Our saint for today, Hilary of Poitiers was born at the beginning of the fourth century. Around the year 350, while still a married man he was chosen bishop of his own home city (they did things a little differently at this time of development in church doctrine and practice)! Because of his vigorous fight against the Arian heretics, Hilary was exiled by the Emperor Constantine. [The Arians claimed that Jesus was the greatest of all of God's creations but he was not equal to God. God made Jesus, like he made any of us! This we know is not true. Hilary convened a Synod of Bishops at Paris in 361 at which the Nicene Creed (that we use on Sundays) (constructed at the Council of Nicea held a few years earlier) was ratified. This stated that Jesus was God from God, Light from Light, true God from True God, begotten, not made, one in being with the Father! JESUS WAS INDEED EQUAL TO GOD THE FATHER AND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT IN ALL REGARDS!
To strengthen the Catholic faith and interpret sacred Scripture, Hilary wrote works of wisdom and learning. They were said to be strict in tone. But it is true: "desperate times, call for desperate measures!" He died in 367 and was named Doctor of the Church in 1851 by Pope Pius IX.
The gospel passage today speaks of the necessity of building on a good foundation. The foundation of the Law of Moses and the content of the prophets' message was to be en-fleshed in Jesus, not destroyed. What the law and the prophets before him had to say would only be fulfilled, simplified and restated in a direct and unmistakable way by Jesus: much like the task of a Council of the Church.
And what these added up to was very simple and clear: Jesus came to us to be something very special and useful: salt and light! Jesus came to salt the earth with a new flavor which was to spice up the mundaneness and ordinariness of life: living for others always makes each new day, different and challenging and rewarding! Jesus came to be light of the world: no longer would anyone have to walk around in the darkness of spiritual ignorance and confusion.
Jesus invites us to be salt and light for the world, as well! And it by our baptism that we receive the salt and the light that we are to pass on to others – each according to our own particular vocations and states in life.
This is Vocation Awareness Week in the Church. God calls each of us to be salt and light in a very particular way: he will tell us directly what that is, if we but ask, and then listen for a reply in any way he chooses to give it to us! Whether we are already in our state in life or vocation, or about to change it for any legitimate purpose – or whether we have the power to influence other young people to prayerfully and trustingly consider what God has in mind for them to do – we owe it to God to be salt and light – to be instruments of his grace and encouraging word to others!
Receive the word of God, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God!
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