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Venerable Simeon the Stylite born in the Cappadocia village of Sisan into a Christian family of Susotion and Martha. At the age of 13, he began to tend his father's sheep. He treated this first obedience conscientiously and with love. One day Simeon, having heard the Gospel beatitudes in church, was shocked by their depth. Not trusting his own immature judgment, he immediately turned to the experienced elder with questions. The elder willingly explained to the youth the content of what he had heard and finally strengthened his determination to follow the Gospel path. Without going home, Simeon went to the nearest monastery and, after tearful requests, a week later he was accepted into the ranks of the brethren.

When Simeon turned 18 years old, he took monastic vows and devoted himself to the deeds of strict abstinence and unceasing prayer. His jealousy, unbearable for the rest of the monastic brethren, alarmed the abbot, and he suggested that the monk either moderate his ascetic deeds or leave the monastery. Then the Monk Simeon left the monastery and settled at the bottom of a dry well, where he could fulfill his stern vows without hindrance. After some time, Angels appeared to the abbot in a dream vision, who commanded him to return Simeon to the monastery.

However, the monk did not stay long in the monastery.

Soon he retired to a stone cave located near the village of Galanissa, and lived there for three years, increasingly improving in monastic deeds.

One day he decided to spend the entire Holy Pentecost without food or drink. With God's help, the monk endured this strict fast. From then on, he always completely refused even bread and water for the entire duration of the Holy Pentecost, praying standing for twenty days and sitting for twenty days, so as not to allow his bodily strength to weaken. Entire crowds of people began to flock to the place of his labors, wanting to receive healing from ailments and hear the word of Christian edification. Avoiding worldly glory and striving to regain his lost solitude, the monk chose a form of asceticism that was not yet known at that time. He built a pillar 4 meters high and settled on it in a small cell, devoting himself to intense prayer and fasting.

Rumors about the Monk Simeon reached the highest church hierarchy and the imperial court. Antioch Patriarch Domnin II (441-448) visited the saint, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the pillar and communed the ascetic with the Holy Mysteries. The fathers who labored in the desert also learned about the Monk Simeon, who chose such a difficult form of asceticism. Wanting to test the new ascetic and find out whether his exorbitant exploits were pleasing to God, they sent their envoys to him, who, on behalf of the fathers, were to order the Monk Simeon to come down from the pillar. In case of disobedience, they had to forcibly drag him to the ground, and if he showed humility, they were instructed, on behalf of the fathers, to bless him to continue the feat. The monk showed complete obedience and deep Christian humility.

The Monk Simeon had to endure many temptations, and he invariably won victory over them, relying not on his own weak strengths, but on the Lord Himself, Who always came to his aid.

The monk gradually increased the height of the pillar on which he stood. Its last pillar was 40 cubits high.

A double fence was erected around him, which forbade disorderly crowds of people from getting too close to the monk and disturbing his prayerful concentration. Women were not allowed outside the fence at all. In this the monk did not make an exception even for his own mother, who, after a long and unsuccessful search, finally managed to discover her missing son. Not getting a date, she died, clinging to the fence surrounding the pillar.

Then the monk asked to bring the coffin to him and reverently said goodbye to his deceased mother - and then her dead face beamed with a blissful smile.

The Monk Simeon spent 80 years in intense monastic labors, of which 47 he stood on the pillar. God granted him to perform truly apostolic service in such unusual conditions - many pagans accepted Baptism, shocked by the moral fortitude and physical strength that the Lord bestowed on His ascetic.

His closest student Anthony was the first to learn about the death of the saint.

Alarmed that his mentor had not shown himself to the people for 3 days, he climbed the pillar and found his dead body bowed in prayer († 459). The burial of the saint was performed by the Patriarch of Antioch Martyrios (456-468) with a huge gathering of clergy and people. He was buried not far from the pillar. Anthony built a monastery on the site of his exploits, on which the special blessing of the Monk Simeon rested.

Venerable Simeon the Stylite born in the Cappadocia village of Sisan into a Christian family of Susotion and Martha. At the age of 13, he began to tend his father's sheep. He treated this first obedience conscientiously and with love. One day Simeon, having heard the Gospel beatitudes in church, was shocked by their depth. Not trusting his own immature judgment, he immediately turned to the experienced elder with questions. The elder willingly explained to the youth the content of what he had heard and finally strengthened his determination to follow the Gospel path. Without going home, Simeon went to the nearest monastery and, after tearful requests, a week later he was accepted into the ranks of the brethren.

When Simeon turned 18 years old, he took monastic vows and devoted himself to the deeds of strict abstinence and unceasing prayer. His jealousy, unbearable for the rest of the monastic brethren, alarmed the abbot, and he suggested that the monk either moderate his ascetic deeds or leave the monastery. Then the Monk Simeon left the monastery and settled at the bottom of a dry well, where he could fulfill his stern vows without hindrance. After some time, Angels appeared to the abbot in a dream vision, who commanded him to return Simeon to the monastery.

However, the monk did not stay long in the monastery.

Soon he retired to a stone cave located near the village of Galanissa, and lived there for three years, increasingly improving in monastic deeds.

One day he decided to spend the entire Holy Pentecost without food or drink. With God's help, the monk endured this strict fast. From then on, he always completely refused even bread and water for the entire duration of the Holy Pentecost, praying standing for twenty days and sitting for twenty days, so as not to allow his bodily strength to weaken. Entire crowds of people began to flock to the place of his labors, wanting to receive healing from ailments and hear the word of Christian edification. Avoiding worldly glory and striving to regain his lost solitude, the monk chose a form of asceticism that was not yet known at that time. He built a pillar 4 meters high and settled on it in a small cell, devoting himself to intense prayer and fasting.

Rumors about the Monk Simeon reached the highest church hierarchy and the imperial court. Antioch Patriarch Domnin II (441–448) visited the saint, celebrated the Divine Liturgy on the pillar and communed the ascetic with the Holy Mysteries. The fathers who labored in the desert also learned about the Monk Simeon, who chose such a difficult form of asceticism. Wanting to test the new ascetic and find out whether his exorbitant exploits were pleasing to God, they sent their envoys to him, who, on behalf of the fathers, were to order the Monk Simeon to come down from the pillar. In case of disobedience, they had to forcibly drag him to the ground, and if he showed humility, they were instructed, on behalf of the fathers, to bless him to continue the feat. The monk showed complete obedience and deep Christian humility.

The Monk Simeon had to endure many temptations, and he invariably won victory over them, relying not on his own weak strengths, but on the Lord Himself, Who always came to his aid.

The monk gradually increased the height of the pillar on which he stood. Its last pillar was 40 cubits high.

A double fence was erected around him, which forbade disorderly crowds of people from getting too close to the monk and disturbing his prayerful concentration. Women were not allowed outside the fence at all. In this the monk did not make an exception even for his own mother, who, after a long and unsuccessful search, finally managed to discover her missing son. Not getting a date, she died, clinging to the fence surrounding the pillar.

Then the monk asked to bring the coffin to him and reverently said goodbye to his deceased mother - and then her dead face beamed with a blissful smile.

The Monk Simeon spent 80 years in intense monastic labors, of which 47 he stood on the pillar. God granted him to perform truly apostolic service in such unusual conditions - many pagans accepted Baptism, shocked by the moral fortitude and physical strength that the Lord bestowed on His ascetic.

His closest student Anthony was the first to learn about the death of the saint.

