Welcome back! We hope you're ready for the first full week of Lent Madness action. Today, we head up to the Confusion Corner quadrant of the bracket as Melania the Elder faces Hilary of Poitiers. What's not confusing is that both of our contestants come to us via the 4th century. Spanish nun vs. French bishop.
On Saturday, Madeleine Sophie Barat slipped past Mesrop Mashtots 53% to 47%. We also test drove a new voting system which most, but not everyone, was able to successfully navigate. Thanks to everyone for your forbearance as we seek to balance security with ease of voting. With some tweaks, it should be smoother today.
Now back to voting!
Melania the Elder
Melania the Elder was born in Spain in the fourth century to a wealthy Roman family. When she was fourteen, she married (most likely, the Roman prefect Valerius Maximus) and moved to Rome. When she was 22 years old, her husband, probably many years older than she was, and two of her three children died within months of each other. Shortly thereafter, she sold her possessions and left for Egypt to adopt an ascetic life. She left her surviving son in the care of a guardian.
Melania (along with Rufinus Aquileia, her monastic companion) ultimately found her way to Jerusalem. While there, she established a monastery for 50 monastic women and funded the monastery founded by Rufinus. She and Rufinus worked closely together until around 400 when she returned to Rome to be with her son and his family. While in Rome, she had a deep impact on her granddaughter, Melania the Younger, who would ultimately follow in her ascetic footsteps.
Melania the Elder was one of the more scholarly and learned ascetic women of her time. She was known to esteemed theologians such as Evagrius Ponticus and Augustine of Hippo. She was a student of theology and studied Origenism extensively. Origen (also a fellow Lent Madness contestant) was a third-century theologian whose writings became a lightning rod at the end of the fourth century. As the Origenist controversy roiled the church, Melania worked both to defend Origenism as well as to promote unity. Saint Jerome’s early praise of her and later vitriol directed toward her perhaps best illustrates her intellectual prowess and the threat that she posed to his own theological sensibilities.
In addition to her scholarly work, Melania also financially supported and promoted monastics throughout her life. In addition to the monasteries that she founded and funded in Jerusalem, she offered regular support to other monastics as various theological controversies regularly shifted balances of power. Melania the Elder returned to her ascetic life in North Africa before finally journeying back to Jerusalem where she died in 410. She left a considerable endowment to support the continued work of the monastery that she established there.
Collect for Melania the Elder
Most High and Merciful God, who called your servant Melania to forsake earthly comforts in order to devote herself to studying the scriptures and to welcoming the poor: Instruct us in the ways of poverty and the grace of hospitality, that we might comfort those who have no place to rest and teach the way of your love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Hilary may have been a leader of the church more than 1,700 years ago, but his keen understanding of the Trinity along with his profound teachings remain hallmarks of Christianity today.
Born in 310 CE in Poitiers, France, Hilary was a highly educated son of pagan parents. His study of both the Old and New Testaments led to his conversion to Christianity.
He was unanimously elected bishop of Poitiers in 350. He came into authority during a deep dispute and quickly became embroiled in a controversy about the Trinity: he supported Athanasius’s understanding of the Trinity and the full divinity of the Son. Unfortunately, this position put Hilary out of favor with Emperor Constantius II, who, in 355, ordered all bishops to sign a condemnation against Athanasius. Hillary refused, which prompted a four-year exile to Phrygia, located in modern-day Turkey.
He was not idle in exile. Hilary continued to function as bishop to his diocese, writing two of his most important books, an epistle, and many letters to leaders throughout the church. Among his many achievements, Hilary introduced Greek doctrine to Western Christianity. He was a prolific writer, including the critically important book, De Trinitate (On the Trinity). Three hymns are attributed to Hilary, including “Hail this day’s joyful return,” found in the 1982 Hymnal.
Hilary’s legacy is far-reaching, with Saint Augustine of Hippo calling him “the illustrious doctor of the churches,” and Saint Jerome considering him “the trumpet of the Latins against the Arians.” Pope Pius IX named Hilary a doctor of the church in 1851, one of only 36 doctors of the church, so named in recognition of his significant contributions to theology. He is considered the patron saint of lawyers. Hilary died in 367 in the same city where he was born, and his feast day is celebrated on January 13.
Hilary’s depth of understanding about the existence of God is exemplified in one of his more famous quotations: “There is no space where God is not; space does not exist apart from Him. He is in heaven, in hell, beyond the seas; dwelling in all things and enveloping all. Thus He embraces, and is embraced by, the universe, confined to no part of it but pervading all.”
Collect for Hilary of Poitiers
Keep us steadfast, Lord God, in that true faith that we professed at our baptism; that, like your servant Hilary of Poitiers, we may rejoice in having you for our Father, and may abide in your Son, in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit; for you live and reign for ever and ever as one God in Trinity of Persons. Amen.
