Commemoration: St. Hilarion, Abbot
Scripture: Ephesians 4:23–28; Matthew 22:1–14
“Be renewed in the spirit of your mind: and put on the new man, who according to God is created in justice and holiness of truth.”
— Ephesians 4:23–24
“Friend, how camest thou in hither not having on a wedding garment?”
— Matthew 22:12
Today’s liturgical texts, drawn from the Mass of the 19th Tuesday after Pentecost, offer a compelling call to interior renewal and vigilant readiness, as the Church, journeying through the time after Pentecost, urges us toward holiness with renewed zeal. The Epistle to the Ephesians and the Parable of the Wedding Feast are held together by a common thread: the necessity of being clothed—not merely externally, but inwardly—with righteousness. This is no mere metaphor. It is the Christian’s very condition for entry into the eternal nuptial banquet.
The New Man: A Patristic Exhortation
St. Paul exhorts the faithful at Ephesus to be “renewed in the spirit of your mind” and to “put on the new man”, fashioned according to God. This “new man” is no superficial improvement, but a radical transformation wrought by grace. As St. John Chrysostom teaches in his Homilies on Ephesians, this renewal “does not merely reform the outward conduct, but changes the whole man; the very root of our desires, judgments, and affections must be re-created.”
This Pauline language of putting off the “old man” (v. 22) and putting on the “new” evokes baptismal imagery. St. Ambrose of Milan, reflecting on this theme, wrote: “When you were baptized, you were unclothed of the old garments of sin and clothed in Christ Himself.” Thus, this daily renewal is not an optional virtue but a continual unfolding of our baptismal dignity—a stripping away of sin and a fitting of the soul for divine communion.
St. Paul immediately connects this renewal to practical consequences: no longer living in falsehood, no longer giving place to anger, no longer stealing. The new man is not formed in abstraction but in justice and holiness in action. As St. Jerome notes, “Our faith is proved not by words but by the deeds of the new man.”
The Wedding Garment: A Fearful Parable
The Gospel from St. Matthew continues this theme in stark imagery. The king has prepared a wedding feast—symbolic of the eternal joy of heaven—and calls many to enter. But not all respond rightly. Some ignore the invitation, others mistreat the king’s servants (the prophets), and among those who do come, one is found unworthy, lacking the proper garment.
This parable concludes with a sobering moment: the man without the wedding garment is cast into the outer darkness.
What is this garment?
St. Gregory the Great gives the most enduring interpretation: “The wedding garment is charity.” He explains that many come to the Church, many receive the sacraments, but if they do not clothe themselves with true charity—formed by grace and lived in justice—they do not truly belong to the wedding feast.
St. Augustine, in his Sermons on the Gospels, agrees and presses the point further: “To have the wedding garment is to have a heart cleansed by love, not merely a tongue speaking holy words.” Thus, the parable serves not only as invitation but as warning. Entry into the feast is open to all—good and bad are called—but persistence in grace is required to remain.
The man without the garment symbolizes those who presume upon God’s mercy while neglecting the demands of holiness. Such a soul, though present in the Church visibly, is not rightly prepared interiorly.
The Liturgical Spirit of the Day
In the traditional Roman calendar, this Tuesday of the 19th Week after Pentecost carries the weight of this serious message. The Mass texts emphasize both the generosity of God’s invitation and the necessity of conversion. The Collect prays that we may always be pleasing to God “both in will and in deed,” echoing the call to authentic renewal of both mind and life.
We also commemorate today St. Hilarion the Great, an abbot of the fourth century and disciple of the desert. His life exemplifies what it means to put on the new man. Having left all behind, he embraced radical asceticism and ceaseless prayer. St. Jerome, who composed his Life, tells us that Hilarion was “a man dead to the world but alive to Christ,” teaching us that such renewal is possible in every age, even amidst trial and obscurity.
St. Hilarion lived the paradox of the Christian life: to be clothed in the spirit while despising worldly vanities. His example stands as a living commentary on both readings—renewed in spirit, clothed in righteousness, and ever watchful for the Bridegroom.
Reflection and Resolution
Are we clothed rightly for the King’s feast? Have we exchanged the old garments of sin for the shining raiment of grace? Have we allowed divine charity to transform not only our affections but our actions?
Let us recall the words of the Apostle and the warning of the Lord. The time for change is not later. It is now. The feast has begun. The invitation has gone out. But “many are called, and few are chosen.” May we strive to be among the few—not by presumption, but by humble cooperation with grace.
Let us resolve today:
- To renew our commitment to living the moral life, in truth and justice.
- To frequent the sacraments, especially Confession and the Eucharist, as means of clothing ourselves in sanctifying grace.
- To pray for the virtue of charity—that it may reign in us and be visible in our deeds.
St. Hilarion, father of monks and lover of poverty, pray for us.
Holy Virgin Mary, clothe us with the garment of your Son’s grace.
Lord, grant us to be found worthy of the wedding feast. Amen.