Alarmed that his mentor had not shown himself to the people for 3 days, he climbed the pillar and found his dead body bowed in prayer († 459). The burial of the saint was performed by the Patriarch of Antioch Martyrios (456–468) with a huge gathering of clergy and people. He was buried not far from the pillar. Anthony built a monastery on the site of his exploits, on which the special blessing of the Monk Simeon rested.

Memory Venerable Simeon the Stylite takes place on June 6 according to the new style. In order to distinguish this ascetic from the other great Christian saint Simeon, who is the founder of the feat of stylite, he is also called Divnogorets or the younger Stylite.

Biography of Simeon the Stylite (Divnogorets)
Among those feats that Christian ascetics took upon themselves for the love of God, pillar mongering is the most striking expression of asceticism. Stylites are called saints of God who spent all their time in prayer, and for this the saints chose some mountain or tower (“pillar”) on which they stood, exposed to heat and cold and depriving themselves of the ability to move. It is unknown when such ascetic practice appeared, however, the first mentions of such ascetics are found already in the 4th century, as testified by St. Ephraim the Syrian. However, the ancestor of this feat is considered to be the Monk Simeon the Stylite, a Syrian saint who served on the pillar for 37 years, indulging in fasting and prayer. This ascetic work was continued by such saints as St. Alipius the Stylite, Lazarus of Galicia and others. The feat of pillar-bearing was also performed by some saints of the Russian Orthodox Church, including Cyril of Turov and Seraphim of Sarov, who performed a thousand nights of prayer on a stone.
The Monk Simeon of Divnogorets is a 6th century saint who lived in Syrian Antioch. We know very little about the life of this saint of God, but hagiographic literature tells us that from his very birth he was chosen for a special service and marked by grace. Simeon's mother, Saint Martha, aspired to the monastic life from a young age, but her parents insisted on her marriage. However, her husband John turned out to be a pious Christian, and Martha’s family life was happy, only one thing upset the spouses: for a long time they did not have children. Therefore, the pious woman intensely prayed to Saint John the Baptist, the patron saint of her husband, with a request to grant a child, promising to dedicate him to the service of the Lord. Martha's fervent prayer was heard, and soon she was rewarded with the appearance of John the Baptist, who predicted to her the birth of a son who would please God with his great deeds.
Some time later, Martha had a son, and the couple named him Simeon. Apparently, he was baptized in honor of Simeon the Stylite, who also came from Antioch and was one of the most revered and renowned saints of that time.
Life says that the Lord repeatedly appeared to young Simeon, and the heavenly joy he experienced, from the first years of his life, showed him the vanity of this world and instilled in his heart such a love for God, which he was later able to express in his feat. Apparently, the boy was left an orphan at an early age, and in his adolescence he went to the desert, where he was received by the abbot of a secluded monastery, and spent some time there. After he takes monastic vows, with the blessing of his spiritual mentor, he begins to perform the feat of stylite monasticism. He spent many hours in prayer, reading and studying the Holy Scriptures, as well as spiritual literature. The glory of the great saint of God attracted many pilgrims to the monastery who wanted to hear his word and instruction.
Later, Simeon received a command from God to leave the monastery and move to a mountain near Antioch called Divna, thanks to which he later received the name Divnogorets. There he continued his ascetic life, receiving the gift of clairvoyance. The monk died at a ripe old age, having spent 68 years in the feat of pillar-making.

Troparion, tone 1:
Desert dweller, and in the body an Angel, / and a wonderworker appeared, O God-bearing Father Simeon, / by fasting, vigil, and prayer, we received heavenly gifts, / healing the sick and the souls of faith that flow to you. / Glory to Him who gave you strength, / glory to Him who crowned you, // glory to the One who works for you to heal everyone.

Kontakion, voice 2:
Desiring the highest, setting aside the earthly, / and, like the sky, a pillar, / thus you showered the dawn of miracles, O Reverend, / and Christ, the God of all, / / ​​praying unceasingly for all of us.

Magnification:
We bless you, / Reverend Father Simeon, / and honor your holy memory, / mentor of monks, / and interlocutor of Angels.

Prayer:
Reverend Father Simeon! Look upon us mercifully and lead those who are devoted to the earth to the heights of heaven. You are a mountain in heaven, we are on earth below, removed from you, not only by place, but by our sins and iniquities, but we run to you and cry: teach us to walk in your way, enlighten us and guide us. Your entire holy life has been a mirror of every virtue. Do not stop, servant of God, crying to the Lord for us. By your intercession, ask from our All-Merciful God the peace of His Church, under the sign of the militant cross, agreement in faith and unity of wisdom, destruction of vanity and schism, affirmation in good deeds, healing for the sick, consolation for the sad, intercession for the offended, help for the needy. Do not disgrace us, who come to you with faith. All Orthodox Christians, having performed your miracles and beneficent mercies, confess you to be their patron and intercessor. Reveal your ancient mercies, and to whom you helped the Father, do not reject us, their children, who are marching towards you in their footsteps. Standing before your most honorable icon, as I live for you, we fall down and pray: accept our prayers and offer them up on the altar of God’s mercy, so that we may receive your grace and timely help in our needs. Strengthen our cowardice and confirm us in faith, so that we undoubtedly hope to receive all the good things from the mercy of the Master through your prayers. Oh, great servant of God! Help all of us who flow to you with faith through your intercession to the Lord, and guide us all in peace and repentance, end our lives and move with hope into the blessed bosom of Abraham, where you now rest joyfully in your labors and struggles, glorifying God with all the saints , in the Trinity glorified, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

As presented by St. Demetrius of Rostov

In the country of Cappadocia 1, in the village of Sisan, lived the Christians Susotion and Marfa. God blessed their marriage with the birth of a son, whom they named Simeon and, according to Christian custom, washed in the bath of baptism 2 . This youth was brought up not in book learning, but in simplicity and gentleness; but the wisdom of God often dwells in ordinary people and chooses them as its instrument in order to confound the wisdom of this age (1 Cor. 15:21). The future shepherd of verbal sheep 3 Simeon, when he was thirteen years old, began to shepherd his father’s flocks of sheep. Like Jacob, Moses and David, who also tended sheep and received Divine revelations, Simeon was also called by God. Once, during winter, the sheep were not put out to pasture for several days because a lot of snow had fallen 4 . Being free from work, the blessed youth went to church with his father and mother on Sunday. Simeon listened attentively to what was being sung and read in the church, and heard the Holy Gospel, in which the poor, those who mourn, the meek and the pure in heart were called blessed 5 . He asked the honest old man standing next to him what these words meant. Instructed by the Spirit of God, the elder began to explain to Simeon and taught him for a long time, showing him the path to spiritual poverty, purity, the love of God and to a virtuous life. The good seeds of the elder’s teachings fell on good soil: for immediately a zealous desire for God arose in Simeon’s soul and a firm desire to walk the narrow path leading to Him grew (Luke 13:24; Matt. 7:14). He decided in his mind to immediately give up everything and strive only for what he wanted. Having bowed to the honest old man and thanked him for the useful teaching, Simeon said to him:

You have now become my father and mother, a teacher of good deeds and a leader to my salvation.

Immediately after this, Simeon left the church and, without going home, retired to a place convenient for prayer. Here he prostrated himself on the ground in the shape of a cross 6 and, weeping, begged the Lord to show him the way to salvation. He lay there for a long time and prayed: finally he fell asleep and in a dream he saw such a vision. He dreamed that he was digging a ditch for some building. And then he hears a voice saying: “dig deeper!” He began to dig deeper; then, thinking that it was enough 7, he stopped, but again heard a voice commanding him to dig even deeper. He began to dig again, and when he paused again, for the third time the same voice urged him to do the same work. Finally he heard:

Stop doing that. Now, if you want to build a building, build it, but work hard, because without labor you will not succeed in anything.

This wonderful vision came true for Simeon himself. In his deep humility, he laid such a foundation for the improvement of himself and others that his virtues and exploits seemed to be above human nature 8 .

After this vision, Simeon got up and went to one of the monasteries located in his native country. The abbot of this monastery was Blessed Timothy. Simeon fell to the ground in front of the monastery gates and lay for seven days, suffering from hunger and thirst. On the eighth day, the abbot left the monastery and began asking Simeon where he was from, where he was going, what his name was, whether he had done any evil and whether he had run away from his masters. Simeon, falling at the feet of the abbot, said to him with tears:

No, father, I am not one of those; I have not done harm to anyone, but I want to serve God with all my zeal. Have mercy on me, a sinner: command me to enter the monastery and be a servant to all.

Seeing God's calling in him, the abbot took him by the hand and led him into the monastery, saying to the brethren:

Teach him monastic life and monastic rules and regulations.

Having settled in the monastery, Simeon unquestioningly obeyed and served everyone. In a short time he memorized the entire Psalter. Being only eighteen years old from birth, he was already tonsured a monk and soon surpassed all the monks of that monastery in the severity of his life. So some of the brethren ate food only once a day, in the evening, others - on the third day, but he did not eat food for a whole week.

Simeon's parents searched for him for two years and could not find him, since God hid him. They cried a lot for their son and grieved so much that his father died of sadness. Simeon, having found his father in God, devoted himself entirely to Him from his youth.

While staying in Lavra 10, blessed Simeon one day went to the well to draw water. Taking a rope from a scoop 11, very stiff, woven from palm branches 12, he wrapped it around his naked body, starting from his hips to his neck, so tightly that the rope cut into his body. Ten days passed, and his body festered from the wounds, and in these wounds many worms were boiling. The brethren began to complain to the abbot:

Where did you bring this man to us from? It is impossible to tolerate him: the stench emanates from him. No one can stand next to him. When he walks, worms fall from him: his bed is also full of worms.

The abbot was surprised when he heard about this; but, making sure that everything said to him was true, he asked Simeon:

Tell me, child, why does such a stench come from you?

But Simeon, with his eyes downcast, stood before the abbot in silence. The abbot became angry and ordered Simeon's outer clothing to be pulled off by force. Then they saw that the hair shirt he was wearing 13 was covered in blood, and a rope had cut into his body deep to the very bones. And the abbot and everyone who was with him were horrified. With great difficulty they could hardly remove this rope from Simeon, since the rotted body was torn off along with it. Simeon, patiently enduring these sufferings, said:

Let me go like a stinking dog: I deserve this suffering for my sins.

“You are only eighteen years old,” the abbot told him, “what are your sins?”

Father! - Simeon answered, - the prophet said: I was conceived in iniquity, and my mother gave birth to me in sin.(Ps. 50:7).

Hearing such an answer, the abbot was amazed at Simeon’s prudence and was surprised that such a simple young man could be so deeply imbued with the fear of God. He began, however, to convince him not to inflict such torment on himself.

There is no benefit, he said, to begin something that is beyond one’s strength: it is enough for the student if he is like his teacher (cf. Matt. 10:24).

Much time passed before Simeon's wounds healed. But when Simeon recovered, the abbot and the brethren again noticed that he, like before, was exhausting his body. Then, fearing that others who were weaker would imitate him and become the culprits of their own death, the abbot ordered Simeon to leave the monastery. Leaving the monastery, Simeon wandered for a long time through the desert and mountains, until he finally found a waterless well in which reptiles lived. Having descended into this well, Simeon began to pray to God there.

Some time after this, the abbot saw a vision at night as if a multitude of people with weapons and candles in their hands surrounded the monastery and exclaimed:

Where is Simeon, servant of God? Show us one who is so favorable to God and the angels. If you don’t show it to us, we will burn you and your entire monastery. Simeon is above all of you and through him God will create many miracles on earth.

Rising from sleep, the abbot announced his terrible vision to the brethren and told them what horror he had suffered because of Simeon. He sent everywhere to look for Simeon and even went on a search himself. Taking with him some of the brethren, the abbot walked through the desert and through caves, looking for the ascetic. Soon he met shepherds tending flocks of sheep, and, after questioning them, he learned that Simeon was in an empty well. Hastening to this well, the abbot began to call Simeon:

Are you here, servant of God?

Leave me, holy fathers, - answered Simeon, - only for a short time, until I give up my spirit: my soul is faint, for I have angered the Lord.

But the monks forcibly removed him from the well and brought him to the monastery. After living here for a short time, blessed Simeon secretly left the monastery and began to wander again in the mountains and desert. Guided by the Spirit of God, he came to a mountain located near the village of Talanissa, and, finding here a small cell 14 carved into the rock, he shut himself up in it. He stayed in this cell for three years. Here he brought to mind how Moses and Elijah fasted for forty days (Exodus 24:18; 1 Kings 19:8), and wished to test himself with the same fast. At this time, the bishop of that country, named Vass, came to Talanissa, visiting churches in cities and villages. Hearing about blessed Simeon, the bishop came to him. Simeon began to beg him to lock the doors of his cell for forty days, without giving him any food. But the bishop did not agree.

It is not appropriate, he said, for a person to kill himself with immeasurable fasting: for this is rather a sin than a virtue.

“Then give me, father,” the monk answered him, “only bread and water, so that, if necessary, I can refresh my body a little with food.”

Vass did just that: having placed bread and water in the cell, he blocked the doors with stones and set off on his way. As soon as forty days had passed, he came again to the monk and, scattering the stones, opened the doors and entered the cell. Here he saw that the monk was lying on the ground as if dead, and the bread and water were standing untouched in the same place where they had been placed: the great faster did not even touch them.

Taking a sponge, Vass washed and cooled the saint’s lips, and as soon as he came to his senses a little, he communed with him the Divine Mysteries. After this, Simeon strengthened himself by eating light food. The bishop told about such great abstinence of Simeon for the benefit of many brethren. From that time on, the monk also began to fast every year at St. Pentecost, did not drink or eat anything and spent time in unceasing prayer, twenty days standing on his feet, and twenty sitting from great fatigue.

After spending three years in his cramped stone cell, Simeon climbed to the very top of the mountain. And in order not to leave here, he took an iron chain, twenty cubits long 15, and with one end of it he bound his feet, and the other end he chained to the mountain. In this position, the monk all the time turned his gaze to heaven, ascending with his mind to the One who is above the heavens.

The Archpastor of the Antioch Church, Blessed Meletios, heard about the ascetic and came to visit him. Seeing that Simeon was chained to the mountain, he said:

A person can control himself without shackles; You can tie yourself to one place not with iron, but only with your mind and will.

The monk, hearing this, hastened to take advantage of the instruction given and, desiring to be a voluntary prisoner of Christ, took off his shackles and bound himself by one will, “putting down every thought and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought into the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). 16

The fame of the holy ascetic spread everywhere. And everyone began to come to him - not only those who lived nearby, but also from distant countries, those who had to make a long journey for this. Some of them brought their sick to him, others asked for healing for the sick lying at home; some themselves were possessed by troubles and sorrows, others suffered torment from demons. And none of those who came to the monk returned without consolation, but everyone received what they asked for: some - healing, some - consolation, others - useful instruction, others - some other help. Everyone returned to their homes with joy, praising God. The monk, if anyone received healing through his prayers, always said:

Glorify the Lord, who gave you healing, and do not dare to say that Simeon healed you, so that a greater disaster does not happen to you.

