Where the relics of Simeon the New Theologian lie. Venerable Simeon the New Theologian

St. Simeon the New Theologian is perhaps the most prominent mystic of Orthodoxy, one of the three Fathers whom the Church called "theologians". In his "Hymns of Love" of these truly love poems, he captured the craving human soul to God. In addition to them, this book includes many other of his creations.

1. You commanded our nothingness, father and brother, to answer your question: “Is it permissible for some monks who do not have the priesthood to confess their sins?”, adding also this: “because we hear that the power to bind and loose is given to one priests” . These words and soulful questions [testify] to your God-loving soul, fiery desire [to know the truth] and fear [of God]. While approving your desire for goodness and your desire to learn about divine and sacred things, we are nevertheless unable to reason and write about it, which is why we would like to be silent; for "to consider spiritual things with spiritual things" (1 Cor. 2:13) is the work of impassive and holy men, from whom we are far away in life, and in word, and in virtues.

2. But since, as it is written, "the Lord is near to all ... who call upon Him in truth" (Ps. 144:18), then I, unworthy, having called upon Him in truth, will tell you the following, not in my own words, but from the most divine and inspired Scripture, not teaching [from myself], but offering you from it a testimony about what you asked [me] about; so that I, by the grace of God, save myself and my listeners from both abysses: both from hiding talent, and from unworthily and vainly - moreover, [being] in darkness - to explain dogmas.

Where, then, shall we lay the beginning of the word, if not from the beginningless Beginning of all? This is the best thing, for then what has been said will be firm. After all, we were not created by angels and did not learn from people, but by the grace of the Spirit we mysteriously learned and are always learning from the wisdom from above, which we will now call upon, and we will speak here. And first of all, let's talk about the method of confession and its power.

3. So, confession is nothing but the confession of debts, as well as the recognition of mistakes and one's own folly, that is, the condemnation of one's poverty; As in gospel parable said the Lord: “One lender,” he says, “had two debtors, and one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty; but as they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both” (Luke 7:41–42). So, every faithful one is a debtor to his Master and God, and what he took from Him, that will be asked of him at His terrible and terrible Judgment, when all of us - kings and the poor together - stand naked before Him, bowing our heads. Listen to what is given to us by God. There are many other things that none of people can count, but above all the best and most perfect: liberation from condemnation, sanctification from filth, the transition from darkness into His inexpressible light, and also the fact that through divine Baptism we become children, sons and His heirs, put on God Himself, become His members, and receive those who dwell in us Holy Spirit, which is the royal seal, with which the Lord seals His sheep, and - why talk a lot? - to become like us to Him, becoming His brothers and co-heirs. All this and more than this is given immediately at divine Baptism to all those who are baptized - what the divine apostle calls wealth and heritage (Eph. 3:8; Col. 1:12).

4. The commandments of the Lord are given as the guardians of these inexpressible gifts and gifts: they surround the faithful like a wall from everywhere, keep intact the treasure stored in the soul and make it inviolable for all enemies and thieves. We, however, consider that the commandments of the philanthropic God are kept by us, and we are weighed down by this, not knowing that we ourselves are rather kept by them; for he who keeps the commandments of God, not theirs, but keeps himself, and keeps from visible and invisible enemies, of which Paul speaks, showing that they are innumerable and terrible: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against authorities, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spirits of wickedness in high places" (Eph. 6:12), then there are those who are in the air and who always oppose us invisibly.

So, he who keeps the commandments is himself kept by them and does not lose the wealth entrusted to him by God; but he who despises the commandments turns out to be naked and easily vulnerable to enemies, and, having squandered all his wealth, becomes a debtor to the King and Master in everything that we have said about - that it is impossible for a person to compensate for anything and that it is impossible to find. For these [goods] are heavenly, and from heaven came and daily comes He who brings and distributes them to the faithful; and where can those who have received and lost them find them again? Indeed, nowhere. For neither Adam nor any of his sons would have been able to restore himself and his relatives, if the supernatural God and our Lord Jesus Christ, having become his Son according to the flesh, having come, would not have raised him and us from the fall divine power. And whoever thinks to keep not all the commandments, but only some, but neglects others, let him know that if he neglects at least one, he loses all wealth entirely. Suppose that the commandments are twelve armed men who surround and guard you, standing naked among them; imagine also other enemy soldiers advancing from everywhere, attacking, seeking to capture you and immediately kill you. So, if one of the twelve falls away of his own free will, neglects the guard and leaves his place as a door open to the enemy, what will be the use of the remaining eleven men when one [of the opponents] enters inside and mercilessly cuts you, because they cannot even turn around to help you? After all, if they want to turn around, then they themselves will be captured by opponents. Exactly the same thing will happen to you if you do not keep the commandments. For if you are wounded by one enemy and fall, all the commandments fly away from you, and you gradually lose strength. In other words, just as from a vessel filled with wine or oil, if it is not whole from everywhere, but has become full of holes on one side, all the contents are gradually poured out, so you, neglecting at least one commandment, gradually fall away from all the others, as Christ says. : "To the one who has it will be given and it will increase, but from the one who does not, even what" he thinks to have will be taken away (Matthew 25:29). And again: "Whoever breaks one of these commandments ... and teaches ... people," that is, by his crime [teaches] - to do the same, "he will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matthew 5:19) . And Paul says, "Whoever is overcome by whom, the same is his servant" (2 Pet. 2:19). And again: "The sting of death is sin" (1 Cor. 15:56). And he didn't say, "This or that [sin]", but whatever the sin, it is the very sting of death. He calls sin the sting of death, because those who are bitten die. So every sin leads to death. For he who once sinned, as Paul says, has already "died" (Rom. 6:10), having become guilty of debts and sins; the robbers left him to lie [by the road] (Luke 10:30).

5. So, does the dead want anything other than to be resurrected; and the one who owes money and has nothing to pay, what else but to get forgiveness of debts and not be thrown into prison until he pays the debt? Indeed, because he has nothing, he will never escape eternal prison, that is, darkness. Similarly, the one who is beaten by mental robbers seeks in every possible way for a compassionate and merciful doctor to come to him. For in himself he does not have the fear of God that warms him, which would [encourage] him to go to the doctor himself, but, having wasted spiritual strength because of his own negligence, he lies, [represented] a terrible and miserable sight for those who are well , or, better to say, they spiritually see spiritual transgressions. So, he who because of sin became the slave of the devil - for [Paul] says: "Do you not know that ... you ... are servants of the one whom you obey - servants of righteousness to righteousness, or sin to sin?" (Rom. 6:16) - and became such in derision of the Father and God, trampling on the enemies who apostatized from God, who was left naked from the royal scarlet and blackened, who instead of the child of God became the child of the devil, what will he do to again enter into the possession of that what did you fall away from? Of course, he will seek a mediator and friend of God who is able to restore him to his former state and reconcile him with God and the Father. For he who, by grace, cleaves to Christ and becomes a member of Him and is adopted by Him, if, leaving Him, returns like a dog to his own vomit (2 Pet. , is condemned along with the unbelievers as having dishonored and offended Christ, since, according to the divine apostle, "and you are the body of Christ, but individually members" (1 Cor. 12:27). Therefore, whoever has consorted with a harlot makes the members of Christ members of a harlot (1 Corinthians 6:15). And the one who did this and thus angered his Master and God, cannot be reconciled with God in any other way, except through an intermediary, a holy man, friend and servant of Christ, and through the avoidance of evil.

