From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   February 29th  - St. Hilary, Pope   
      
   Hilary died on February 29th in the year 468. Except in leap year, his feast   
   is celebrated on February 28th.   
      
   Hilary was born in Sardinia at the end of the 4th century. All we know of   
   his early life is that his father's name was Crispinus, one of the papal   
   legates to the Council of Ephesus held in 449. This Council is generally   
   called the "Latrocinium" or "Robber Council."   
      
   A theory later condemned for its apparent confusion about the Divine and   
   human natures of Christ called "Monophysitism," was being propounded by a   
   monk called Eutyches. When Eutyches was condemned at a synod in 448, an   
   archdeacon, Dioscorus, came to his support. Dioscorus used violence and   
   intrigue to get what he wanted. At the Council of Ephesus, called by the   
   Emperor Theodosius II, Dioscorus was able to get the upper hand and pushed   
   forth the monophysite and Nestorian positions.   
      
   Dioscorus and his followers excommunicated Pope Leo I and deposed the   
   patriarch, Flavian. They condemned and severely abused Flavian, causing his   
   death. Hilary and the other papal legates barely escaped with their lives.   
   Dioscorus was subsequently deposed by the Council of Chalcedon in 451 and   
   exiled.   
      
   Hilary had attempted to protest the condemnation of Flavian and to support   
   Pope Leo I. However violence erupted and Hilary was forced to flee. He hid   
   in the tomb of John the Evangelist and then secretly made his way back to   
   Rome. Still extent is Hilary's letter to the Empress Pulcheria in which he   
   apologizes for not having delivered the Pope's letter to her after the   
   Council.   
      
   After the death of Leo I, Hilary was elected pope and his reign was a fairly   
   quiet one. His emphasis was on strengthening the Western Church. He strongly   
   opposed the abuses of individual bishops and encouraged discipline, thereby   
   stabilizing the Church in Gaul and Spain. On one occasion he is said to have   
   publicly rebuked the Emperor Anthemius for showing favor to those who taught   
   unsound or false doctrines. He convened a Synod at Rome in 465 and this is   
   the first synod in which extensive minutes have been preserved to the   
   present day. One of the decrees from this council was that a dying bishop   
   was prohibited from appointing his own successor.   
      
   Adjoining the Lateran Basilica in Rome, Hilary built chapels dedicated to   
   St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelists, which are still standing   
   today. He also built a monastery near San Lorenzo outside the walls of Rome.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   It is simply impossible to lead, without the aid of prayer, a virtuous life.   
   -Saint John Chrysostom   
      
    Bible Quote:   
   11 For thus saith the Lord God: Behold I myself will seek my sheep, and will   
   visit them. 12 As the shepherd visiteth his hock in the day when he shall be   
   in the midst of his sheep that were scattered, so will I visit my sheep, and   
   will deliver them out of all the places where they have been scattered in   
   the cloudy and dark day.    (Ezechiel 34:11-12)   
      
      
   <><><><>   
   Sing, my tongue, the Savior's glory,   
   Of His Flesh the mystery sing;   
   Of the Blood, all price exceeding,   
   Shed by our immortal King,   
   Destined, for the world's redemption,   
   From a noble womb to spring.   
      
   Of a pure and spotless Virgin   
   Born for us on earth below,   
   He, as Man, with man conversing,   
   Stayed, the seeds of truth to sow;   
   Then He closed in solemn order   
   Wondrously His life of woe.   
      
   On the night of that last Supper   
   Seated with His chosen band,   
   He, the Paschal victim eating,   
   First fulfills the Law's command;   
   Then as Food to His apostles   
   Gives Himself with His own hand.   
      
   Word-made-Flesh, the bread of nature   
   By His word to Flesh He turns;   
   Wine into His Blood He changes:-   
   What though sense no change discerns?   
   Only he the heart in earnest,   
   Faith her lesson quickly learns.   
      
   Roman Breviary and Missal, Feast of Corpus Christi and Holy Thursday, Hymn   
   Pange lingua glorisi Corporis mysterium. (Tr. Caswall) (St. Thomas Aquinas,   
   13th cent.)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)