Ildephonsus was born at Toledo in Spain, of most noble parents whose names were Stephen and Lucy. He was brought up with great care and instructed in all the liberal arts. His first master was Eugenius, Bishop of Toledo, who, seeing him to be a youth of very great promise, sent him to Seville that he might be under the guidance of Isidore, whose reputation for learning was well known. He lived with Isidore for 12 years after which, being formed to piety and imbued with sound doctrine, he returned to Toledo, to Eugenius, who made him Archdeacon of that Church on account of his great virtues and learning. Ildephonsus, desiring to avoid the snares of the world, embraced the monastic life, in the Monastery of Agali of the Order of Saint Benedict, though his parents endeavoured to divert him from his holy resolution by every possible entreaty and every sort of menace.
The Abbot of the monastery dying not long after, the monks elected Ildephonsus as his successor, for they had observed in him, among his other virtues, a love of equity, affability of manner, prudence and admirable piety. It was not possible, though the Saint had hoped it, that so much merit and such resplendent virtues should lie long concealed: and therefore, on the death of Eugenius, he was elected Archbishop of Toledo by the wish of the clergy, senate and the whole people. It would take too long a time to tell how much he did in this his new post of honour, both by word and example, to the people committed to his care — and how many miracles he wrought — and in how many ways he merited at the hands of the Virgin Mother of God.
He built a Monastery for virgins at a place called Deilfa, and richly endowed it. He most ably refuted and drove out of Spain certain heretics who were disseminating the heresy of Helvidius which denied the perpetual Virginity of Mary, the Mother of God. His controversy on this subject is contained in the Book he wrote on the Virginity of our Lady. And she herself rewarded the zeal of her servant by a miracle. Ildephonsus having gone down during the night to assist at Matins for the Feast of our Lady’s Expectation, they who accompanied him, had no sooner reached the threshold of the church than they beheld a dazzling light inside, at which they were seized with fear and withdrew. The Saint fearlessly entered and advanced to the altar where he beheld the Blessed Virgin. He fell on his knees before her and received from her a vestment in which to offer up the Holy Sacrifice.
On another occasion, when the clergy and a great concourse of people were assembled for the feast of Saint Leocadia and Ildephonsus was kneeling at the Saint’s tomb praying — the tomb suddenly opened and Saint Leocadia came forth. She then spoke of the great things done by Ildephonsus in honour of the Mother of God, and said in the presence and hearing of the whole assembly: “O Ildephonsus, our Lady, the Queen of Heaven, has gained a triumph through you.” As she was retreating from the spot, Ildephonsus seized the sword of King Receswind, who happened to be there, and cut off a portion of the veil which Leocadia wore on her head. He, with much solemnity and ceremony, placed both it and the King’s sword in the treasury of the Church, where they are kept to this day.
Ildephonsus left several eloquent writings, some of which he never finished owing to the many troubles and occupations which engrossed his time. He at length made a happy death after being Bishop 9 years and 2 months, and was buried in the Basilica of Saint Leocadia, about the year of our Lord 667, Receswind being then King of Spain. During the general occupation of the kingdom by the Moors his relics were translated to the city of Zamora and placed in the Church of Saint Peter, where they are honoured with much devotion by the inhabitants.
Dom Prosper Gueranger:
The Gothic Church of Spain deputes today one of her most glorious Prelates to represent her at the crib of the Divine Babe and to celebrate His ineffable birth. The praise which falls from Ildephonsus’ lips, seems at our first hearing it to have the Mother’s dear honour for its only theme: but how can we honour the Mother without at the same time proclaiming the praise of the Son to whose birth she owes all her greatness?
