SAINT SIMEON THE ANCIENT

Similar to the five senses of man, Christian antiquity in the Middle East knew five holy Simeons. These are Simeon the God-Receiver, Simeon of Jerusalem, who was the second bishop of the Holy City after James the Brother of God, Simeon the Ancient, Simeon the Stylite the Elder, and Simeon the Stylite the Younger. The image of Simeon the Ancient, whose memory is celebrated by the Church on February 8, appears to us as a bridge between biblical prophetic and Eastern Christian ascetic holiness. The era of the “Five Simons” spans a vast period, from the New Testament to the emergence of Islam.

1 The ancient Syrian Church, headed by Antioch, which was founded by the Apostles themselves, knew several great ascetics named “Simeon.” These were, first and foremost, two remarkable saints, Simeon Stylites (390–459) and Simeon the Stylite Stylites the Younger of Wonderful Mountain (521–596). They lived in different eras, in the fifth and sixth centuries, respectively. Both great stylites were teachers of spiritual life and served as role models for both ordinary people, members of the royal families and the rulers themselves. They played an important role in the Christianization of these lands, which were still largely pagan. They helped preserve Orthodoxy, which was then threatened by opponents of the Fourth Ecumenical Council, who were destroying the unity of the Church. Many Syrian theologians, bishops, and laypeople, due to cultural and linguistic differences, sided with the Monophysites, opposing the Orthodox teaching on the fullness of the human and divine natures of Jesus Christ in Christology. The ancient ascetics of the Middle East hastened to preach Christ to the nations. Their haste was truly prophetic. After all, just a couple of centuries later, Islam arose, and all those pagans who had previously been unable or unwilling to become Christians soon converted to the new religion. Let us recall that the Muslim prophet Muhammad was a younger contemporary of the Simeon the Younger.

2 Simeon the Syrian (+390) should be considered a true spiritual prototype of these saints. He is called the Ancient in order to emphasize his status as a pioneer of the strict ascetic path. “A man does not light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house,” said the Lord in the Gospel (Matthew 5:15). Simeon died in practically the same year that the future Simeon the Stylite was born. Thus, he hid himself under the veil of death, passing on to him the lamp of pleasing God. Without the holiness of people on earth, God remains alone. Simeon the Ancient was the spiritual father of the mother of a very authoritative Father of the Church, Bishop Theodoret of Cyrus (393–457). He was the only child in the family and only thanks to the fervent prayers of Syrian ascetics did he not die at birth. In gratitude, Theodoret wrote the Syrian Paterikon “Religious History” in 444, also known as “The History of the God-Lovers.” In this work, he immortalized the memory of many ascetics, among them Saint Simeon. This book is of great importance for all Christian spirituality, as it describes the lives of 36 holy men and women, many of whom would have been known only to God without this written work. The memory of these saints is celebrated twice a year. A careful look at the Orthodox liturgical calendar reveals that the days of their memory, day after day, or with short breaks, literally “stitch” the calendar during Christmas and Great Lent.

3 The Life of Simeon as told by Theodoret has fourteen chapters. That’s a lot compared to other stories. It’s inspiring how good it is. Real lions served Saint Simeon, he had prophetic gifts and healed the sick. He wandered extensively, visiting Sinai, which is why he is sometimes referred to as “Simeon of Sinai” in the liturgical calendar. In one of the morning prayers, which the priest reads in a low voice at the beginning of Matins, God is called “the Wonderworker.” This means that the ability to perform miracles is inherent in the image of God, in which man was originally created (cf. Gen. 1:27). “God is the future of man,” wrote the greatest theologian of the twentieth century Edward Schillebeeckx (1914-2009). Since the Church, as a Society of Believers, marvels at the miracles of the saints, let her not forget to ask for help and enlightenment from God, Who was and forever remains our common Prototype, Example and Great Miracle Worker.