Saint Hilary is the Doctor of Christ's Divinity. As bishop, he brilliantly defended the sacred humanity of Jesus. He was the only married doctor and protected the church and its members by defeating Arianism which denied the divinity of Christ.

Since he is the only married Doctor of the Church, Hilary can be a lifeline for troubled marriages. Is your marriage tearing you apart? Is it your fault or her fault? Could it be that you don't know? All ages of couples come to Retrouvaille to explore and find answers about their marriage and their important concerns. Husbands and wives from many walks of life and ethnic backgrounds, some who are struggling, some already separated or divorce, want to try again.

Retrouvaille begins with a weekend experience in which husbands and wives are helped to re-establish communication and to gain new insights into themselves as individuals and as a couple. See link below.

Retrouvaille

For those Christians who can not identify Christ as God but think it is possible, don't be afraid to approach Hilary. If you feel reluctant to talk with anyone who has died for any reason, just imagine that Henry is truly listening to you by God's power. If you are a non-believer, don't be afraid to investigate Hilary, for when he lived on earth, he too was a non-believer at one time. He was all these and more.

One of his title was "The Athanasius of the West" after the great Eastern Doctor and The Father of Orthodoxy, St Athanasius.

Hilary was criticized, slandered, and banished from his country. By refusing to obey the Emperor, he was exiled. He boldly and bravely defended Jesus Christ in his fullness, both sacred humanity and eternal divinity.

Saint Henry clung to his faith when most yielded to worldly, authoritative powers and influences. He surrendered to God, lived his faith, faithfully, and would not be intimidated.

St Hilary, 315-368. Doctor of Christ's Divinity. Feast, Jan 13th.

Lauds -- Morning Prayer

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.

Introduction

O God, come to my aid.

O Lord, make haste to help me.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen. Alleluia.

A suitable hymn may be inserted here.

Psalm 35 (36) The sinner's wickedness; God's goodness

O God, in your light we shall see true light.

Evil whispers to the sinner in the depths of his heart:

the fear of God does not stand before his eyes.

Evil’s flattering light disguises his wickedness,

so that he does not hate it.

His words are false and deceitful,

he no longer considers how to do good.

Even when in bed he plots mischief;

he follows the wrong path; he does not hate malice.

Lord, your mercy fills the heavens,

your faithfulness rises to the sky.

Your justice is like the mountains of God,

your judgements are like the deeps of the sea.

Lord, you protect both men and beasts.

How precious is your kindness, O God!

The sons of men will take shelter under your wings;

they will eat their fill from the riches of your house,

drink all they want from the stream of your joy.

For with you is the spring of life-giving water.

In your light we shall see true light.

Hold out your mercy to those who know you,

offer your justice to the upright in heart.

Let me not be crushed under the heels of the proud,

nor dispossessed by the hands of sinners.

The doers of evil have fallen where they stood,

they are cast down and cannot rise.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

O God, in your light we shall see true light.

Canticle	Judith 16

The Lord, creator of the world, protects his people

Lord, you are great, you are the almighty one.

Make music to my God with drums,

sing to my Lord with cymbals.

Begin a new song to him,

extol and call upon his name.

You are the God who crushes battle-lines,

you set up your camp among your people,

you save me from the grip of my persecutors.

I will sing a new song to God:

Lord, you are great and glorious,

wonderful in your unconquerable power.

Let all your creatures serve you,

for you spoke and they were made,

you sent forth your spirit, and they were created:

there is no-one who can resist your command.

For the mountains will be shaken to their roots,

the seas will be stirred up,

at your sight the rocks will melt like wax –

but to those who fear you,

you will show your loving kindness.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Lord, you are great, you are the almighty one.

Psalm 46 (47) The Lord is King

Cry out to God in exultation.

All nations, clap your hands;

cry out to God in exultation,

for the Lord, the Most High, is greatly to be feared,

and King over all the earth.

He has made whole peoples our subjects,

put nations beneath our feet.

He has chosen our inheritance for us,

the pride of Jacob, whom he loved.

God ascends amid rejoicing,

the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.

Sing to God, sing praise.

Sing to our king, sing praise.

God is king over the whole earth:

sing to him with all your skill.

God reigns over the nations;

God sits on his holy throne.

The nobles of the peoples join together

with the people of the God of Abraham,

for to God belong the armies of the earth;

he is high above all things.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Cry out to God in exultation.

Short reading	Tobit 4:14-15,16,19 ©

Be careful, my child, in all you do, well-disciplined in all your behaviour. Do to no one what you would not want done to you. Give your bread to those who are hungry, and your clothes to those who are naked. Whatever you own in plenty, devote a proportion to almsgiving. Bless the Lord God in everything; beg him to guide your ways and bring your paths and purposes to their end.

Short Responsory

Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.

– Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.

Give me life and make me follow your path.

– Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

– Turn my heart, Lord, to your judgements.

Canticle	Benedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Remember your holy covenant, Lord, and take pity on us.

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,

for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.

He has raised up the sign of salvation

in the house of his servant David,

as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,

his prophets through the ages:

to rescue us from our enemies

and all who hate us,

to take pity on our fathers,

to remember his holy covenant

and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,

that he would give himself to us,

that we could serve him without fear

– freed from the hands of our enemies –

in uprightness and holiness before him,

for all of our days.

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:

for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,

to let his people know their salvation,

so that their sins may be forgiven.

Through the bottomless mercy of our God,

one born on high will visit us

to give light to those who walk in darkness,

who live in the shadow of death;

to lead our feet in the path of peace.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,

as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be,

world without end.

Amen.

Remember your holy covenant, Lord, and take pity on us.

Prayers and Intercessions

Let us thank Christ and praise him always: he has sanctified us himself, yet does not disdain to call us brothers. So we ask him: