Imagine for a moment that you’ve had a major disagreement with someone, and then unfortunately you both get arrested and taken to prison. That’s part of the life story of today’s two saints, Hippolytus and Pontian.
The first, Hippolytus, was a priest and prominent theologian in the second and third centuries. He is credited with writing a prayer that became part of the Eucharistic prayer used at most daily Masses. Hippolytus also often disagreed theologically and pastorally with popes.
In fact, he would do battle with four popes who would become saints; that’s quite a track record. It was the final one of his life, Pope Pontian with who Hippolytus was arrested with and banished to Sardinia by the Emperor Maximus.
If you’re following this story, you can see how future saints don’t always get along. This gives hope to all family members, parishioners, priests, and religious who might be having anything from a regular disagreement to an all-out battle.
Hippolytus would go so far as to form a schismatic group and claim to be the real pope before his arrest. As I reflected on the journey of these two men (who became saints). I couldn’t help but think that reconciliation takes at least three elements: God’s grace, humility, and charity.
Faith and Trust in Forgiveness
In today’s first reading from Ezekiel, we hear the Word of God calling us to be obedient to God’s instruction. To be obedient to God takes both faith and humility—faith to trust and humility to admit we can be wrong, even when we hold strong convictions.
There’s no record of the process, but we do know that amazingly, during their imprisonment and before their martyrdom, Hippolytus reconciled with Pontian.
Perhaps Hippolytus recalled today’s gospel from Matthew with Jesus' instruction “that unless you become like children, you cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” I would like to think that in addition to God’s grace and Hippolytus’ humble obedience to God’s will--in charity, Pontian spoke with Hippolytus and prayed with him.
Reaching Out to the Lost
God allowed these two men who gave their lives to serving God and His people to be together for a time, not in comfort or freedom but in exile and imprisonment. I can imagine Pontian seeing his role as the good shepherd going out in search of the one lost sheep, Hippolytus.
Sometimes, we can get so wrapped up in defending what is right that we overshoot the mark, like Hippolytus. We start off on solid ground, but then something happens, and we get carried away by emotion and dig in so firmly that it seems as if reconciliation is impossible.
Today’s saints, Hippolytus and Pontian, remind us that with God’s grace, humility, charity, and, I would add, the willingness to seek each other out, reconciliation can occur, even when it seems like a long shot to most.
Saints Hippolytus and Pontian…Pray for us!
- Today’s Readings
- Father David's inspirational homily was recorded live during Mass at the Father Peyton Center this morning. You can view the Mass (and Rosary) at the 30-minute mark on the Family Rosary YouTube page.
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