Like rivers, various peoples and tribes flocked to Simeon: they came to him from Arabia and Persia, from Armenia and Iberia, 17 from Italy, Spain and Britain. Thus God glorified him who glorified Him. When such a multitude of people gathered around Simeon and everyone tried to touch him, receiving his blessing, the blessed one began to be burdened by such veneration and anxiety. And he invented an unprecedented way to get rid of human vanity: so that those who came could not touch him, he decided to build a pillar and stand on it. Having erected such a pillar, he built on it a cramped dwelling of two cubits, and began to spend his life here in fasting and prayer. And he was the first pillar. The pillar was six cubits high, and Saint Simeon stood on it for several years. Afterwards, the height of the pillar was increased to twenty cubits, and then to thirty-six. So the monk, with pillars of varying heights, like ladders, ascended to the heavenly land, enduring suffering, wet by rain in summer and scorched by heat, and enduring cold in winter; His food was soaked juice 18, and his drink was water. Two stone fences were soon built around its pillar 19.

The holy fathers who lived in the deserts heard about such a life of Simeon, and were amazed at his extraordinary exploits: for no one had ever invented such a life for himself as to stand on a pillar. Wanting to test him, they sent him to tell him:

Why don’t you follow the path of our fathers, but invented another - a new one? Come down from the pillar and follow the life of the ancient hermits.

At the same time, they taught the messengers that if Simeon did not obey, they would force him to come down from the pillar; if he listens and wants to go down, then leave him standing as he began: for then, they said, it will be clear that his new way of living is from God. When the messengers came to Simeon and announced the decision of the council of the holy desert fathers, he immediately stepped on the stairs, wanting to go down.

Seeing this, the messengers shouted:

No, do not go, holy father, but remain on the pillar: now we know that the work you have begun is from God. May He be your helper to the end.

Domnus 20, Patriarch of Antioch, successor of Saint Meletius, came to Simeon and, seeing his life, marveled and talked with him for a long time about what was good for the soul. Then the patriarch performed the divine service, and both of them received communion of the Divine Mysteries.

After this, the patriarch returned to Antioch; The monk devoted himself to even greater exploits, arming himself against the invisible adversary. Then the devil, a hater of all good, took the form of a bright angel and appeared to the saint near the pillar on a fiery chariot with fiery horses, as if descending from heaven and said:

Listen, Simeon! The God of heaven and earth sent me to you, as you see, with a chariot and horses, so that I could take you, like Elijah, to heaven (2 Kings 2:11); for you are worthy of such honor for the holiness of your life, and the hour has come for you to taste the fruits of your labors and accept the crown of praise from the hand of the Lord. Hasten, servant of the Lord, to behold your Creator and worship the One who created you in His image; The angels and archangels with the prophets, apostles and martyrs also want to see you.

The saint did not recognize the enemy’s deception and said:

God! Do you want to take me, a sinner, to heaven?

And Simeon raised his right leg to step onto the fiery chariot, but at the same time made the sign of the cross. Then the devil and his chariot disappeared like dust swept away by the wind. But Simeon recognized the demonic seduction, repented, and executed his leg, which he wanted to step on the demonic chariot, by standing on that same leg for a whole year.

The devil, not tolerating such a feat, struck the saint’s leg with a fierce ulcer, and the body rotted on the leg, many worms appeared, and pus with worms oozed down the pillar onto the ground from the wound. One young man named Anthony 21 collected worms falling to the ground, and, at the command of the holy sufferer, again carried them to his pillar. The saint, enduring the illness with great patience, like the second Job, applied worms to the wound, saying: “Eat what God sent you.”

At that time, the Saracen prince 22 Vasilik, having heard a lot about Saint Simeon, came to him and, having talked with him, received great benefit and believed in Christ. Seeing the worm fall to the ground from the saint’s wound, the prince took it in his hand and walked away. The monk turned him back and said:

Why did you take into your honest hands the stinking worm that fell from my rotten body?

Vasilik, straightening his hand, found a precious pearl in it and said:

This is not a worm, but a pearl.

It was because of your faith that this was done for you,” said the monk.

And the Saracen, having received his blessing, went home.

Many years passed, and the saint’s mother, Martha, having learned about her son, came to see him and, stopping at the entrance to the fence, cried heavily. But Simeon did not want to see her and sent to her to say:

Don’t bother me now, my mother, if we deserve it, we’ll see you in the next world.

She wanted to see him even more; and again the blessed one sent to her, begging her to wait a little in silence.

She lay down in front of the fence door and here she gave up her spirit to the Lord. St. Simeon immediately learned about her death and ordered her body to be brought to the pillar. Seeing his mother, he began to pray for her with tears. During his prayer, movements were noticeable in Saint Martha’s body, and a smile appeared on her face. Everyone who saw this was amazed, praising God. She was buried at the pillar, and the saint commemorated his mother in prayer twice every day. Soon afterwards they changed the saint’s pillar again and built him a new one of forty cubits. The monk stood on this pillar until his blessed death.

There was no water in the vicinity of the place where the monk spent his wondrous life - it was brought from afar, from which those who came to the monk and their animals suffered greatly. The monk, seeing this suffering from lack of water, prayed diligently to God to send water, as He once did to thirsty Israel in the desert (Num. 20:2-10). And then, at about ten o'clock in the afternoon, the earth suddenly shook and settled on the eastern side of the fence, where a kind of cave opened up, in which, beyond all expectation, there was a lot of water. The saint also ordered that the place be excavated seven cubits around, and water flowed from there in abundance.

One woman, feeling thirsty at night, swallowed a small snake along with water. This snake began to grow in the woman’s womb and became large. The woman looked as green as grass, and many doctors treated her, but could not heal her. They brought her to Saint Simeon. The blessed one said: “Give her the local water to drink.” And when the woman began to drink, a large snake came out of her; Having crawled towards the pillar, the snake immediately fell into pieces.

Some people, who had walked from afar to the monk, to escape the heat, stopped under a tree to rest a little. Sitting there in the shade, they saw a pregnant deer walking past and shouted to her:

With the prayers of Saint Simeon we conjure you, stay a little!

And a wonderful miracle happened: the deer stopped. So even animals became meek and obedient in the name of the saint! Having seized the deer, the travelers killed it, skinned it and prepared a meal for themselves from its meat. But as soon as they began to eat, suddenly struck by the wrath of God, they lost their human voice and began to scream like deer. They ran to Saint Simeon, carrying with them the skin of a deer, as a reproof of their sin. They stayed at the pillar for two years and could barely heal and speak humanly; and the skin of a deer was hung on a pillar as a testimony to what had happened.

On the very mountain where Saint Simeon labored, not far from the pillar, a terrible serpent settled, because of which even the grass did not grow in that place. One day, a branch about the size of an elbow pierced the snake’s right eye, causing the snake severe pain. Then the serpent crawled to the saint’s pillar and, lying in front of the fence doors, bent over, as if showing humility and asking for mercy from Saint Simeon. And when the saint looked at him, the branch immediately fell out of his eye, and the serpent remained there for three days, lying before the door like a sheep. Everyone came and went fearlessly without any harm from him. When the eye was completely healed, the serpent went into its lair. And everyone looked and marveled at that wonderful miracle.

