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 had trouble voting the first vote but was persistent and it finally worked. No trouble since. I had to go with Hilary. It was a hard choice.
Hoping my vote for Hilary was counted.
Not fair!!!!! Two absolute winners pitted against each other. I prefer to vote for women, but Hilary's quote on the trinity is revelatory.
Although Melania the Elder has appeared to use her wealth and privilege for good, my vote goes to Hilary. Mont SAINT Hilaire in the area of Montreal Quebec has had a powerful effect on my life. Merci Hilary.
Voting seems to be working now…9:43
Hard choice. Helping people understand the Trinity better was important but Melania was a great example to all women.
So far I'm 0-3, but pulling for Melania. Early returns look like I'm headed for 0-4.
Again I cannot vote! No fun! I cannot check a box for the contestants. I”m using an ipad.
Try again. I think a glitch was fixed.
Ironic that in this case Hilary trumps Melania
The little circle goes around and around but no registered vote.
I voted for Hilary because his adherence to his belief and principles inspire me. I often wonder what I would do when faced with that challenge. I pray God will guide me.
When will the bracket be updated? I only get the blank one, and clicking on it gives me the same.
Thank you for allowing me to exercise my right to vote. All is well today for me. Go, Hilary!!
It is hard to vote for a woman who abandoned her son to another care giver but I cannot resist the fact that she was a theologian during a time that women were not considered capable of such a feat.
Theology makes my brain hurt. God is who God is and how the Trinity works out the relationship among itself is way above my pay grade. I have a hard enough time with loving my neighbor as myself.
But I voted for Hilary because the Collect spoke to me. And yes, I realize it's a theological statement. Such is the Madness of Lent!
My daughter is Hilary. With 1 L. Who else could I vote for?
Another tough choice between two people I hadn't known before this morning - I was leaning toward Hilary because of his discussions
of the Trinity - then I knew I had to vote for him as the patron
saint of lawyers - We need a patron saint who reminds us that God is in every part of creation . . .
While Melania seems cool, I'm gonna have to go with Hilary. I studied on exchange in Poitiers right before COVID broke out, and had the chance to visit his church
Initially I tried to vote using my Android phone and got the spinning icon of doom. I tried later using my Windows laptop, and the vote went through. So I hope the system did not notice my first attempt, but please, Supreme Execs, don't count me as a voting fraudster!
Hilary got my vote today. It's another close contest, but once I saw that Hilary is patron saint of lawyers the tie was broken for me.
I hesitate voting for Melania because she left her son in Rome when she went to the desert. What to do?
Not able to vote. I keep getting a message that says "Captcha is required." :-\
I may have voted for Hilary. I got a message “Captcha required” after clicking vote nut there was no captcha box. I’m not sure if my vote went through but I always enjoy the bios and collects regardless
How does one DO “captcha” if they don’t ask one to identify fire hydrants, palm trees, or other spaces wherein God dwells?
Yet when I try to vote (for Melania the Elder, fwiw, what a remarkable life and legacy!), I am denied, “Captcha is required.” Can one no longer vote from an iOS device?
Why will not the Bracket update to show the winners for each matchup? Please tell me why. Pleeeeese! Tell me how to post an image next to my comment.
Wonder if I voted?--did not see or click on a captcha.
I look forward to Lent Madness every day. Mucho learning going on!
BTW Scott & Tim - love the matchup of the names of the two former first ladies. Very funny.
My vote seems to have worked. No hanging chads, extra ballots or sneaky seizure of my 'voting machine' here.
Cheers.
Why will not the Bracket update to show the winners for each matchup? Please tell me why. Pleeeeese! Tell me how to post an image next to my comment. I'm really a good guy -- a Lutheran -- but a good guy and I have faithful followed LentMadness for 7 years -- since my man Bonhoeffer won.
Hilary got my vote! He just kept on keeping on, despite everything.
Was not convinced that either Saint stood out so I fell back on Republican vs Democrat an went with Hilary as least objectionable
It is hard to believe now, but technical arguments about the Trinity and the nature of God led to unfriendings, family rifts, and streetfighting way more passionate than our current debates on abortion, vaxxing, and masking!(Smiling as I remember the late GTS professor J. Robert Wright reciting both sides' fight songs!) The details all still kind of make my eyes glaze over, but both Hilary and Melania contributed much to Christian theology.
However -- and I know they were different times -- I still can't imagine leaving a child under 7 who already lost his father and both siblings. Melania could have found ways to deepen her prayer and devotional life while staying with her child for another five years. Also, she was a devotee of Origen, whose possibly whacky ascetical extremism makes Kateri's self-mortifications pale in comparison...
Team Hilary for me.