St. Symeon
"The New Theologian"
(c. 949-1022)
"Woe to those who say, "When shall
the day of the Lord come?" and they don't care to know and
understand that day. For the Lord's Presence in the faithful has
already come, and is continuously coming, and to all those who wish
for it, has arrived and is firm.
One of the most beloved Holy Fathers is
St. Symeon the New Theologian, who was the abbot of St.
Mamas in Constantinople. He is one of three great Fathers
whom the Orthodox Church has granted the title of
"Theologian", because he is one of a few, in the history of
Christianity, to 'know' God. The other two Theologians are
St. John the Evangelist, and St. Gregory of Nazianzus (390
AD).
"Do not say that it is impossible to
receive the Spirit of God. Do not say that it is possible to
be made whole without Him. Do not say that one can possess
Him without knowing it. Do not say that God does not
manifest Himself to man. Do not say that men cannot perceive
the divine light, or that it is impossible in this age!
Never is it found to be impossible, my friends. On the
contrary, it is entirely possible when one desires it" (Hymn
27, 125-132).
"Woe to those who say, "When shall the day of the Lord come?"
and they don't care to know and understand that day. For the
Lord's Presence in the faithful has already come, and is
continuously coming, and to all those who wish for it, has
arrived and is firm. Because, if He is indeed the light of the
world (John 8.12) and to His Apostles has said, that with us
until the end of time will be (Matt. 28.20, cf. Matt. 1.23),
how, with us being, will come? Not at all. For we are not sons
of darkness and sons of night, in order for the light to
overtake us, but sons of light and sons of the Lord's day, hence
and living in the Lord we are, and dying in Him and with Him
will live, as Paul says (Acts 17.28). About this also the
Theologian thus speaks, Gregory: "This exactly that the sun is
to sensible things, this is God to spiritual." He will be the
future age and the eternal day and kingdom of heavens, brideroom
and bed and earth of the peaceful and divine paradise and king
and servant, as himself has thus spoke: "Blessed are those
servants, their Lord will come and find awake. Verily I say to
you, He will lie them in comfort and He will be prepared to
serve them" (Luke 12.37). (Moral Speeches) Blessed are they… who have received Christ coming as light in
the darkness {Jn 1:5,12}, for they are become sons of light and
of day {1 Thes 5:5}.
Blessed are they who even now have put on His light, for they
are clothed already with the wedding garment. They will not be
bound hand and foot, nor will they be cast into the everlasting
fire… {cf Mt 22:11-13}
Blessed are they who hourly taste of the ineffable light with
the mouth of their intellect, for they shall walk "becomingly as
in the day" [Rom 13:13], and spend all their time in rejoicing…
Blessed are they who have kindled the light in their hearts even
now and have kept it unquenched, for on their departing this
life they shall go radiant to meet the Bridegroom, and go in
with Him to the bridal chamber bearing their lamps… {cf Mt
25:1-13}
Blessed are they who ever weep bitterly for their sins, for the
light shall seize them and change the bitter into sweet {cf Mt
5:4}.
Blessed are they who shine with the divine light and who see
their own infirmity and understand the deformity of their soul's
vesture, for they shall weep without failing and, but by the
channels of their tears, be washed clean.
Blessed are they who have drawn near the divine light and
entered within it and become wholly light, having been mingled
with it, for they have completely taken off their soiled vesture
and shall weep bitter tears no more {cf Rom 13:12-14}.
Blessed are they who see their own clothing shining as Christ,
for they shall be filled hourly with joy inexpressible and shall
weep tears of astounding sweetness, perceiving that they have
become themselves already sons and co-participants of the
resurrection.
Blessed are they who have the eye of their intellect ever open
and with prayer see the light and converse with it mouth to
mouth, for they are of equal honor with the angels and, dare I
say it, have and shall become higher than the angels, for the
latter sing praises while the former intercede. And, if they
have become and are ever becoming such while still living in the
body and impeded by the corruption of the flesh, what shall they
be after the Resurrection and after they have received that
spiritual and incorruptible body? Certainly, they shall not be
merely the equals of angels, but indeed like the angels' Master,
as it is written: "But we know," he says, "that when He appears
we shall be like Him" [1 Jn 3:2].