In that country lived a pard 23, a large and very terrible beast, devouring both people and livestock. No one dared to pass by the place where the beast settled - and he caused a lot of trouble in the surrounding area. They announced him to the monk. He ordered to take earth from his fence and water from the same place and, walking around the place where the beast was, sprinkle and sprinkle from afar. And they did as the saint commanded. After a little time, seeing that the beast did not appear anywhere, they went to look and found it dead, lying on the very ground that had been taken from the saint’s fence. And everyone glorified God.

Soon another beast, fiercer than the first, appeared in that country, a verbal beast. It was a robber from Antioch 24 named Jonathan. He killed many people on the roads and in houses, stealing and unexpectedly attacking villages and suburbs. No one could catch him, although many lay in wait for him on the road; he was very strong and brave, so that no one could resist him. When Antioch became agitated and soldiers were sent to take him, the robber, unable to escape from numerous pursuits, ran into the fence of the Monk Simeon. Grasping the pillar like a harlot to Christ’s feet (Luke 7:37-38), he wept bitterly.

And the saint called to him from the height of the pillar:

Who are you, where are you from and why did you come here?

He answered:

I am Jonathan the thief, who has done a lot of all kinds of evil, and I came here to repent of my sins.

When he said this, soldiers from Antioch came running and began to shout to the monk:

Give us, Father, our enemy, the robber, for even the beasts in the city are already prepared to tear him to pieces! 25

But blessed Simeon said to them:

My children! It was not I who brought him here, but God, who wanted his repentance, sent him to me; if you can go inside, take him, but I cannot bring him out to you, for I am afraid of the One who sent him to me.

Hearing this and not daring not only to enter the fence, but even to utter a word against the saint, the soldiers returned with fear and told about everything in Antioch.

The thief spent seven days at the pillar and cried with great tears, falling in prayer to God and confessing his sins. All those who were there, seeing his repentance and crying, were touched themselves. After seven days had passed, the robber called out to the saint:

Father! Won't you tell me to go away?

Are you returning to your evil deeds again? - the holy father told him.

No, father,” he answered, “my time has come.”

And so talking with him, he gave up his spirit to God. When the disciples of Saint Simeon wanted to bury the body of the robber near the fence, military commanders came from Antioch and began to shout:

Give us, Father, our enemy, because of whom the whole city was in confusion.

But the monk answered:

The One who brought him to me came with many heavenly warriors and took him, purified by repentance, to Himself; so don't bother me.

Seeing the deceased robber, the leaders were horrified and praised God, who did not want the sinner to die. Returning to the city, they announced what they had heard from the monk and what they had seen.

Standing on a pillar, like a candle on a candlestick, our venerable father Simeon appeared as a light for the world, enlightening the peoples who were in the darkness of idolatry, and guiding them to the light of knowledge of the true God. Glory to the wondrous grace of God that worked in him! Standing in one place, the ascetic led so many to faith, as if he had traveled throughout the entire universe, teaching and preaching. For, like the sun, he emitted rays of his virtuous life and sweet-talking teaching and enlightened the surrounding countries. At his pillar one could see Persians and Armenians receiving holy baptism; The Ishmaelites 26 came in crowds - two hundred, three hundred, and sometimes a thousand people; with a cry they rejected the errors of their fathers and, bringing to the pillar the idols that they had revered and worshiped since ancient times, crushed them at the pillar and trampled them underfoot; and having accepted the law of true faith from the honey-flowing tongue of the monk and having been granted communion of the Divine Mysteries, they returned with great joy, enlightened by the light of the holy Gospel.

One Saracen military leader, whose relative was weakened, prayed to the saint to give this sick man healing. The saint ordered him to be brought to the pillar and asked:

Do you deny the wickedness of your fathers?

He said:

I deny.

And again the saint asked:

Do you believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit?

The paralytic confessed that he believed without any doubt.

Then the saint said: “Rise up,” and immediately the young man stood up healthy, as if he had no illness. And in order to more clearly show his recovery, the blessed one ordered the young man to take the obese military leader himself on his shoulders and carry him to his camp, which he did, throwing him on his shoulders like a sheaf. Seeing this, everyone gave praise to God, who works wondrous miracles through His saint.

The monk also had the gift of prophecy, for he predicted drought and famine and pestilence two years in advance, and also said that in thirty days the locusts would fly, and all this came true. Once in a vision he saw two rods descending from the sky, and one of them fell to the east, the other to the west. The monk told those who were with him about this vision and prophesied that the Persians and Scythians 27 would rise up against the Greek and Roman region. And with many tears and unceasing prayer the monk propitiated God, so that He would turn away His righteous anger and not allow that execution on Christians. And he begged God about this: for the entire Persian army, already ready for battle, by God’s will, slowed down to set out on a campaign, and since the Persians began to have internecine strife, they abandoned their intention.

One day the monk learned that Emperor Theodosius the Younger had returned to the Jews the house of prayer, which had been given to the Christians. He immediately sent a letter to the king and, not embarrassed by the king’s face, threatened him with the wrath of God. Having read the letter, the king was afraid - he again ordered the Christians to accept the house of prayer, deposed the mayor, who advised returning the church to the Jews, from the mayor's office and sent a prayer from himself to the monk, asking him to forgive and make a prayer to God for him. The wife of the same king, Queen Eudokia, who, after the death of her husband, had fallen into the Eutychian heresy 29, the monk exhorted with his letters and within four months again converted her to piety. After her conversion, having lived another four years in repentance, she was granted a blessed death in Jerusalem and was buried in the Church of St. First Martyr Stephen, created by her. Marcian 30, who assumed the kingdom after Theodosius the Younger, often visited the monk in secret and received many benefits from him.

The Queen of Persia, having heard enough about the miracles and holiness of the Monk Simeon, sent to him to ask for a blessing and received blessed oil from him, which she considered a great gift and kept with honor.

The queen of the Ishmaelites, being barren, sent to the monk, asking him to pray for her and hoping that through his holy prayers she would become a mother. And so it happened: for soon her infertility was resolved, and she gave birth to a son. Taking the baby, the queen set off on her way to the monk. But having heard that women were not allowed to see the saint, for he did not even allow his mother to come to him, she sent her son in the arms of her servants, ordering her to say:

Here, father, is the fruit of your holy prayers, bless this baby.

What can we say about the incomprehensible exploits of the monk? It is impossible to express them, because they surpass human powers.

“I,” says Blessed Theodoret, “first of all am amazed at his patience: night and day he stands so that everyone can see him. It happened once that the doors and a considerable part of the upper wall fell apart from disrepair, and until the wall and doors were made again, the saint was visible to everyone for a considerable time. Then they saw a new and amazing sight: sometimes he stood motionless for a long time, sometimes he offered prayers to God, making frequent bows. One of those standing at the pillar said that he wanted to count the bows that the ascetic made without ceasing, and, having counted one thousand two hundred and forty-four, he became exhausted and, unable to look at the height of the pillar, stopped counting. The saint, however, did not become exhausted from bowing, but by eating food once a week, and then very small and light, he became light and capable of frequent bowing. From standing for a long time, an ulcer opened up on his other leg that was not healing, and a lot of blood flowed out of it. But even this suffering could not distract him from thinking about God.

The voluntary martyr endured everything valiantly, but was forced to show his ulcer. One priest from Arabia, a kind and inspired man, came to him and began to say:

I ask you in the name of the Truth itself, which has attracted the human race to Itself, tell me: are you a man or an incorporeal being?