6. Therefore let us first of all avoid sin; if we are wounded by his arrow, then we will not hesitate, enjoying his poison like honey, or, like a wounded bear, licking the wound, making it even bigger, but immediately run to the spiritual doctor and vomit the poison of sin through confession and, spitting out the sinful poison We will readily receive from him, as an antidote, the penitential penances given to him, and let us strive to fulfill them always with ardent faith and in the fear of God. For all those who have utterly squandered the wealth entrusted to them, and with prodigals and tax collectors have squandered their parents' property, whose consciences, because of great shame, bow down and have no strength to lift themselves up, lacking boldness, are looking for some man of God to become the recipient of their debts, so that through him they came to God, because, as I think, it is impossible without sincere and laborious repentance, even if desired, to be reconciled with God. For it has never been heard or written in the inspired Scriptures that anyone should take upon himself the sins of another and be held accountable for them, unless the sinner himself first shows worthy fruits of repentance, corresponding to the types of sin, and does not put his own labors as a foundation. For the voice of the Forerunner of the Word said: "Bring forth... fruit worthy of repentance, and do not think to say in yourselves, 'Abraham is our father'" (Matthew 3:8-9). “Truly, I say to you, if” both Moses and Daniel “arise to save their sons and daughters, they will not save them in any way” (Ezek. 14:14–20). Forgiveness of debts and restoration from the fall?Listen to what God gives [me] that I will answer each of you.

7. Seek, if you wish, a mediator and a doctor and a good adviser, so that, as a good adviser, he would offer you images of repentance corresponding to good advice, as a doctor, he would give you medicines suitable for every wound, and as a mediator, standing before God, face to face, by prayer and intercession before Him, propitiated the Deity for you. But do not try, having found a flatterer and a slave of the womb, to make him your adviser and supporter, so that, adapting to your will, and not to what God loves, he would teach you what pleases you, and you would still remained a truly implacable enemy [of God]. And do not [look for] an inexperienced doctor so that he does not plunge you into the depths of despair with excessive severity and untimely operations and cauterization or, again, with excessive indulgence, does not allow you, the sick person, to think that you are recovering, and does not betray you to the most terrible - eternal the pain you hope to avoid. For this and similar [method of healing] causes us a disease from which the soul dies. Finding a mediator between God and people - I do not think it would be easy. For "not all those Israelites who are from Israel" (Rom. 9:6), but only those who, according to the name, actually recognize the very power of this name and see God with their minds; and not all who call on the name of Christ are truly Christians. For "not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord'," Christ said, "will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father" (Matthew 7:21). And he said again: "Many will say to Me in that day: ... Lord, ... did we not cast out demons in Your name?" But I will "announce to them: Truly I say to you, I do not know you, depart from me, you workers of iniquity" (Matthew 7:22-23).

8. Therefore, all of us, brothers, both those who mediate, and those who have sinned, and those who wish themselves, should strive for reconciliation with God, so that neither those who mediate will incur [themselves] wrath instead of a reward, nor those who stumble, nor those who strive to be reconciled [with God] receive an enemy and a murderer and a wicked adviser instead of a mediator. For such will hear the terrible threat: "Who made you rulers and judges" of my people? (Ex. 2:14). And again: "A hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye" (Mt. 7:5). A log is any one passion or lust that darkens the eye of the soul. And again: "Doctor! Heal thyself" (Luke 4:23). And again: “But God says to the sinner: “Why do you preach My statutes and take My covenant in your mouth, and you yourself hate My instruction, and throw My words away for yourself?” (Ps. 49:16-17). And Paul said, "Who are you that condemns another's servant? Standing before his master...or falling...God is able through His faithful servant to restore him" (Rom. 14:4).

9. In all this I tremble and tremble, my brothers and fathers, and I exhort you all, affirming myself through exhortations to you, not to be contemptuous of these divine and terrible mysteries for all and not to play with anything that is not toys, nor against our soul because of vanity, or love of glory, or [desire] profit, or insensitivity. For it happens that in order to be called "rabbis" or "fathers", you accept other people's thoughts. Let us not, please, so shamelessly, easily steal the apostolic dignity, [but let us] be guided by an example from earthly [life], namely: if someone is convicted of arbitrarily daring to assume the likeness of an envoy of an earthly king and manage what is entrusted to [the messenger], doing [it] secretly, or subsequently and openly declare [his] actions, then he and his followers and servants will be subjected to the most cruel punishments to frighten others, and he will be ridiculed as insane and insensitive more everyone. What awaits in the future [age] those unworthily stealing the apostolic dignity?

10. But do not want to be mediators for other [people] before you are filled with the Holy Spirit and know the feeling of the soul of the King of all and become His friend, since not everyone who knows an earthly king can intercede before Him and about others. For very few can do this - those who, because of virtues and sweats, that is, their labors, have acquired boldness towards him, and they no longer need a mediator, but speak mouth to mouth with the king. And so, shall we not preserve this rank in relation to God, brothers and fathers, shall we not honor the Heavenly King at least on an equal footing with the earthly one, but shall we prey on ourselves [the right] to sit on the chairs to the right and left of Him, before we asked and received [is] from Him? Oh, insolence! What shame will seize us! Even if we are not called to account for anything else, for this alone we will be dishonorably deprived of our presidency as despisers and will be cast into unquenchable fire. But this is enough for the edification of those who want to listen to themselves; for for the sake of this we have digressed from the subject of [our] word. Now let's talk about what you, child, wanted to hear.

11. That we are allowed to confess to a monk who does not have the priesthood, you will find this happening to everyone since the clothes and appearance [monastic] were given from God to His inheritance and the monks received their name, as it is written in the inspired writings of the fathers, having delved into which you will find that what is said is true. Before [the monks], only the hierarchs, by succession from the divine apostles, received the power to bind and loosen, but after the lapse of time and when the hierarchs became useless, this terrible commission passed to the priests, who had an immaculate life and were worthy of divine grace. When they, the priests together with the hierarchs, mingled with the rest of the people and became like them, and when many, as now, fell [under the influence] of the spirits of error and vain idle talk and perished, it was handed over, as it was said, to the chosen people of God - I'm talking about monks; it was not taken away from the priests and bishops, but they themselves made themselves alien to it. "For every priest ... stands" before God, as an intermediary between God and people, - as Paul said, - "and ... he must offer sacrifices both for the people and for himself" (Heb.5: 3) .

12. But let us speak from an earlier [time] and see from where and how and to whom this authority was given from the beginning to serve as priests, bind and loosen, and in the order in which you asked questions, so let clear answers follow - not for you alone, but also for all other people. When the Lord and God and our Savior said to the paralytic: "Your sins are forgiven you" (Matt. 9:2), the Jews, hearing this, said: "He blasphemes" (Matt. 9:3); "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (Luke 5:21). Thus, it was not given to anyone to forgive sins - neither the prophets, nor the priests, nor any of the then patriarchs. That is why the scribes were indignant, because it was as if some new doctrine and a strange thing were being preached. The Lord did not reproach them for this, but, on the contrary, taught them what they did not know, showing them that as God, and not as a man, it was given to him to forgive sins. For having said to them: “That you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins,” He says to the paralytic, “Get up, take up your bed and go to your house. glorifying God" (Luke 5:24-25). Through a visible miracle [Christ] witnessed greater and invisible things. So [it was] with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1–10), so with the harlot (Lk. 7:47–50), so with Matthew at the collection of duties (Matt. 9:9–13), so - with Peter, who denied three times (John 21:15-19), so with the paralytic, whom He healed and [to whom], meeting [him] later, he said: “Behold, you have recovered; sin no more, no matter what happens to what is worse for you" (John 5:14). Having said this, He showed that because of sin, he [the relaxed] fell into an illness, and being healed of it, he received the forgiveness of his sins - not thanks to many years of requests, or fasting, or sleeping on a hard bed, but only thanks to conversion, unshakable faith, the rejection of vice, true repentance, and many tears, like the harlot and Peter, who wept bitterly (Luke 7:38, 44; Matt. 26:75).

Hence the beginning of this gift - great and befitting only to God and which He alone possesses. Further, before ascending [His] to heaven, He instead of Himself leaves this gift to the disciples. How did He transfer this dignity and power to them? We also investigate - to whom, and how many, and when. To the chosen eleven disciples when they were gathered together behind closed doors. For entering and standing in the midst of them, He breathed and said: "Receive the Holy Spirit. To whom you forgive the sins ... they will be forgiven, on whom you leave ... they will remain" (John 20:22-23). And absolutely nothing commands them about penances as those who must learn from the Holy Spirit.

