wrote out his testament to the brethren with his own hand. He
left the Gospel which he had copied out, his hair shirt, and his cowl
to Hesychius. Soon thereafter, he began to grow feeble. When the pious
men of Paphos learned that Saint Hilarion was ill, they began to come
to visit him. With them there came a woman named Constantia, who lived
in a God-pleasing manner. Saint Hilarion anointed her ailing daughter
with oil and healed her.

When he saw that the Lord was calling him to Himself,
the saint besought his visitors to bury his body immediately after his
repose amid the fruit trees where he lived. As the blessed one’s
conscience was altogether pure, he said as he was about to die,
"Depart, 0 my soul! What do you fear? Depart! Why are you troubled? Of
what are you afraid? Begone! You have served Christ for eighty years,
and yet you fear death?"

When he had said this, Hilarion surrendered his spirit
to God. Those present wept for their father and teacher, and in
accordance with his instructions, they buried him in that place.

Soon the blessed Hesychius returned from Palestine,
and as he did not find his guide among the living, he mourned for many
days. He wished to take the saint’s body to Palestine to the brethren
there, but he could not, for all the people living nearby watched
carefully lest someone remove the treasure of Hilarion’s relics from
their land. Therefore, Hesychius pretended that he wished to live in
that place, and he declared, "May I die and be buried here with my
father!"

The people believed him and permitted him to take up
his dwelling where Saint Hilarion had lived. Ten months later,
Hesychius opened the tomb of the venerable one. He saw that Hilarion’s
holy body remained as though he had just reposed. The saint’s
countenance was radiant, and a fragrance came forth from his remains.
Hesychius took the relics and secretly departed to Palestine. All the
monks and the laity of Palestine heard that Hesychius was bringing the
relics of Saint Hilarion to their land, so they gathered together from
every city and monastery with candles and censers, and reverently
escorting the godly one’s remains through Maiouma, placed them in the
first monastery which the saint founded.

It is not fitting that we should keep silence
concerning what occurred to Constantia, the woman mentioned earlier.
Since she was virtuous and pious, she had great devotion to Saint
Hilarion. After his death she frequented his tomb and would pray there
through the night. She spoke with him as though he were alive and
besought him to pray for her. So great was her sorrow when she heard
that his body had been stolen that she immediately fell down dead.
Thus, she showed by her very death what great love she had for the
godly one and how great was her faith in him.

The inhabitants of Cyprus and of Palestine alike made
their boast in Saint Hilarion. There was much contention between them,
for the Palestinians said, "We possess the body of Saint Hilarion,"
while the Cypriotes said, "His spirit remains with us."

In both places, Cyprus where he was first buried and
Palestine where he was taken, numerous miracles were worked through the
saints prayers. Countless healings were bestowed upon the people by his
intercession, unto the glory of God, Who is one in Trinity. May we also
render the Lord honor, thanksgiving, and worship unto the ages. Amen.