Why are you asking me this? - the monk told him.

“I heard about you,” answered the priest, “that you do not eat, do not drink, do not sleep: but this is unusual for man, and man cannot live without food, drink and sleep.

And the monk ordered the priest to ascend to his pillar and allowed him to see and touch the ulcer, covered with pus and worms. The priest, seeing the ulcer and hearing about the saint that he eats food only once a week, was surprised at the patience and feat of the saint.

During such exploits, performing so many miracles and leading such a virtuous life, the monk was meek and humble, as if he were lower and more indecent than all people. For everyone, his face was equally bright and his words were loving, both for the nobleman and for the slave, for both the rich and the poor, and for the very last monster: for he had no partiality. And everyone could not get enough of both the contemplation of his holy face and his sweet-verbal conversation, for his lips were filled with the grace of the Holy Spirit. Having the gift of wisdom, every day he filled the hearts of those who listened with a river of teaching, and many, instructed by his teaching, left everything earthly and, like birds, ascended to grief - some going to monasteries, others to the desert, and others remaining to live with him.

The daily rules of the saint’s life were as follows. All night and day until the ninth hour he stood in prayer, and after the ninth hour he spoke a lesson to those gathered at the pillar; then he listened to the needs and requests of everyone who came to him and healed the sick. Then he tamed human quarrels and disputes and restored peace; Finally, after sunset, he again turned to prayer. Carrying such labors, he did not cease to care about the church world, destroying pagan atheism, refuting Jewish blasphemies, eradicating heretical teachings; With his wise and useful letters, he directed kings and princes and all kinds of authorities to the fear of God, to mercy and love, and aroused them to protect the Church of God and taught everyone much that was beneficial to their souls. Thus leading a wondrous life, which seemed unbearable for human nature, he was already approaching his death, being more than a hundred years old. He stood on the pillar, as people quite worthy of faith write, for eighty years. He was completely improved in virtues - he was an earthly angel and a heavenly man.

His disciple Anthony tells about the blessed death of the saint.

“One day,” he says, “precisely on Friday, after the ninth hour, when we expected from him the usual teaching and blessing, he did not look down on us from the pillar; also on Saturday and on Sunday he did not teach us according to custom my fatherly word. And I was afraid, and went up to the pillar, and I saw the monk standing with his head bowed down, as if in prayer, and his hands folded on his chest. Thinking that he was saying a prayer, I stood silently, and then, standing before him, he said:

Father! Bless us, for the people have been surrounded by a pillar for three days and three nights, expecting a blessing from you. He didn't answer me. And again I told him:

Why, father, do you not answer your son, who is in sorrow? Have I really offended you in some way? Stretch out your hand to me so that I can kiss it.

But there was no answer. Having stood before him for half an hour, I doubted and thought: had he not already gone to the Lord? I bowed my ear to him, and no breathing was heard, only a strong fragrance, as if from various fragrant aromas, emanated from his body.

Then, realizing that he had fallen asleep in the Lord, I grieved and wept bitterly. And approaching him, I laid and hid his relics, and kissed his eyes, his forehead, his mouth and his hands, saying:

Who are you leaving me with, father? Where will I hear your sweet teachings? Where will I be satisfied with your angelic conversation? Or what answer will I give about you to the people who are waiting for your blessing? What will I say to the sick who come here asking for healing? And who, seeing your pillar unoccupied, not having you as a lamp, will not weep? And when many come here from afar, looking for you, and do not find you, will they not weep? Woe is me! Today I see you, but tomorrow, whether I go to the right or to the left, I will not find you!

Weeping over him like that, I dozed off in spiritual grief, and then the monk appeared like the sun, saying:

I will not leave the pillar, nor the place, nor the mountain of this blessed one. Go down and give a blessing to the people, for I have already fallen asleep. This is how the Lord willed it; and do not tell them, so that there is no rumor, but quickly send the news about me to Antioch. It is fitting for you to serve in this place, and the Lord will reward you according to your work.

And I woke up from sleep, and in trembling said: “Do not forget me, father, in your holy rest,” and I fell at his feet, and kissed his holy feet, and, taking his hand, put it on my eyes, saying: “Bless me, father,” and again wept bitterly. Then, rising up, I wiped away my tears so that no one would find out about what had happened, went down and secretly sent a faithful brother to Antioch to Patriarch Martyrios 31 with the news of the repose of the monk. And soon the patriarch arrived with three bishops, as well as the mayor with his troops, and a multitude of people not only from Antioch, but also from all the surrounding cities and villages, and from the monasteries, monks with candles and censers, and many Saracens soon flocked, as rivers, for the news of the saint’s death spread everywhere as if carried by the wind. And the patriarch and the bishops ascended the pillar, and, taking the honorable relics, they carried them down and laid them at the pillar. And all the people wept; even birds in great numbers, in full view of everyone, flew screaming around the pillar, as if crying about the death of such a lamp to the world. The nationwide cry was heard for seven stages 32 and the surrounding mountains, fields and trees seemed to be mourning and crying along with the people, for everywhere the air was gloomy and dark clouds were rushing. I saw an angel appearing with the holy relics, and his face was like lightning, and his clothes were like snow, and with him were seven elders talking; I also heard their voice, but I did not understand what was said, for fear and horror seized me.”

On the day when the Monk Simeon, his disciple and imitator of his holy life, reposed, the Monk Daniel 33 - shortly before the time when he, at the mouth of the Black Sea, near Constantinople, also intended to ascend the pillar - saw from the side where he was the pillar of St. Simeon, the multitude of heavenly armies ascending from earth to heaven and in the midst of them the ascending joyful soul of St. Simeon. And not only the Monk Daniel, but also the blessed Auxentius 34, summoned from the desert to the Council of Chalcedon 35, saw the same thing, being then in Bethany 36.

When the honorable relics of Saint Simeon were placed on the prepared stretcher, the patriarch stretched out his hand, wanting to take a little hair from the saint’s brada as a blessed memory, and his hand immediately dried up. And only after everyone’s fervent prayer for him to God and the saint of God did the patriarch’s hand become healthy. Taking the venerable relics of Saint Simeon, they carried them to Antioch with the singing of psalms, and the whole city came out to meet them. There was a man there who was mute and deaf for about forty years. As soon as he saw the saint’s holy body, the bonds of his hearing and tongue were immediately resolved, and he, falling before the holy relics, exclaimed: “You have come for good, servant of God, for your coming has healed me.”

The inhabitants of Antioch, having received the body of the saint, dearest of gold and silver, carried him to the great patriarchal church 37, and many miracles and healings took place at his tomb. A few years later, a church was created in the name of St. Simeon the Stylite and his holy relics were transferred there.

The monk reposed during the reign of Leo the Great, 38, in the 4th year of this reign. This was the year 460 A.D. King Leo sent to the Antiochians, asking them to give the relics of the monk to be transferred to Constantinople; but they, not wanting to lose such an intercessor, said to the king’s envoys:

Since our city does not have stone walls, for they fell, partly devastated by the royal wrath, partly crushed by a great earthquake 39, then for this reason we brought in the holy body of Simeon, so that it would be our wall and protection 40.