13. As has already been said, the holy apostles, by succession, transferred this power to those who accepted their thrones, since none of the rest dared even think of anything like that. Thus the disciples of the Lord strictly reserved [for themselves] the right of this authority. But, as we said, over time, the worthy disappeared among the unworthy, mingled with them - and hid under the majority, challenging one another for primacy and pretending to be virtuous for the sake of the chairman [seat]. For from the time those who assumed the thrones of the apostles turned out to be carnal, voluptuary, arrogant and prone to heresies, divine grace left them, and this power was taken away from them. Therefore, since they left everything else that priests should have, only one thing is required of them - to preserve Orthodoxy. But I think that they do not [observe] this either; for it is not the Orthodox who does not introduce a new dogma into the Church of God, but the one who has a life in accordance with the right teaching. But such and such modern patriarchs and the metropolitans either, having searched, do not find, or, having found, they prefer to him an unworthy one, demanding only one thing from him - to state the Creed in writing, and with that alone they are content that he is neither a zealot for good, nor a fighter against evil. In this way they seem to preserve the peace of the Church, but this [peace] is worse than any enmity and is the cause of great disorder. Because of this, the priests also deteriorated and became like a people. For, as the Lord said, none of them is salt (Matt. 5:13), in order to bind and at least somehow restrain moral decay through reproofs, but, on the contrary, realizing and hiding each other’s passions, they became worse than the people, and the people are worse than them. Some of the people turned out to be even better than the priests, being like coals against the backdrop of the hopeless darkness of the latter. For if the priests, according to the word of the Lord, shone with life like the sun (Matt. 13:43), the burning coals would not be visible, but would seem blackened in comparison with the brighter light. Since only the appearance and clothing of the priesthood remained in people, and the gift of the Spirit passed to the monks, and thanks to signs and wonders, it became obvious that by [their] deeds they entered the [path] of the apostolic life, then here again, again, the devil did the characteristic to him. For, seeing them, that they, like some new disciples of Christ, appeared again in the world and shone with life and miracles, he brought [into their midst] and mixed with them false brothers and his own tools; and, having multiplied little by little, they, as you see, became worthless and became very unmonastic monks.

So, neither to monks in outward appearance, nor to those ordained and included in the degree of priesthood, nor to those awarded the episcopal rank - patriarchs, I say, metropolitans and bishops -

14. just like that, only because of the laying on of hands and his dignity, it is not given from God to forgive sins - so be it! For they are only allowed to serve as priests, but I think that this is not for many of them - so that, being hay, they do not burn to the ground because of this, - but only for those who from priests, bishops and monks can be numbered among the faces disciples of Christ for purity.

15. How, then, do they themselves know that they are numbered among those of whom I have spoken, and how do those who seek them recognize them with certainty? The Lord taught this, saying this: “These signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues,” we are talking about the divinely inspired and useful teaching of the Word, “they will take snakes, and if they drink something mortal, they will not hurt them" (Mark 16:17-18). And again: "My sheep obey my voice" (John 10:27). And again: "By their fruits you shall know" them (Matthew 7:16). For what fruits? According to those that Paul speaks of, listing most of them: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22-23), and with them mercy, brotherly love, almsgiving and those who follow them; and to them there is also "the word of wisdom, ... the word of knowledge, ... gifts ... of miracles" and more; "But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one," as He wills (1 Cor. 12:8-11). Those who have become partakers of such gifts - or all, or only some, in accordance with what is useful to them - are enrolled in the ranks of the apostles, and now becoming such are enrolled there too. Therefore, they are the light of the world, as Christ Himself said: "No one, lighting a lamp, puts it under a bushel or under a bed, but on a candlestick, and it shines for everyone in the house" (Matthew 5:15). However, those are recognized not only by these [talents], but also by their way of life. So they will be recognized by those who seek them, and each of them themselves will accurately [recognize themselves], if they, as if in the likeness of our Lord Jesus Christ, are not only not ashamed of poverty and humility, but rather even count them as great glory and, as He shows unfeigned obedience to his fathers and leaders, obeying confessors; if dishonor and ridicule, abuse and insults are loved from the heart, and those who inflict these [insults] are perceived as givers of great blessings and pray for them with tears from the heart, if they despise all worldly glory, and consider all the sweetness of the world to be dirt. And why lengthen the word with many and obvious things? If each of the above-named finds himself to have achieved every virtue that he hears and reads about in the Holy Scriptures, if he also does all the good deeds and in each of them achieves success, changes of a low degree and is taken to the height of divine glory, then let himself be recognized. who has become a partaker of God and his gifts, and [by others] who see well, or even short-sighted, will be recognized. And then such can say to everyone with boldness: "We are the messengers ... of Christ, and as if God Himself exhorts through us: ... be reconciled to God" (2 Cor.5:20). For all such have kept the commandments of Christ to death, sold their possessions and distributed to the poor, followed Christ through the enduring of temptations, lost their souls in the world for the love of God and gained them for eternal life. Having gained their souls, they found themselves in a mental light, and thus in this light they saw the impregnable Light - God Himself, according to what is written: "In Your light we will see light" (Ps. 35:10). How to get what belongs to the soul? Pay attention. The soul of each of us is drachma, which was lost not by God, but by each of us, plunging ourselves into the darkness of sin. Christ, being the true Light, having come and met those who seek Him, granted them to see Him as only He Himself knows. This is what it means to find your soul - to see God and in His light to become higher than every visible creature, and to have God as a shepherd and teacher, from Whom, if he wants, he will learn [how to] knit and loosen, and, knowing exactly, will worship the Giver [these benefits] and give [them] to those in need.

16. I know, child, that to such is given the power to bind and loose from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit, to those who, by adoption, are His sons and holy servants. I myself was a disciple of such a father, who did not have ordination from people, but who inscribed me with the hand of God, that is, the Spirit, into discipleship and commanded me to accept the correct ordination from people according to the established order - to me, who had long been moved by the Holy Spirit to this with a strong desire .

17. So, let us first desire to become such, brothers and fathers, and only then will we speak to others about liberation from passions and acceptance of thoughts, and we will seek such a confessor. So, let us diligently seek such men, disciples of Christ, and with heartache and many tears we will beg God for days on end to open the eyes of our hearts so that we may recognize them, if, of course, one is found somewhere in this evil kind, so that, having found him, to receive through him the remission of our sins, obeying his commands and commandments with all your soul, just as he, having heard [the commandments] of Christ, became a partaker of grace and His gifts and received from Him the power to bind and loose sins, having been kindled by the Holy Spirit, which is fitting all glory, honor and worship with the Father and the Only Begotten Son forever. Amen.

Simeon the New Theologian, reverend

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Works of St. Simeon the New Theologian:

• "Message of Confession"
• "Chapters theological and contemplative"- St. Simeon the New Theologian
• "Active and theological chapters"- St. Simeon the New Theologian
• "Method of Sacred Prayer and Attention"- St. Simeon the New Theologian
• "On Humility and Perfection"- St. Simeon the New Theologian
• "Words"- St. Simeon the New Theologian

In the history of Christianity, the third spiritual writer, whose name is given the title of Theologian, is St. Simeon the New Theologian. The Holy Father, through oral and later written teachings, preached his personal experience of intimate communion with the Lord. Russians Orthodox people got acquainted with the works of Simeon the New Theologian thanks to the translation works of Bishop Theophan the Recluse, who valued the holy father for the fact that ... “the monk inspires zeal for the inner grace of life ... And everything is so clearly stated with him that he unquestioningly subdues the mind.” The proposed first book from the three-volume set includes a translation of forty-four sermons - "Words", which are preceded by the lengthy work of Archbishop Vasily (Krivoshein) "The Life and Personality of St. Simeon the New Theologian." Recommended for publication by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church

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by the LitRes company.

