Saint of the Day – 3 October – St Hesychius (Died c381) Confessor and Hermit of Palestine, spiritual student of St Hilarion (c291-371). Also known as – Esichio. Not to be confused with:
Saint Hesychius of Jerusalem (Died c450) Priest, Exegete, Scholar, Monk, Hermit, Writer
OR:
St Hesychius of Jerusalem, who lived a little time after the above Saint and was a contemporary of St Gregory the Great (540-604).
The Roman Martyrology reads today: “In Palestine, St Hesychius, Confessor, disciple of St Hilarion and the companion of his travels,”
According to the Life of Saint Hilarion by Saint Jerome, Hesychius became a Monk between 328 and 354 in Majuma, near the City of Gaza, in Palestine and accompanied his master to Egypt, for the first time in 359 and a second time in 362-63.
After returning to Gaza, where he restored the Monastery, he joined Hilarion in Sicily (365) and went with him to Epidaurus, in Dalmatia and then to Cyprus where St Hilarion remained. Hesychius, however, returned to Palestine, from where he occasionally went to Cyprus to see hisbeloved master.
Before dying, Saint Hilarion wrote a small will in favour of Hesychius, leaving him the Gospel, his clothes and a hair shirt. Hesychius took St Hilarion’s body to Majuma.
We do not know when and where he himself died. His Feast was fixed on today’s date by the Roman Martyrology.
St Hilarion’s Life here: https://anastpaul.com/2017/10/21/saint-of-the-day-21-october-st-hilarion-of-gaza-c-291-371/
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