In the place where the pillar of St. Simeon was, a beautiful cruciform church was created in his name and a large monastery was built 41. And the monk fulfilled his promise, which he had expressed to Anthony the disciple in a vision, namely, that he would not leave his place: for miracles and healings of the sick there did not fail. And on his memory day every year a great star appeared above the pillar and illuminated the whole country. Many historical writers testify to the appearance of that star, especially Evagrius Scholasticus 42, who saw it with his own eyes. The same Evagrius writes that this holy place was inaccessible to women, and they were protected in every possible way so that a woman’s foot would not dare to touch the threshold, which even the saint’s mother was not allowed to enter. They say that one woman dressed like a man so that she could enter the church of St. Simeon unrecognized, and when she touched the church threshold, she immediately fell on her back, dead. If women did come there, as Nikephoros writes, 43 they still did not dare to approach the fence, but stood at a distance and said their prayers, looking at the pillar.

And all those who came with faith were not deprived of the grace of the saint, but received help and various healings and returned with joy, thanking the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One God in the Trinity, to Him be honor and glory and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. . Amen.

Word from Lug 44 about Mina the Deacon,

who went into the world, putting aside his monastic image, and again through Saint Simeon put on it and was saved

George of Raifsky 45 told us about one brother who was a deacon there, named Mina:

“He left the monastery, and - I don’t know what happened to him - but he left the monastic rank and became a simpleton (layman). After many days, he walked to the city of God Antioch and, when he passed Seleucia 46, he saw from afar monastery of the Monk Simeon the Stylite and said to himself: “I’ll go and see the great Simeon, for I have never seen him.” When he approached the pillar and came close enough that the saint saw him, Simeon learned from God that Mina was a monk and was undergoing deaconship service, and calling the servant who served him, he said:

Bring me the scissors here.

The employee brought it. Simeon told him:

Blessed be the Lord, tonsure this one,” and pointed to Mina with his finger, and many stood near the pillar.

Mina, amazed at the words of the saint and overwhelmed with great fear, did not argue at all, realizing that God had revealed to the elder about him. After he was tonsured, the great Simeon said to him: “Make a prayer, deacon,” and when he made the prayer, the saint said to him: “Go to Raifa, where you came from.”

When he began to say: “I cannot endure the shame of my fathers,” Simeon said to him:

Have faith in me, child, in what happened now there is no shame for you, and the fathers will accept you in peace, and they will have joy and joy from your return. And know that God will show you a sign by which you will know that He has forgiven you your sin, for His grace is inexpressible.

When he came to Raifa, the fathers received him with open arms and left him in the rank of deacon. One Sunday day, when he was carrying the life-giving blood of the Great God and our Savior Jesus Christ, his eye suddenly leaked out. And from this sign the fathers understood that the Lord had forgiven him his sin, according to the word of Saint Simeon 47.

The miracle performed by Saint Simeon over the presbyter

A certain presbyter was once sitting in the church vestibule and reading the Holy Gospel. And then the evil spirit came to him in the form of a dark and gloomy cloud and, like a hood, wrapped itself around his head; and the light went out for him, and his mind was taken away, and all his bones were weakened, and he could not speak. Those who entered found him lying dead; and he remained in that illness for nine years, and could not turn on his other side unless someone helped him. His family, having heard about Saint Simeon, went to the saint, carrying the sick man on his bed, and, not having reached the monastery three miles, they stopped there to rest. And it was revealed to Saint Simeon, who was standing in prayer, about the presbyter. At midnight the saint called one of his disciples and said to him:

Take some water from here and go quickly; You will find one presbyter carried on the bed, sprinkle him with this water and say to him: “Sinner Simeon says to you: in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, get up and leave your bed and come to me on your feet.”

The disciple went and did according to the word of the saint. And the presbyter stood up completely healthy and, coming, prostrated himself before the saint.

The saint told him:

Get up, don't be afraid! Although the devil caused you grief for nine years, God’s love for mankind did not leave you to perish until the end. Because you behaved in the holy altar without the fear of God and even insultingly to the shrine, and before the discovery of the truth, you listened to slanderers who secretly condemned their neighbors, and without guilt insulted those who were slandered, excommunicating them from the communion of the Holy Mysteries, and, By doing this, he greatly upset God, the Lover of Mankind, and greatly delighted the devil, and that is why the devil gained power over you. But the love of mankind and the mercies of God have multiplied over you. You will find those whom you have saddened by excommunication to be very sick: they pray for you, so that you, having recovered, will forgive them; and just as God showed mercy to you, so do you show mercy to them, and, taking lands from here, sprinkle them on them.

And the presbyter went with joy, thanking God, and did as the saint commanded him. And immediately they too were healed, praising God 48 .

Troparion, tone 1:

Thou art a pillar of patience, jealous of the venerable forefather, to Job in passion, to Joseph in temptation, and to the disembodied in the body, Simeon our Father: pray to Christ God that our souls may be saved.

Kontakion, voice 2:

Seek the highest, copulate with the highest, and make a chariot of fire a pillar of fire: with that interlocutor you were an angel, Reverend, with them praying to Christ God unceasingly for all of us. __________________________________________________________________

1 Cappadocia is a region in Asia Minor. Cappadocia was formerly an independent state. From 363 to 370 BC, it was first under the rule of the Persians and then the Macedonians. Then, until the 16th year A.D., it again had its own kings. In 17, under Emperor Tiberius, it was united with Pontus and Lesser Armenia and turned into a Roman province. At the end of the 11th century. (1074) Cappadocia fell under the rule of the Turks and still belongs to them. During the time of Rev. Simeon Christianity flourished here. Great teachers of the Church: St. Gregory Nazianzen, his friend St. Basil the Great, brother of St. Basil of St. Gregory of Nyssa - were originally Cappadocians.

2 That is The sacrament of St. was performed on him. Baptism, which in Holy Scripture is called a bath (see Titus 3:5; Eph. 5:26).

3 Rev. Simeon was not actually a shepherd of the verbal sheep, i.e. did not have the priestly rank, and is called so because by his very life and teaching (conversations) he directed people to salvation.

4 In the East, cattle still graze all year round and are not driven out only in heavy snow and storms, then remaining in special paddocks.

5 The Gospel beatitudes are found among the evangelists: Matthew in ch. 5, art. 3-12, and Luke, ch. 6, art. 20-23.

6 During prayer, ancient Christians fell face down on the ground, pretending to be a cross, i.e. extending your arms to the sides; through this, faith in the crucified Lord and awareness of human sinfulness were expressed.

7 That is, that he dug to solid (mainland) ground.

8 Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Cyrus, who lived at the same time as St. Simeon, himself visited him during his stay on the pillar. He writes: “although I can testify to his deeds by everyone, I am afraid to begin the story, lest they seem fabulous and unreliable to descendants, since they exceed human nature.”

9 Hegumen (from Greek - leader) - the head of a monastic monastery.

10 Lavra (from Greek, part of the city, alley) - a series of cells located in a fence around the abbot’s home, in the form of alleys in the city. On the first and last day of the week, the hermits gathered together for Divine services; on other days they remained silent. Life in the laurels was much more difficult than in other monasteries. Since ancient times, the name Lavra has been applied to populous and important monasteries. It first appeared in Egypt and then in Palestine.

11 That is from the bucket used to get water from the well.

12 A rope made from palm branches - like our washcloth.

13 Hair shirt is an undergarment woven from horsehair and worn by ascetics on their naked bodies.

14 Cells from Latin means a cell itself.

15 A cubit, or lacot, is a measure of length equal to 10.5 vershoks.

16 Hearings raised against the mind of God are arrogant thoughts against the truths of Revelation and the definitions of the Church. To captivate every mind into the obedience of Christ means to force the mind to submit to the truth of Christ, to recognize its height and power.