Life of St. Simeon the New Theologian

Compiled by his student Nikita Stifat (abbreviated)

Saint Simeon was born in the Paphlagonian village of Galata from noble and wealthy parents. His father's name is Vasily, and his mother's name is Feofaniya. From childhood, he showed both great abilities and a meek and reverent disposition with a love for solitude. When he grew up, his parents sent him to Constantinople to his relatives, who were not the last at court. There he was sent to study and soon passed the so-called grammar courses. It was necessary to move into philosophical ones, but he refused them, fearing to get carried away into something obscene under the influence of fellowship. The uncle with whom he lived did not force him, but hastened to introduce him to the service road, which in itself is a rather strict science for those who are attentive. He introduced him to the kings-self-brothers Basil and Constantine Porphyrogenic, and they included him in the rank of courtiers.

But the Monk Simeon was not much interested in the fact that he became one of the royal synclite. His desires rushed to something else, and his heart lay to something else. Even during his studies, he came to know the elder Simeon, whose name was Pious, often visited him and used his advice in everything. It was all the more free and at the same time more necessary for him to do it now. His sincere desire was to devote himself to the world-giving life as soon as possible, but the elder persuaded him to have patience, waiting for this good intention of his to mature and take root deeper, because he was still very young. He did not leave him with advice and guidance, gradually preparing him for monasticism and in the midst of worldly vanity.

The Monk Simeon himself did not like to indulge himself, and during the usual labors of self-mortification he devoted all his free time to reading and prayer. The elder supplied him with books, telling him what he should especially pay attention to in them. Once, handing him a book of writings by Mark the Ascetic, the elder pointed out to him different sayings in them, advising him to think them over more carefully and direct his behavior according to them. Among them was the following: if you want to always have soul-saving guidance, attend to your conscience and immediately do what it will inspire you. The Monk Simeon took this saying to his heart as if it came from the mouth of God Himself, and decided to strictly listen and obey conscience, believing that, being the voice of God in the heart, it always inspires one soul-saving. From that time on, he devoted himself entirely to prayer and teaching in the Divine Scriptures, staying awake until midnight and eating only bread and water, and taking only as much as is necessary to sustain life. Thus, he went deeper and deeper into himself and into the realm of God. At this time, he was vouchsafed that grace-filled enlightenment, which he himself describes in the word about faith, speaking as if about some other youth. Then the grace of God gave him a fuller taste of the sweetness of life according to God, and thereby cut off his taste for everything earthly.

After this, it was natural to show up in him a strong impulse to leave the world. But the elder did not consider it good to immediately satisfy this impulse and persuaded him to endure more and more.

So six years passed. It happened that he needed to leave for his homeland, and he came to the elder to receive a blessing. Although the elder announced to him that now was the time to enter monasticism, he did not prevent him from visiting his homeland. Saint Simeon gave his word that as soon as he returned, he would leave the world. On the road to leadership, he took for himself the "Ladder" of St. John of the Ladder. Arriving at home, he was not fond of worldly affairs, but continued the same strict and solitary life, for which domestic orders gave great scope. There was a church nearby, and near the church of the Kellian and not far from it was a cemetery. In this cell, he shut himself up - he prayed, read and indulged in divine thought.

At one time he read in the holy "Ladder": insensibility is the mortification of the soul and the death of the mind before the death of the body, and he was jealous to forever banish this disease of insensitivity from his soul. To this end, he went out at night to the cemetery and prayed fervently, thinking together about death and the future judgment, as well as about the fact that now the dead, on whose tombs he prayed, were dead, who were alive like him. To this he added a stricter fast and a longer and more vigorous vigil. Thus he kindled in himself the spirit of life according to God, and its burning kept him constantly in a state of contrite compunction, which did not allow insensibility. If it happened that cooling came, he hurried to the cemetery, wept and sobbed, beating his chest, and did not get up until the usual tender contrition returned. The result of this mode of action was that the image of death and mortality was so deeply imprinted in his mind that he looked at himself and others only as if they were dead. Because of this, no beauty captivated him, and ordinary bodily movements died away at their very appearance, being burned by the fire of contrition. Crying became food for him.

The time has finally come to return to Constantinople. His father would have asked him to stay at home while he was seeing him to the next world, but seeing where his son's ardent desire was heading, he took leave of him with love and willing blessing.

The time of return to Constantinople was for Saint Simeon the time of renunciation of the world and entry into the monastery. The elder received him with paternal embrace and introduced him to the abbot of his Studian monastery, Peter; but he gave him back into the hands of this elder, the great Simeon the Reverent. Having accepted the young monk as a pledge of God, the elder led him into one small cell, more like a coffin, and there he outlined for him the orders of a cramped and lamentable monastic life. He said to him: look, my son, if you want to be saved, go to church without fail and stand there with reverent prayer, not turning here and there and not starting conversations with anyone; do not go from cell to cell; do not be bold, keep your mind from wandering, paying attention to yourself and thinking about your sinfulness, about death and judgment. – In his severity, the elder observed, however, a prudent measure, taking care that his pet did not even have a predilection for strict ascetic deeds. Why did he sometimes appoint heavy and humiliating obediences to him, and sometimes light and honest ones; sometimes he strengthened his fasting and vigil, and sometimes he forced him to eat his fill and sleep enough, accustoming him in every possible way to renounce his will and his own orders.

The Monk Simeon sincerely loved his elder, honored him as a wise father, and in no way deviated from his will. He was so in awe of him that he kissed the place where the elder prayed, and so deeply humbled himself before him that he did not consider himself worthy to approach and touch his clothes.

This kind of life is not complete without special temptations, and the enemy soon began to build them for him. He brought on him heaviness and relaxation in his whole body, followed by corruption and darkening of thoughts to the point that it seemed to him that he could neither stand, nor open his mouth to prayer, nor listen to church services, nor even raise his mind to grief. . Realizing that this state did not resemble either the usual fatigue from labors or illness, the monk armed himself with patience against it, forcing himself not to indulge in anything, but, on the contrary, to strain himself to the opposite of the suggestible as an expedient means to restore his usual state. . The struggle with the help of God and the prayers of the elder was crowned with victory. God consoled him with such a vision: how a cloud rose up from his feet and dissipated in the air, and he felt cheerful, alive and so light that he seemed to have no body. The temptation passed away, and the monk, in gratitude to the Deliverer, decided from now on never to sit down during the service, although this is permitted by the charter.

Then the enemy raised a carnal scolding from him, confusing thoughts, disturbing the movements of the flesh, and in a dream presented to him shameful imaginations. By the grace of God and the prayers of the elder, this battle was also driven away.

Then his relatives and even his parents rose up, pityingly persuading him to moderate his strictness or even leave monasticism altogether. But this not only did not diminish his usual exploits, but, on the contrary, strengthened them in some parts, especially in relation to solitude, removal from everyone and prayer.

Finally, the enemy armed the brethren of the monastery against him, his companions, who did not like his life, although they themselves did not like licentiousness. From the very beginning, some of the brothers treated him favorably and with praise, while others disapprovedly, with reproaches and ridicule, more behind the eyes, and sometimes even in the eyes. The Monk Simeon did not pay attention to praise, or denigration, or veneration, or dishonor, and strictly adhered to the rules of his inner and outer life, established with the advice of the elder. And the elder often renewed his convictions to him to be firm and to endure everything courageously, but especially to try to set his soul in such a way that, above all, it would be meek, humble, simple and gentle, because only in such souls the grace of the Holy Spirit used to dwell. Hearing such a promise, the monk deepened his zeal for a life according to God.

Meanwhile, the displeasure of the brethren grew and grew, the number of those dissatisfied multiplied, so that the abbot sometimes pestered them. Seeing that the temptation intensified, the elder transferred his pet to the then glorious Anthony, hegumen of the monastery of St. Mamas, limiting his guidance to observation from afar and frequent visits. And here the life of the Monk Simeon flowed in the usual order for him. His progress in asceticism, not only external, but even more internal, became obvious and gave hope that in the future his zeal for this would not weaken in him.

Why did the elder finally decide to make him a full monk through tonsure and investing in the schema.

