[Rank]
S. Hilarii Episcopy Confessoris;;Semiduplex;;2;;vide C4a

[Rule]
vide C4a;mtv
9 lectiones

[Oratio]
O God, who didst give blessed Hilarius to be thy people minister in eternal~
salvation grant we pray, that that we who have him for teacher of life here on~
earth, may also deserve now that he is in heaven, to have him for an advocate
$Per Dominum.

[Commemoratio]
!Commemoratio S. Felicis Presbyteri  Mart.
@Commune/C2:Oratio proper
!Oratio.
Grant, we beseech thee, O AImighty God, that the example of thy Saints may~
continually stir us up to amend our sinful lives, that as we do solemnly commemorate them, we may also~
sincerely strive to imitate them.
$Per Dominum

[Responsory1]
@Tempora/Epi2-0:Responsory1

[Responsory2]
@Tempora/Epi2-0:Responsory2

[Responsory3]
@Tempora/Epi2-0:Responsory3

[Lectio4]
This Hilary was born of a noble family in Acquitaine, and is distinguished as a~
divine and an orator. He was married in his earlier life, but even then lived~
the life of a monk and on account of his remarkable holiness, was ultimately~
made Bishop of Poitiers, (about the year 353,) in which office he did his duty~
so as to gain the universal praise of the faithful. At that time the Emperor~
Constantius was persecuting the Catholics by threats, by the plundering of their~
goods, by exile, and at length, by every species of cruelty, in order to force~
them to yield to the Arian heresy. Against the Arians Hilary set himself up as a~
brazen wall, and turned upon himself the fierceness of their anger. They~
assailed him by many artifices, and at last Saturnine, Bishop of Aries, at the~
Council of Beziers, (in 356,) procured his banishment to Phrygia. During this~
exile he raised a dead man to life, and wrote a work in twelve books on the~
Trinity, against the Arians.

[Lectio5]
In (the year 359,) the fourth of his exile, took place the Council of Seleucia~
in Isauria, at which Hilary was obliged to be present, but afterwards withdrew~
to Constantinople. Here he realised more sharply the awful nature of this crisis~
in the history of Christianity, published three pamphlets in the form of letters~
to the Emperor, and demanded from that Prince leave to hold a public disputation~
in his presence. The Arian Bishops Ursacius and Valens, whom Hilary had already~
confuted in writing, were afraid to meet him in debate, and therefore induced~
Constantius, under pretence of pardon, to send him back to his Bishoprick, (in~
360.) His mother, the Church of Gaul, to use the language of Jerome, received~
him with open arms on his return from the battle with the heretics. He was~
followed to Poitiers by Martin, afterwards Bishop of Tours, whose after holiness~
was a fruit of his teaching.

[Lectio6]
Henceforth he ruled the Church of Poitiers in great peace. By his exertions the~
Church of Gaul was led to denounce the Arian blasphemy. His wonderful learning~
is seen in his numerous works, of which Jerome write to Laeta that he deemeth~
them quite faultless. One can follow Hilary in his books, saith he, without~
tripping once. He passed from earth to heaven upon the thirteenth day of January,~
in the year of our Lord 369, in the reign of the Emperors Valentinian and~
Valens. 

[Lectio93]
!Commemoratio for St Felix, Priest and Martyr.
Felix was a Priest of Nola, who on account of his fiery zeal against idolatry,~
suffered much persecution from the heathens, and was cast into prison. From~
thence an angel delivered him by night, and bade him go to Maximian, Bishop of~
Nola. This Bishop, enfeebled by old age, had at length despaired of power to~
withstand the torments of the persecutors, and had hidden, himself in a wood.~
Thither came Felix, by the will of God, and found the holy bishop lying~
half-dead upon the ground. He succoured him, and carried him upon his shoulders~
to the house of an holy widow. On another occasion, Felix, having again provoked~
the anger of the devil-worshippers, became an object of their pursuit, from~
which he hid himself in a narrow place between two walls. Hardly had he entered,~
when some spiders wove their webs across the entrance, which the enemy~
perceiving, concluded that no man had entered, and passed by. After leaving this~
hiding-place, Felix lay for three months in the house of an holy woman. After~
the Lord gave peace to His Church, the Saint returned to Nola, where he turned~
many to Christ by his life, his preaching, and his miracles. He steadily refused~
to accept the Bishoprick, fell asleep in the Lord, and was buried at Nola in~
the place called The Pines.
&teDeum
