Long ago, in 4th-century France, St. Hilary was known for his sharp mind and even sharper wit.
Before becoming a bishop, he spent much of his life studying philosophy, which led him to believe in the truth of Catholicism. Once he embraced the Church, he became a fearless defender of the Faith.
But what made him stand out wasn’t just his courage—it was his cleverness.
During a time when the Church faced a serious threat from the Arian heresy, St. Hilary had to be both a theologian and a strategist—and he did so without ever losing his wit.
He knew that arguments alone wouldn’t always win people over, so he used something unexpected: riddles and questions that made people think deeply about the truth.
One famous story goes like this: Hilary was debating an Arian bishop who insisted that Jesus was not equal to God the Father. Rather than launching into a long speech, Hilary asked him a seemingly simple question:
“Who do you think is wiser—God or man?”
The bishop scoffed. “God, of course.”
Hilary nodded. “Then tell me this: If God, who is wiser, tells us that the Son is equal to the Father, why do you, a man, argue otherwise?”
The bishop was stunned into silence. The crowd erupted in murmurs. Hilary’s clever question had exposed the flaw in the bishop’s reasoning without a single insult or harsh word.
So, yes—there is a patron saint of riddles! Our Church history is full of fun surprises and our Catholic Humor home decor line is an ode to that joyful Catholic spirit. Our personal favorite is the fun Moses Makes Coffee Mug which features a witty joke about Old Testament coffee habits: “How does Moses make coffee? Hebrews it!” Order your mug today from The Catholic Company and bring faith and humor into your morning routine!