287 comments on “Melania the Elder vs. Hilary of Poitiers”
I was unable to register my vote
Melania the Elder did a lot of good works and while she actually be best and therefore blessed with sainthood, I had to vote for the one who both defended and explained, at length the Trinity for which the mother parish (turned cathedral) of the greater Pacific Northwest was named in May 1851.
My daughter's name is Hilary so this was an easy choice for me. She too is wise and learned.
Difficult to get a vote registered again today…
Hilary reminded me of a children’s homily years ago to make the point “God is everywhere watching over you.”
“Wow”, a five year old piped up. “There must be a lot of Gods to do that!”
Question: What do I do with this little heretic?”
As long as this little heretic can only count to three, he/she/they is fine!
8:43 am. I had no problem voting. Hopefully it is fixed for others. So far I have always voted for the underdog. Voted for Hilary this morning.
Tech issues aside, what sick and twisted mind decided to pit Melania against Hilary?!?! The SEC, of course! All the subtlety of a sledgehammer, but still pretty funny, I admit...
Was in the spinning loop earlier after vote submission. Came back and attempted to vote again but was not allowed. Assuming my first vote has been accepted.
Although a Cubs fan, I know the SEC does not look favorably on the old Chicago adage, “Vote early and vote often.”
Cubs fan here to... mostly the Dodgers, but Cubs most of the season
I voted west-coast time! Is this a conspiracy of our left coast? We’ll take it!
Hilary go the vote for his struggles with the Trinity. Can we invite him to preach our Trinity Sunday sermon on ZOOM?
Happy to report that at 7:45 MST my vote went through immediately.
I was going to say I miss Oliver, because I didn't know who to vote for until I read Hillary's quote. God is everywhere
Could vote on Saturday, but not today.
Can’t vote!
Melania:
Loved her adventure-forward approach to life. Loved how she used her time, talent and treasure to advance God’s Kingdom on earth and how she endowed individuals who sought a closer walk with God.
Did not love: that she seemed to walk out on a child who had also lost a parent and two siblings. That couldn’t have been fun for him to see his mom peace out in the desert with another dude.
Buuuut… they seemed to have worked thru it all in the end and so I voted for her. Hilary is just another doctor of the church in my mind. (Tho I appreciated his work getting the doctrine of the Trinity sorted.)
SEC - If you can edit the introductory paragraph, it might be helpful to indicate that although there were difficulties earlier today in voting, the system is now working and people should try again if they were unable to vote earlier. Maybe right at the beginning of the paragraph. Maybe in BOLD CAPITAL letters to draw attention. Full disclosure -- I myself have been able to vote every day without any problem.
Ok. Now I did…I don’t know why it worked now , but didn’t earlier
Melania managed to do all of those good works without getting herself killed. That's a major feat, right there.
Hilary vs Melania. Sounds familiar. If Melania loses will she claim the election was stolen? Are the voting problems today Hilary’s attempt at voter fraud? As always I’m team Hilary.
Going for Hilary because he supported the fully divine nature of Christ.
Thanks, I was able to vote today but not on Saturday. Weird. I am voting for Melania Sr.
Can someone briefly define origenism? The info I’ve found on the web is too dense wordy and obtuse. No idea what the controversy is about!
Can't vote.
I voted for Melania, but I think the true depth of saintliness would have been for her to keep her family together. Here's a vote for all the single mothers who sacrifice heroically to raise a family in challenging circumstances. I still wonder what happened to the children of Elizabeth Seton.
Voting hasn’t been a problem yet for me, but I’m using my iPhone.
I get absolutely nothing when I try to vote….I am using a 2month old iPad….
Very frustrating!!
My vote is for Melania The Elder…
Hilary’s famous quotation clinched his vote for me.
Voting working fine by the time I got on ~ 10:15 EST. Surprised that so far it seems a runaway for Hillary. Not that I have anything against him and his important role in the Trinitarian debates of the 4th century. But I thought that in 2022 more folks would want to support a previously little-known (to me, previously unknown) female theologian whose work, like that of so many other marginalized people, hasn't been preserved or recognized as it deserves. Go Melania!
How interesting that the vote is about 60-40! I suppose that's because others also struggle to educate our people about the Trinity, what the doctrine is and is not! I suppose that's a hopeful thing.
My father was in the military and I went to high school in Poitiers. So. . .it is Hilary for me! I spent some wonderful quiet time in the Saint Hilaire-le-Grand. Go Hilary!
John Cabot’s linguistic facility is delightful!
No problem voting here in snowy Illinois this morning. Had to go with anyone who understood the Trinity!