The Transfer of the Relics of Sainted Ilarion, Bishop of Meglina
Commemorated on October 21
The Transfer of the Relics of
Sainted Ilarion, Bishop of Meglina, to the Bulgarian city of Tirnovo,
occurred in the year 1206. Prior to this event the body of the saint rested in
the city of Meglina.
Saint Ilarion had received a fine
Christian upbringing. In his 18th year of life he left the world and withdrew
to a monastery, which he was soon chosen to head because of his virtuous and
strict life. Concerning himself over the salvation of the souls entrusted to him,
he unceasingly exhorted the monks not to waste the precious time intended for
salvation. With a particular persistence Ilarion eradicated drunkenness. In the
year 1134 he was ordained bishop of Meglina. At this time the Bogomil heresy
was spreading through Bulgaria. The heretics followed a false teaching, in
which good and evil manifest themselves of independent principles, and between
which ensues a struggle. With an apostolic zeal and fervent prayer Saint
Ilarion rose up in struggle against the heretical pseudo-teaching. He
untiringly unmasked the heresy of the Bogomils, snatching from them their
hypocritical guise of piety. In refuting the teaching of the heretics, Saint
Ilarion said: "Ye be not Christians at all, since ye are hostile to the
Cross of Christ the Saviour, ye acknowledge not the One God, ye slander the
ancient Revelation (Old Testament), venerated by Christians. Ye do deceive
simple people by hypocritical meekness, whilst full of pride. True piety is not
possible in those, who see not in themselves corruption of heart, nor beseech
the grace of God by prayer and humility. Evil thoughts, envy, vanity, greed,
lie – are not the deed of some evil thing within man and to be conquered by
mere fasting. These vices – are the fruit of self-love which therefore demands
rooting-out by spiritual efforts".
After the saint's exhortations many
of the heretics abandoned their pseudo-teaching and returned to the bosom of
Holy Church. Saint Ilarion the same way also untiringly and successfully
struggled against the rise in Bulgaria of the Armenian Monophysite heretics,
who acknowledged in Christ only the Divine nature. The saint reposed in the
year 1164.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.