This happy event renewed and strengthened the ascetic virtues of the monk. He devoted himself entirely to solitude, reading, prayer and contemplation; for a whole week he ate only vegetables and seeds, and only on Sundays he went to a fraternal meal; slept little, on the floor, spreading only sheepskin over matting; on Sundays and holidays, he performed all-night vigils, standing in prayer from evening until morning, and all day afterward without giving himself rest; he never uttered an idle word, but always kept extreme attention and sober self-absorption; he sat locked up in his cell, and if when he went outside to sit on a bench, he seemed to be drenched in tears and wore on his face the reflection of a prayerful flame; he read most of the lives of the saints and, having read, sat down to needlework - to calli-count, to copy something for the monastery and the elders or for himself; with the first blow of the simander, he got up and hurried to the church, where he listened to the liturgical service with all prayerful attention; when there was a Liturgy, every time he took communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, and all that day he remained in prayer and contemplation; he usually stayed awake until midnight and, having slept a little, went to prayer together with the brethren in church; during Forty Days he spent five days without food, but on Saturday and Sunday he went to a fraternal meal and ate what was served for everyone, did not go to bed, and so, bowing his head in his hands, fell asleep for some hour.

For two years now he had lived like this in a new monastery for him, growing in good morals and asceticism and enriching himself with the knowledge of the Divine mysteries of salvation through reading the Word of God and the writings of the fathers, through his own contemplation and conversation with the venerable elders, especially with his Simeon the Pious and hegumen Anthony. These elders finally decided that it was time for St. Simeon to share with other treasures of spiritual wisdom he had acquired, and they entrusted him with the obedience of speaking in church teachings for the edification of the brethren and all Christians. Before, from the very beginning of asceticism, along with extracting from the fatherly writings everything that he considered spiritually useful for himself, he was also engaged in writing down his own thoughts, which multiplied in his hours of contemplation; but now such an occupation has become a duty for him, with the peculiarity that edification was no longer addressed to himself alone, but also to others. His speech was usually simple. Clearly contemplating the great truths of our salvation, he expounded them understandably for everyone, in no way, however, without diminishing their height and depth by the simplicity of speech. Even the elders listened to him with pleasure.

A little later, Simeon the Pious, his ever-present leader, had a desire to consecrate him with priestly ordination. By the same time, the abbot of the monastery died, and the brethren by a common vote chose the Monk Simeon to replace him. So he simultaneously accepted the priestly consecration, and was elevated to the abbotship from the then Patriarch Nicholas Chrysoverg. It was not without fear and tears that he accepted these alleged promotions, but in reality the burdens were unbearable. He judged the priesthood and abbess not by their appearance, but by the essence of the matter, which is why he prepared to receive them with all attention, reverence and devotion to God. For such a good mood, he was vouchsafed, as he assured later, at the moments of the ordination of the special mercy of God, the feeling of descending grace in the heart with the vision of some kind of formless spiritual light that overshadowed and penetrated him. This state was renewed with him afterwards every time he liturgical, during all forty-eight years of his priesthood, as one guesses from his own words about another, as if some kind of priest, with whom this happened.

Therefore, when they asked him what a priest and priesthood are, he answered with tears, saying: alas, my brethren! What are you asking me about this? This is something that is scary to think about. I wear the priesthood unworthily, but I know well what a priest should be like. He must be pure both in body and, moreover, in soul, not stained by any sin, humble in outward disposition, and contrite in heart according to inward mood. When he liturgises, he must contemplate God with his mind, and fix his eyes on the Gifts presented; must consciously merge in his heart with Christ the Lord, who exists there, in order to have the boldness of a son to converse with God the Father and uncondemnedly cry out: Our Father. This is what our holy father said to those who questioned him about the priesthood and begged them not to seek this sacrament, lofty and terrible for the angels themselves, before they come to an angelic state through many labors and deeds above themselves. It’s better, he said, to practice diligently every day in doing the commandments of God, every minute bringing sincere repentance to God if you happen to sin in something not only in deed and word, but also in the innermost thought of the soul. And in this way, one can daily offer sacrifice to God both for oneself and for one’s neighbors, the spirit is broken, prayers and prayers are tearful, this sacred sacrament of ours, about which God rejoices and, accepting it on His most heavenly altar, gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit. Thus he taught others, and in the same spirit he liturgicaled himself; and when he was liturgical, his face became angelic and so imbued with light that it was impossible to freely look at him because of the excessive lordship emanating from him, just as one cannot freely look at the sun. This is true evidence of many of his students and non-students.

Having become the rector of the monastery, the first thing the monk did was to renovate it, because it had fallen into disrepair in many parts. The church, built by the king of Mauritius, was quite serviceable, but after updating the monastery, he cleaned it where it was, where it was renewed, laid a marble floor, decorated it with icons, utensils and everything necessary. Meanwhile, he improved the meal and made it a rule that everyone should go to it without holding a special table; and in order to fulfill this more accurately, he himself always went to a common meal, without changing, however, his usual fasting rule.

The brethren began to multiply, and he edified them by word, by example, and by a common well-ordered rank, jealous to represent all men of desire to God our Savior. To him, God increased the gift of tenderness and tears, which were food and drink for him, but he had three specific times for them - after Matins, during the Liturgy and after Compline, during which he prayed more intensely with abundant shedding of tears. His mind was bright, clearly seeing the truths of God. He loved these truths with all the fullness of his heart. Why, when he talked privately or in church, his word went from heart to heart and was always effective and fruitful. He wrote. Often he would sit up all night compiling theological discourses, or interpretations of the Divine Scriptures, or general edifying discourses and teachings, or prayers in verse, or letters to various lay and monastic students. Sleep did not bother him, nor did hunger and thirst and other bodily needs. All this has been brought to the most modest measure by a long feat and established by skill, like a law of nature. Despite, however, such hardships, in appearance he always seemed fresh, full and alive, like those who eat and sleep to their heart's content. The fame of him and his abode spread everywhere and gathered to him all the zealots of a true world-giving life. He accepted everyone, edified and elevated to perfection by his leadership. Many of them with all zeal set to work and successfully flowed after their teacher. But everyone also imagined a host of incorporeal Angels, praising God and serving Him.

Having arranged his monastery in this way, the Monk Simeon had the intention of keeping quiet, appointing a special abbot for the brethren. Instead of himself, he chose a certain Arseny, who had been repeatedly tested and approved by him in good rules, in a good mood of the heart and the ability to conduct business. Transferring to him the burden of the abbot, he in the general assembly of the brethren gave a proper instruction to him how to rule, and to the brethren how to be under his control, and, asking for forgiveness from all, he retired to the silent cell he had chosen for an inseparable stay with the one God in prayer, contemplation , reading the Scriptures in sobriety and reasoning thoughts. He had nothing to add to his exploits. They were always in suspense to the extent possible, but, of course, the grace that guided him in everything knew what rank was best for him in this new way of life, and inspired him to do so. The gift of teaching, which previously found satisfaction in private and church teachings, now turned all his attention and labor to writing. At that time, he wrote more ascetic lessons in the form of short sayings, a sample of which we have in his active and speculative chapters that have survived to us.

Until the end, however, the monk was not destined to enjoy undisturbed peace. A temptation was sent to him, and a strong and disturbing temptation, so that he would burn out and be completely cleansed in his fire. His elder, Simeon the Pious, his spiritual father and leader, passed away to the Lord at a ripe old age, after forty-five years of strict asceticism. The Monk Simeon, knowing his ascetic labors, his purity of heart, his approach and appropriation to God, and the grace of the Holy Spirit that overshadowed him, composed praiseworthy words, songs and canons in honor of him and brightly celebrated his memory every year by painting his icon. Perhaps others in the monastery and outside the monastery imitated his example, because he had many disciples and worshipers among the monks and laity. The then Patriarch Sergius heard about this and, having called the Monk Simeon to him, he asked about the holiday and what was being celebrated. But seeing what a high life Simeon the Reverend was, not only did not resist honoring his memory, but he himself began to take part in it, sending lamps and incense. So sixteen years passed. In memory of the celebrated, they glorified God and were edified by his exemplary life and virtues. But, finally, the enemy raised a storm of temptation because of this.