Blessed is that monk who is present before God in prayer and who
sees Him and is seen by Him {cf Jn 14:21, Mt 5:8}, and perceives
himself as having gone beyond the world and as being in God
alone, and is unable to know whether he happens to be in the
body or outside the body {2 Cor 12:2-3}, for he will hear
"ineffable speech which it is not lawful for a man to utter" [2
Cor 12:4], and shall see "what no eye has seen, nor ear heard,
nor the heart of man conceived" [1 Cor 2:9].
Blessed is he who has seen the light of the world take form
within himself, for he, having Christ as an embryo within {cf
Gal 4:19}, shall be reckoned His mother, as He Himself Who does
not lie has promised, saying: "Here are my mother and brothers
and friends." Who? "Those who hear the word of God and do it" [Lk
8:2]. So those who do not keep His commandments deprive
themselves voluntarily of so great a grace, because the thing
was and is and will be possible, and has happened and happens
and will happen for all who fulfill His ordinances.
BIOGRAPHY
St. Symeon was born in Galatia in Paphlagonia (Asia Minor) in
949 AD. His parents, Basal and Theophana, were Byzantine
provincial nobles. St. Symeon received only the basics of a
primary Greek school education until he was about eleven years
old. He finished his secondary education at the age of 14 in the
court of the two brother emperors Basil and Constantine
Porphyrogenetes. At 14, he met St. Symeon the Studite, who
became his spiritual father and who led him into the life of
asceticism and prayer. Although he wanted to enter the famous
monastery of the Stoudion at the age of 14, his spiritual father
had him wait until he turned 27. During this period of
preparation, St. Symeon's elder continued to counsel and guide
him, preparing him gradually for the monastic life even in the
midst of worldly cares. St. Symeon occupied himself with the
management of a patrician's household and possibly entered the
service of his emperor as a diplomat and a senator. While 'busy
in the world' he also strove to live a monk's life in the
evenings, spending his time in night vigils and reading the
spiritual works of Mark the Hermit and Diadochus of Photike. One
of his elder's advice was, "if you desire to have always a
soul-saving guidance, pay heed to your conscience and without
fail do what it will instil in you".
There are many books, in English, on the wealth of work by
St. Symeon. These include "Symeon the New Theologian, the
Discourses" translated by C. J. deCatanzaro for Paulist Press;
"The First-Created Man, Seven Homilies" translated by Fr.
Seraphim Rose for St. Herman of Alaska Brotherhood; and "St.
Symeon the New Theologian, Life-Spirituality-Doctrine, in the
Light of Christ" by Archbishop Basil Krivocheine for SVS Press.
His writings grew out of his preaching and from the spiritual
direction given to those under his charge. He is a writer
sharing his experiences in prayer and the Triune. The monks of
Mount Athos eagerly read his works today, in this Century's
spiritual renewal. His works are also being discovered by the
Roman monasteries, as they start to comprehend to wealth and
beauty of his writings and personal experience.
St. Symeon's words still speak to us today, even though he
lived a thousand years ago. Of special note is his emphasises to
return to the essence or spirit of the early Orthodox Church,
and not merely depend on or shelter under the outward forms of
Church life. His burning conviction is that the Christian life
must be more than just a routine or habit, but rather it should
be a personal experience of the living Christ. St. Symeon urges
both monks and baptised laity back to a living spiritual
experience of the Triune, calling himself the "enthusiastic
zealot" who has personal, mystical experiences. His spiritual
emphases is, however, misused by many 'charismatic Christians'
and others today who claim to have "gifts of the Holy Spirit",
which are probably emotional or 'scholastic' rather than
spiritual. The following is a quote from St. Symeon on
Spirituality,
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