17 Iveria - present-day Georgia.

18 Soaked juice - soaked or boiled dry fruits, rice, wheat, etc.

19 These fences were built by the coming people from dry stones. Such fenced places were called mandras and since those who wished to asceticize under the guidance of St. Simeon, it's called archimandrite(for example, in the Minea of ​​the Service).

20 St. Meletius was Patriarch of Antioch from 358 to 381, and Domnus II, or Domnin, from 441 to 448.

21 Anthony was a disciple of St. Simeon and wrote his life.

22 Saracens are inhabitants of Arabia. Initially, this name was used to call a nomadic bandit tribe, and then Christian writers transferred this name to everyone and Muslims in general.

23 Pard, or leopard, is a predatory animal similar to a tiger, but with spotted rather than striped skin and less stature.

24 During the life of the monk there were several cities with this name; closest to the place where he was saved was Seleucia Antioch (near the city of Seleucia Pieria).

25 The tearing of criminals to pieces by wild animals - a type of execution - usually took place in special buildings called circuses, and was inherited from pagan times as a national spectacle.

26 The Ishmaelites are the descendants of Ishmael, the son of the patriarch Abraham by Hagar: see Gen. 25:12ff.

27 The Scythians lived mainly along the northern shore of the Black Sea.

28 Reigned from 408 to 450.

29 Eutyches, condemned by the IV Ecumenical Council, taught that Jesus Christ had one nature - Divine, while St. The Church has always recognized and recognizes in Jesus Christ two unfused and inseparable natures - Divine and human.

30 Reigned from 450 to 457.

32 Stage - a measure of length, about 88 fathoms; seven stages - about 1.25 miles.

35 The Council of Chalcedon - the 4th Ecumenical - was in 451.

36 Bethany is a village southeast of Jerusalem, about 2 versts or so, at the foot of the Mount of Olives.

37 Great churches in the East are called temples located in patriarchates and designated for the performance of divine services in them by the patriarchs themselves.

38 Leo the Great reigned from 457 to 474.

39 Here, of course, is Syrian Antioch, the once magnificent capital of the Syrian state, and now a poor town in Asian Turkey.

40 Some of the relics of Saint Simeon were then transferred to the Monk Daniel the Stylite, through his prayers, as is written about in the life of this saint - December 11.

41 In the 8th century. St. John of Damascus composed the canon of St. Simeon, and from Patriarch Herman the Church accepted sacred hymns in honor of the saint.

42 Evagrius Scholasticus, who lived in the 6th century, wrote down the Church History.

43 Nicephorus Callistus, who lived in the 14th century, wrote the History of the Church.

44 “The Spiritual Meadow” - a work by the monk John Moschus, contains tales from the life of eastern hermits.

45 Raifa is a village on the eastern shore of the Sinai Peninsula.

46 Seleucia is a coastal city in Syria, on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea west of Antioch and at the mouth of the Orontes River.

47 The event with Deacon Mina can be understood in this way. For an unknown reason, Mina voluntarily left monasticism and the diaconate and spent his time as a layman. This self-will on his part, of course, was a grave sin, but at the same time, without church judgment over him, he could not yet be considered deprived of the grace of the diaconate. Accordingly, the tonsure performed on Mina, at the command of the monk, as well as Mina’s utterance of prayer, i.e. litanies, was only a figurative, visible reminder to Mina of the monastic life and deaconal service that he had left behind; Through this reminder, the monk obviously wanted to arouse repentance in Mina and, moreover, perhaps, to rid the brethren of the monastery of doubts about the possibility of Mina continuing her deaconal service. As for the outpouring of Mina’s eye, it meant that Mina was punished for her sin by God Himself and, therefore, was no longer subject to punishment (according to the monastery charter and church rules).

48 In this story, it is remarkable that those excommunicated by the presbyter for slander, although innocently deprived of communion of the Holy Mysteries, were nevertheless subjected to a serious illness, and they themselves, as if forgetting about their innocence, prayed for the recovery of the one who excommunicated them, so that, having received forgiveness from him , have the opportunity to partake of the Holy Mysteries. Such, therefore, is the power of the Holy Mysteries that their deprivation, although not through the fault of the deprived one, does not happen without a trace for him!

The Lord created man in His image, rational and free. In addition, man is given the opportunity to acquire godlikeness. It consists in acquiring the ability to love: “God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God and God in him.”

All Christian morality and asceticism are directed towards one single goal - the acquisition of divine love. The Lord Himself points to two pillars of Christian life: “Love the Lord God with all your heart. And with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

However, in order to achieve this gift of grace, you need to work hard and cleanse your soul of sinful filth. Thousands of holy saints of God walked towards this goal, moving away from the bustle of the world into deserts and monasteries, indulging in severe deeds there. The Church honors these saints as “venerables,” i.e. who have achieved Godlikeness to the highest degree.

A striking example of fasting life is the life of St. Simeon the Stylite. Already in his youth, Saint Simeon felt a love for the solitary, ascetic life. First, he retired to a monastery, where he surpassed all the brothers with his exploits, and later he retired to the top of a mountain and there he spent time in fasting and prayer.

Soon the fame of the strict ascetic spread throughout the surrounding area and the place of holy solitude turned into a place of pilgrimage for many hundreds of sufferers. Not wanting to part with the solitude he loved so much, but at the same time, not wanting to leave the suffering without consolation, Saint Simeon, at the inspiration of God, decided to arrange for himself a new place of exploits. He built a pillar - a small tower, on top of which there was a cramped cell.

Standing on a pillar, the saint was in constant prayer, often making prostrations to the ground. The saint's food was extremely meager, and he ate only once a week, and during Great Lent he did not eat at all.

True Christian feat is always combined with the deep humility of the ascetic. The reverend’s humility manifested itself with particular force when ascetics from surrounding places came to him, who, having learned about Simeon’s unusual feat (after all, he became the first stylite), decided to test him. “Why,” they turned to the monk, “don’t you follow the path of our fathers, but have you invented another - a new one? Come down from the pillar and follow the life of the ancient hermits.”

As soon as the Monk Simeon heard these words, he immediately began to descend from the pillar. But the hermits hastened to stop him: “No, do not go, holy father, but remain on the pillar: now we know that the work you have begun is from God.”

Soon the monk had to undergo a much more difficult test. The enemy of our salvation, the devil, jealous of the ascetic’s grace-filled gifts, decided to seduce him. The spirit of seduction appeared to the ascetic in the form of a bright angel on a fiery chariot and said: “The God of heaven and earth sent me to you so that I could take you to heaven.” "God! Do you want to take me, a sinner, to heaven? - the ascetic was surprised, and was about to step onto the chariot, but at the last moment he made the sign of the cross.

Immediately the demonic vision evaporated, and the Monk Simeon realized from what danger the Lord had saved him. Wanting to atone for his sin, he stood for a whole year on one right leg, with which he wanted to step onto the demonic chariot.

The Lord glorified His saint with the gift of prophecy and miracles. Many pagans who came to the monk, after a conversation with him, renounced their delusions. Through the prayers of the saint, the Lord performed many miraculous healings. However, the humble servant of Christ always said to those who were healed: “Glorify the Lord, who gave you healing, and do not at all dare to say that Simeon healed you.”

The life of St. Simeon became a vivid image of man’s aspiration to heaven. Truly he appeared “an earthly angel and a heavenly man,” standing on his pillar like a candle on a candlestick, burning with love for God and neighbor.