Among the glorious Pontiffs who honoured the noble episcopate of Spain during the seventh and eighth centuries — for example, Leander, Isidore, Fulgentius, Braulio, Eugenius, Julian, Helladius — among them, and in the foremost rank, stands Ildephonsus, with his glory of having been the Doctor of the Virginity of the Mother of God, just as Athanasius is the Doctor of the Div'inity of the Word, Basil the Doctor of the Divinity of the Holy Ghost, and Augustine the Doctor of Grace. The holy Bishop of Toledo has treated the dogma of Mary’s Virginity in all its completeness. With profound learning and with fervid eloquence, he proves, against the Jews, that Mary conceived without losing her Virginity; against the followers of Jovinian, that she was a Virgin in her Delivery; against the disciples of Helvidius, that she remained a virgin after she had given birth to her Divine Son. Other holy Doctors had treated separately on each of these sublime questions before our Saint, but he brought together all their teachings and merited that a Virgin-Martyr should rise from her tomb to thank him for having defended the honour of the Queen of Heaven. Nay, Mary herself, with her own pure hand, clothed him with that miraculous chasuble which was an image of the robe of light with which Ildephonsus shines now in Heaven at the foot of Mary’s throne.
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We salute you with devout hearts, O holy Pontiff, who stands pre-eminent in your love of the Mother of God, even in that glorious Spain, where her honour has had such brave defenders. Come and take your place near the crib of Jesus where this incorruptible Mother is watching over this babe who, being both her God and her Son, consecrated her virginity but did not impair it. Pray for us to her, and remind her that she is our mother also. Ask her to receive the hymns we sing in her honour, and to bless the offering we make of our hearts to her divine Son. That our prayer may find a readier welcome from this august Queen, we will make use of your own words, O holy Doctor of Mary’s virginity; and thus will we speak to her: “I come to you, the sole Virgin-Mother of God. 'I prostrate myself before you, the sole co-operatrix of the Incarnation of my God. I humble myself before you that were alone found worthy to be the Mother of my Lord. I pray to you, the Handmaid, unlike all others, of your Son, that you obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins, that you procure for me the being cleansed from my evil deeds, that you get me a love of your grand glory, that you reveal to me the exceeding sweetness of your Jesus, that you grant me to proclaim and defend the purity of our holy Faith. Grant that I may cling to my God and to you, and be faithful to your Son and to you — to Him as my Creator, to you as Mother of my Creator. To Him as the Lord of hosts, to you as the Handmaid of the Lord of all. To Him as God, to you as Mother of God. To Him as my Redeemer, to you as the instrument of my redemption. He became the price of my ransom, but He became so by His becoming incarnate from your flesh. He assumed a mortal body, but He took it from yours, and with this His sacred body He blotted out my sins. My own human nature, which He took to His kingdom and set it above the Angels on the right hand of His Father, He took from your pure flesh and blood when He humbled Himself and was made Man.
I, then, am your servant, Mary, because your Son is my Lord. You are our Lady, because you are the Handmaid of our Lord. I am the servant of the Handmaid of my Lord, because you, that are our Lady, was made Mother of my Lord. I pray you, I fervently pray you, O Holy Virgin, that I may receive Jesus by that Holy Spirit by whom you became Mother of Jesus. May I be made to know Jesus by that Holy Spirit by whom you knew, and possess, and bring forth Jesus. May I speak of Jesus in that same Holy Spirit in whom you confessed yourself the Handmaid of the Lord. May I love Jesus in that same Holy Spirit in whom you adore Him as your God and gaze on Him as your Son. And may I obey this your Jesus as faithfully as He Himself, though God, was subject to you and to Joseph!”Also on this day according to the ROMAN MARTYROLOGY:
At Philippi in Macedonia, St. Parmenas, one of the first seven deacons, who by the grace of God faithfully discharging the office of preaching committed to him, obtained the glory of martyrdom in the time of Trajan.
At Caesarea in Mauritania (Morocco), the holy martyrs Severian and his wife Aquila, who were consumed by fire.
At Antinous in Egypt, St. Asclas, martyr, who, after various torments, was thrown into a river and gave up his precious soul to God.
At Ancyra in Galatia, St. Clement, bishop. After having frequently endured torments, he finally completed his martyrdom under Diocletian. In the same place, St. Agathangelus, who suffered on the same day under the governor Lucius.
At Alexandria, St. John the Almoner, bishop of that city, most celebrated for his charity towards the poor.
In the Province of Valeria, St. Martyrius, monk, mentioned by Pope St. Gregory.
And in other places, many other holy martyrs, confessors and virgins.
Thanks be to God.