A certain Stefan, Metropolitan of Nicomedia, very scientifically educated and strong in word, having left the diocese, lived in Constantinople and was well received by the patriarch and the court. This man of this world, hearing how everywhere they praised the wisdom and holiness of the Monk Simeon, and especially his marvelous writings, compiled for the teaching of those who seek salvation, moved with envy against him. Leafing through his writings, he found them unscientific and non-rhetorical, which is why he spoke of them with contempt and rejected those who liked to read them from reading them. From degrading the writings, he wanted to move on to degrading the monk himself, but he did not find anything reproachful in his life, until he stopped with his malice at his custom of celebrating the memory of Simeon the Pious. This custom seemed to him contrary to the orders of the Church and seductive. Some of the parish priests and laity agreed with him on this, and they all began to buzz into the ears of the patriarch and the bishops who were with him, raising lawlessness to the righteous. But the patriarch and the bishops, knowing the deed of the monk and knowing where and why this movement was coming from, did not pay attention to him. The one who started, however, the evil deed did not calm down and continued to spread displeasure in the city about this deed against the monk, not forgetting to remind the patriarch about him, in order to persuade him to do the same.

So for about two years there was a war between the truth of the monk and the lies of Stephen. The latter kept looking to see if there was anything in the life of the venerable elder that could cast doubt on his holiness, and found that Simeon the Reverent would sometimes say in feelings of humility: after all, with me there are temptations and falls. He accepted these words in the most rude sense and appeared to the patriarch with them, as with a banner of victory, saying: this is what he was like, but this one honors him as a saint and even painted his icon and worships her. They called the monk and demanded from him an explanation about the slander being raised against his elder. He answered: as for the celebration in memory of my father, who gave birth to me to life according to God, your Holiness, my lord, knows this better than I; As for the slander, then let the wise Stephen prove it with something stronger than what he says, and when he proves it, then I will speak in defense of the elder I honor. I myself cannot but honor my elder, following the commandments of the apostles and holy fathers, but I do not persuade others to do so. This is a matter of my conscience, and others, as they please, so let them act. They were satisfied with this explanation, but gave the commandment to the monk to celebrate ahead the memory of his elder as humbly as possible, without any solemnity.

This is how things would have ended if not for this Stefan. He was haunted by the futility of his attacks; and he kept inventing something and drawing the reverend to an answer and explanation for another six years. By the way, he somehow got an icon from the cell of the monk, where Simeon the Pious was painted in a host of other saints, overshadowed by the Lord Christ blessing them, and he got from the patriarch and his synod that they, in the views of the world, agreed to clean the inscription over his face: saint. On this occasion, Stefan raised a whole persecution throughout the city against the icon of Simeon the Pious, and zealots like him treated him exactly as happened in the time of the iconoclasts.

This movement assumed a more and more restless character, and there was no end to the harassment of the patriarch and the bishops about him. Looking for ways to establish peace, they came to the conclusion that, to calm the minds and satisfy Stefan, perhaps it would be enough to remove St. Simeon from Constantinople. Not seeing how he honors his elder, others will begin to forget about it, and there they will completely forget. Deciding this, they ordered the monk to find another place for silence, outside of Constantinople. He gladly agreed to this, loving the silence that was broken so often and with such anxiety in the city.

Somewhere near Constantinople, the monk fell in love with one area where there was a dilapidated church of St. Marina, and settled there. The owner of that place, one of the powerful archons, Christopher Fagur, a student and admirer of Simeon, was very pleased to hear about this choice. Therefore, he himself hurried there and completely reassured his spiritual father both by lodging and by providing him with everything he needed. Moreover, on the advice of the monk, he consecrated the entire area to God and handed it over to him for building a monastery.

Meanwhile, in Constantinople, the worshipers of the monk, having learned about his removal, were perplexed why this had happened. The monk wrote to them how everything had been, asking them not to worry about him, assuring them that everything was going for the best and that he was much calmer in his new place. His admirers, however, among whom there were many noble persons, did not want to leave him without intercession. Why, appearing to the patriarch, they were looking for an explanation, whether there was anything in this case that was hostile and unrighteous in relation to their spiritual father. To reassure them, the patriarch assured them that he respected the monk and honored his elder, and that he himself approved the celebration in his memory, with the only restriction that it should not be done so solemnly. As for its removal, it was considered appropriate as a means to stop the movement raised in the city on the occasion of the said celebration. So that the nobility would not have any doubt about this, he invited them to his place another time together with the Monk Simeon and repeated the same thing in his presence. The monk confirmed the words of the patriarch, assuring him that he had nothing against anyone, much less against his most holy master, whose attention he always enjoyed, and immediately asked for a blessing for the construction of the monastery he had already planned. These explanations reassured all those concerned about the removal of the reverend. Afterwards, the monk wrote a peace epistle to Metropolitan Stephen, and the general peace was restored.

From the patriarch, the monk with his friends was invited by the said Christopher Fagur, where they all made among themselves the collection of the amount needed for the construction of the monastery. Then the formation itself began hastily and, although not without obstacles, was soon brought to an end. Having gathered a new brotherhood and established monastic orders in it, the Monk Simeon again withdrew from everything and sat down in silence with his usual ascetic labors and labors, devoting all his time, except for occasional conversations with those in need of advice, to writing edifying words, ascetic instructions and prayer hymns.

From that time on, his life flowed calmly until the very end. He matured into a perfect man, to the extent of the age of the fulfillment of Christ, and appeared richly adorned with gifts of grace. Predictions concerning certain people came from him, which were justified by deeds; there were, through his prayers, many healings that he performed, commanding to anoint the sick with oil from the lamp that glowed in front of the icon of St. Marina.

Thirteen years of the monk's stay in his new monastery passed, and the end of his life on earth drew near. Feeling the nearness of his end, he called his disciples to him, gave them proper instructions and, having communed the Holy Mysteries of Christ, ordered to sing the departing, during which he departed praying, saying: in Thy hands, Lord, I commit my spirit!

Thirty years later, his holy relics appeared (in 1050, Indict 5), filled with heavenly fragrances and famous for working miracles. The memory of St. Simeon the New Theologian is due on March 12, the day of his death.

His God-wise writings were preserved and given to the public by his disciple Nikita Stifat, to whom the monk himself entrusted this, and who, even during his lifetime, copied them cleanly, as they were compiled, and collected them together.

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The following excerpt from the book Works of St. Simeon the New Theologian. Words and hymns. Book One (Simeon the New Theologian) provided by our book partner -

The nickname New Theologian at first had an ironic meaning - ill-wishers laughed at the visions and insights of Simeon. The theologian was called the Apostle John, who was worthy of a special Divine Revelation, and then a new John appeared. But the disciples of the monk found the name appropriate and called the teacher the New Theologian in earnest.

He was born in 949, a decade earlier than Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir. Coming from a noble family, Simeon was supposed to receive a higher education in the capital and take a decent position at court, but instead spiritual search led him to the famous Studion Monastery, the monastic center of Constantinople, to the elder Simeon the Reverent. Probably, in honor of him, the monk was named Simeon at the tonsure, in the world he was supposedly called George. In the monastery, the attitude towards the elder was ambiguous, but the young novice clung to him with all his heart, and when a few years later the abbot demanded that he leave his mentor and go under the leadership of someone else, Simeon refused and preferred to leave the monastery. He moved to a small monastery nearby, continuing to follow the instructions of his spiritual father. And further, having already become abbot of the monastery, Simeon did not cease to deeply honor the teacher who had died by that time, who led him to Christ. “He was an angel, not a man. However, he is a man, the world is mocked by him, and the serpent is trampled, and the demons tremble at his presence, ”he wrote about Simeon the Reverent. No circumstances, up to the personal instructions of the patriarch, could convince him to celebrate the memory of the elder in the monastery less solemnly.

