Collectio textuum hagiographicorum, Vol. II

The life and conduct of our holy and blessed father Ilarion the Georgian, bless us, father! 1. Splendid and altogether beautiful are the words of the holy scriptures, which were written by the grace of the Holy Spirit for the instruction of all the faithful and as an adornment of the holy Church, by which she is adorned like a garment clothed in glory, and adorns her children with the radiance of her own goodness. And just as by means of flowers she makes fragrant the assembly of the lovers of learning and stirs them to inhale again the scent of her ointments and to persist in the fragrance of her incense. For from the time she was joined to that bridal chamber of the purified souls, from then on she drew after her the assemblies of the faithful, who are called her lovers because of the spiritual adornment of goodness and the manifold beauties of their various virtues, as if adorned with a golden-woven fringe; and when the queen took her place at the right hand of the king in their royal palaces, so that these too might be worthy to stand with her in that great assembly of the firstborn, as David says: "In the great Church I will receive you," where God is known among the gods by them,

for he foreknew and predestined them to receive the honor of being made divine, among whom he numbered this great and radiant one, our beloved and desired father Ilarion, who by the high practice of virtues and by the supreme power of spiritual visions ascended from strength to strength. 2. For this reason our discourse and present task is to write and narrate to future generations his life and conduct, like a golden monument adorned with precious stones and many-priced pearls, erected and standing in the midst of the church, so that those entering the stadium of asceticism may behold it and be stirred more unwaveringly to imitate and emulate his radiance; for although he was recent in time, yet he equaled the ancient and most distinguished ascetics who were renowned, some by the working of miracles through virtue, and others he surpassed, and with some he kept pace until death by his love of exile and his complete self-effacement.

But let us not prolong our speech, for we have not taken the path of praise, but we are eager to write down the life and to fill the ears of those who love to hear with spiritual sweetness, and to tell from whence this saint sprang forth, or from which regions this new and ever-radiant luminary arose, which, rising from the east with the lightning of virtues, enlightened those dwelling in the west.