For twenty-five years Simeon was abbot at the monastery of St. Mamanta. Last years, entrusting the management of the monastery to his disciple, he spent "at rest", in prayers, contemplations; writing hymns - theological miniatures in poetic form.

The word "theologian", in Greek "theologian", at that time meant not a scholastic scholar and not a graduate of the theological faculty, but a prayer book and ascetic, a person who spoke with God, and God spoke with him. In this sense, the nickname hit the mark. Saint Simeon really met with Christ. God appeared to him so clearly and definitely that the ascetic could not remain silent about it. How could he be silent, knowing from experience that everyone can already see God in this life, consciously partake of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those around us understood Christianity “quietly”: after all, the time of the apostles has passed, it is enough for us to observe only external piety and simple moral rules. But the saint wrote, preached, called, begged, even promised for God: “If you do this with perseverance,” the monk said in the conclusion of spiritual instructions to the novice, “the Lord will not be slow to show mercy to you, I am a surety for the Compassionate, I, if even boldly to say this, I present myself as a defendant for the Humanitarian! I will die if He despises you. Instead of you, I will be given over to eternal fire if He leaves you. Only do it not in a split heart, not in double-mindedness.” Simeon knew, but did not guess; he saw, but did not grope - hence the boldness of his words, which reached impudence.

He himself spoke about the visions of the Divine light, which he was honored with, which is very unusual for a Christian ascetic - such experiences, with rare exceptions, remained secret. St. Simeon explained it this way: “Like a certain brotherly-loving beggar, who asked for alms from a Christ-loving and merciful man and received from him a few coins, runs from him in joy to his comrades in poverty and informs them of this, saying to them in secret: “Run with diligence and you, to receive,” and at the same time he points his finger at them and points out to them the person who gave him the coin. And if they do not believe him, he shows it to them in the palm of his hand, so that they would believe and show zeal, and quickly overtake that merciful person. So I, humble, poor and naked from all goodness ... having experienced in practice the love of mankind and the compassion of God and received grace, unworthy of all grace, I cannot bear to hide it alone in the bowels of my soul, but I speak to all of you, my brothers and fathers, about the gifts of God and I make it clear to you, as far as it is in my power, what is the talent that was given to me, and by means of my words I lay bare it, as in the palm of my hand. And I say this not in a back street and in secret, but I shout with a loud voice: "Run, brothers, run." And I not only shout, but also point to the Vladyka who gives, putting forward my word instead of a finger ... Therefore, I can’t bear not to talk about those miracles of God, which I saw and which I learned in deed and experience, but to all other people I testify of them as before God.”

Among the prayers "For Communion" in Slavic in our prayer books, one stands apart: in different editions it turns out to be the sixth or seventh, the prayer of Simeon the New Theologian. The longest, without any visible structure, complexly expressed, with an unexpected word order ... (I was surprised by its "incoherence": until I heard it in Greek - an elegant, easy text that just begs to be memorized! ) Here is a short excerpt in Russian:

I have sinned more than a harlot, who, knowing where You have gone,
Having bought myrrh, boldly came to anoint
Your feet, my Christ, Lord and my God.
How did you not reject that one, who approached from the heart,
So do not disdain me, O Word, but give me Your feet
And hold, and kiss, and a stream of tears,
As if with a precious world, boldly anoint them
Wash me with my tears, cleanse me with them, Word,
Forgive my sins and give me forgiveness.

Per. Hieromonk Porfiry (Uspensky).

It is not easy to follow St. Simeon in such merciless "repentant realism." But this is the meaning of his path. That is how he met God. Not everyone understood Simeon. During his lifetime, and up to our time, a variety of accusations were raised and continue to be raised against him: disobedience to church authority, theological ignorance, excessive refinement of spiritual contemplation, untimely zeal for the Gospel or modernism ... But no one saw in him non-Orthodoxy or thoughtlessness. He invariably remained first and foremost a Christian-maximalist, subordinating his whole being to one goal - Christ.

Priest Nikolay SOLODOV

Simeon's new wordfrom Galata

There are countless people who have received a theological education or degrees in theology. They all have a document that they are theologians. But in the Orthodox Church, only three saints are called theologians: the Evangelist John, Gregory of Nazianzus, and Simeon of Galata, called the "new theologian." Indeed, compared with his two predecessors, Simeon lived quite late: he was born in the middle 10th century, died early 11th century But why exactly did he receive this title? After all, almost every church writer left behind theological works, and many of them are cited much more often than the books of St. Simeon.

Ordinary Monk

He was born in the small town of Galata, took monastic vows in the famous Studian monastery of Constantinople. For a quarter of a century he was the abbot of the monastery of St. Mamas in the same city, but due to the conflict that arose, he was forced to leave it and founded the monastery of St. Marina on the banks of the Bosphorus, where he lived the rest of his life. In a word, a fairly common biography for a monk of that time.

Unusual was the work of St. Simeon. He wrote several theological treatises, some of which were included in a collection called The Philokalia. The main theme of his writings is Christian life, primarily its prayerful and mystical side. God for him is not only the Creator of the world, not only the Almighty, but also the One Who constantly contemplates you. And you, renouncing everything earthly and immersed in prayer, can also see a particle of His glory and majesty, as far as it is available to people. Faith is first and foremost a personal relationship with God.

One of the most famous works of St. Simeon - "Active and theological chapters". “Faith in Christ, the true God, gives rise to the desire for eternal blessings and the fear of torment; the desire for these blessings and the fear of torment lead to the strict fulfillment of the commandments, and the strict fulfillment of the commandments teaches people a deep awareness of their weakness; this consciousness of our true weakness gives rise to the memory of death,” he reminds us in this work. “A pure heart is made not by one, not two, not ten virtues, but all together, merging, so to speak, into a single virtue that has reached the last degrees of perfection. However, even in this case, the virtues alone cannot make the heart pure, without the influence and presence of the Holy Spirit.

About this acceptance of the Holy Spirit already here and now, in earthly life, St. Simeon spoke at length and in detail. Most of all, his poetic hymns dedicated to this topic are known. Indeed, his theology is, first of all, poetry, the joyful and trembling experience of the human soul that has met God. He talks to God, opening his heart to Him and joyfully marveling at His living and so tangible presence! So lovers write to the object of their love ...

inspirational poet

One of the prayers he composed (in a prose translation into Church Slavonic) is included in the usual rule for communion, but we also have translations of his other hymns. Most recently, a collection of poetic translations was published by Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeev). Here is one of those amazing pieces:

How are you a burning flame
And are you living water?
Delighting, how do you burn?
How do you get rid of decay?
How do you make us gods
Turning darkness into radiance?
How do you bring people out of the abyss,
Clothing us in incorruption?
How do you bring darkness to dawn?
How do you hold the night with your hand?
How do you light up your heart?
How do you change me?
How did you join the mortals,
By making them sons of God?
How do you pierce the heart without arrows,
And it burns with love?
How do you tolerate us, how do you forgive,
By deeds without repaying?
Outside of everything, how do you stay,
Looking at the deeds of people?
Staying at a distance
How do you announce everyone's deeds?
Give your servants patience
So that their sorrows do not embrace!

Perhaps, these lines contain that amazing new word, for which Simeon was called the "new theologian." Although, it would seem, there is no special theology here - is it possible to compare these simple and sincere lines with the highest flight of thought of the Evangelist John? With the subtle reasoning of the Fathers of the 4th-5th centuries, who wrote treatises that were difficult to understand?

The novelty of this theology is, first of all, in personal experience communion with God. Church writers left us many treatises, desert fathers gave examples of humility and asceticism. But all this is rather difficult for us to imitate, since many Christians do not have inclinations and abilities either for extreme asceticism or for theologizing. People live their simple everyday life trying at the same time to remember God and pray to Him. Is this enough to be a Christian? Simeon answers: yes, if God for you is not just an abstract idea, and not even just the Creator of the Universe, but a constant Interlocutor, to whom you turn your joyful surprise, to whom you trust the most intimate thoughts and feelings, without communication with whom you cannot live even day, not hour. All this does not require high education, it is not necessary to eat only a small loaf every other day - such a prayer, or rather, such an experience of communion with God is also available to a layman in the bustle of city life.

Silent Prayer

St. Simeon is often called the forerunner hesychasm- a special mystical practice that originated in the XIV century and aimed at the contemplation of divine energies. Indeed, St. Gregory Palamas, who expounded the foundations of this teaching, often refers to the works of St. Simeon. Of the Russian saints, the Reverend Nil of Sorsk, the Trans-Volga successor of the traditions of hesychasm, is most associated with him.

It is difficult to define the essence of hesychasm in words, because this word itself comes from the Greek word hesychia i.e. "silence". Immersed in contemplation, a monk does not deliver sermons, does not utter theological formulations. Moreover, his experience can hardly be expressed in words at all. Following the gospel call “The Kingdom of God is within you,” he strives for an inner, heartfelt contemplation of this Kingdom. At the same time, it is especially important to avoid any dreaminess and exaltation when a person begins to warm up his sensitivity and “contemplate the heavenly pictures” that arise in his own head.

Full-fledged "smart doing", as this kind of prayer is sometimes called, of course, is available only to monks who are free from worldly fuss. Lay people, however, can practice some of its elements, for example, repeated repetition short prayer"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner." In the same way, the words “Lord, have mercy” are repeated at the divine service, and the point here is not at all that this simple thought is not entirely clear at once. No, of course, it is not difficult to understand her mind. But it is important that the prayer words are not only consciously pronounced, but penetrate into the heart of a person, become his second wind. Repetition is intended to set the appropriate mood for a person’s whole life: let him be busy with work or household chores, but the heart, having become accustomed to prayer, will never leave it.

And the joyfully astonished hymns of Simeon the New Theologian can help today's person, accustomed to the pressure of devalued words, to the riot of artificially evoked feelings, stop his fussy run, and calmly, in the silence of his own room, turn to God and his own heart with words of peace and love.

Who wants to see this non-evening light,
He must always keep his heart
From passionate movements, from bad thoughts,
From anger, embarrassment, hypocritical oaths.
You must pay attention to yourself and not remember malice,
Do not judge people even in the thoughts of the heart,
To be internally pure, frank in words,
Be sincere, meek, calm, humble.
Ladder e for him let him not be rich,
Keep prayer and fasting unremittingly.
And all his feat, and any business,
And every word - let it be with love.

(Translated by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev)

Andrey DESNITSKY

Word X

About communion with the Holy Spirit, about holiness and perfect dispassion. And that he who loves human glory will never succeed in virtue, no matter how hard he tries

Preface to the translation

None of those who are even slightly familiar with the works of St. Simeon the New Theologian can remain indifferent to them. Etc. Simeon is a person and the place he occupies in the patristic tradition is determined and irrevocable. But what is this place? There were disputes about this even during the life of the monk, and they continue to this day. The very name "New Theologian", invented by opponents as a mockery, only eventually turned into his honorary title. Persecution from monks, alienation of priests, rebukes from outside church hierarchy- all this accompanied St. Simeon throughout his life. And yet textual studies show that his theology is a continuation of the tradition of the Holy Fathers of the Church, such as St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Maximus the Confessor and others, or, more precisely, this is one and the same tradition. What then is the reason for the misunderstanding and, moreover, the persecution of St. Simeon by his contemporaries? Did you write incomprehensibly? But all the Holy Fathers wrote about Divine light, tears, and repentance, and Simeon was not the first. Perhaps the reason for this incomprehensibility or incomprehensibility lies not in the writings of the New Theologian, but in the minds of his contemporaries. “I speak of those and call those heretics who say that there is no one in our times and among us who can save gospel commandments and become like the Holy Fathers... So those who say that this is impossible do not have any particular heresy, but all<…>Whoever says this refutes all Divine Scriptures<…>And why, tell me, is it impossible? And through what<…>did the saints shine on earth and become luminaries in the world? If it were impossible, they would never be able to do it. For they were human, just like us. They possessed nothing more than we, except for the will for the good, diligence and patience and love for God. So, get this, too, and your stony soul will now become a source of tears for you. If you do not want to endure sorrows and embarrassments, then at least do not say that this is impossible. But the disagreement with Simeon of his opponents was not a passive denial of his spiritual life. “I am surprised at the majority of people who, before being born of God and becoming His children, do not tremble to theologize and talk about God. That is why, when I hear some of them philosophizing and impurely theologizing about divine and incomprehensible things<…>without an admonishing Spirit, my spirit trembles and I seem to become beside myself, thinking and considering the inaccessibility of the Divine for all, and how, not knowing what is under our feet and in ourselves, we willingly philosophize, due to the absence of the fear of God and due to insolence about things that are inaccessible to us. And we do this, being deserted by the Spirit, who enlightens us in this and develops knowledge, and by speaking about God, we sin. So, the main sign not only of theology, but also of a person’s belonging to that which is the source of theology and its guardian, namely, to God and the Church, can be called the presence of the Holy Spirit in a person. A person is not rooted in himself, his belonging to the Church does not belong to him unconditionally, only according to the external way of life (although we cannot cancel it). Only in our correlation with God do we find, recognize our true place in the world, in being, and this correlation can never be forgotten, the presence of the Spirit should not be replaced by something else or appropriated to ourselves, otherwise the landmark is lost and errors appear. On what grounds can a man belong to himself at all? Recognize yourself as self-sufficient and you no longer know who you are, where your place is. Simeon's opponents also thought that they were in their place, they defended the Church from his teachings and. were wrong. God the Holy Spirit Himself calls his supporters to Himself and they cannot but know about it: “What is it that they wear? God. So, the one who is dressed in God will not recognize mentally and will not see what he is dressed in? The naked body feels that he is dressed and sees the clothes, but the naked soul, dressed in God, does not recognize this? And this recognition is not permanent, not natural, otherwise it is appropriation and falling away from God, but it requires efforts from us in order to be preserved, and therefore cannot be completed or completed, and even determined by man, because in this communion with God there is an essence and the meaning of our life, any definition and completion of which is in the will of the Creator who created us.

Just as water, flowing incessantly from a source, after stagnating a little, spoils and passes into what is called a swamp, and not a source, so also he who purifies himself by doing the commandments and is cleansed and sanctified by God, if he deviates a little from doing, then by analogy he deviates and from holiness. He who is carried away into the knowledge of one sin is completely deprived of purity, just as a vessel of water is completely defiled by a little dirt. I am not speaking of a sin that is committed only through the body, but also through the inner passions that are invisibly committed by us in us. And do not doubt, brethren, in me when I speak; you will know that if we learn every virtue and perform miracles, even if we do not leave a single commandment unheeded, but we desire only glory from people and seek it in some way of life and hasten to have it, then we will be deprived of reward and for all the rest. For those who receive glory from men and do not prefer the glory of God (John 5:44; 12:43), we are condemned as idolaters, serving the creature instead of the Creator (Rom. 1:25). And he who accepts the given earthly glory with pleasure and joy, and who rejoices in it, and who rejoices in his heart, will be condemned as a fornicator. After all, such a person is like a man who has chosen to be virgin and rejects communion with women and does not run to them and does not want to stay with them, but one certain wife who comes to him, immediately accepts with pleasure and is filled with the pleasure of copulation. It happens that the same happens with every other desire and with every other passion. He who voluntarily gives himself up to envy, or the love of money, or jealousy, or enmity, or any other evil, will not receive the crown of righteousness (2 Tim. 4:8). For God, being just, cannot bear the unjust to have partners with Himself, and, being pure, is not defiled by the impure, and, being the beginning of dispassion, is not conformed to the passionate, and, being holy, does not enter into a vicious soul. The vicious one, however, has taken the grain of vicious seed into his heart and bears fruit the thorns and thistles of sin to the devil, the burning of eternal fire (Heb. 6:8), which is envy, hatred, remembrance, malice, jealousy, disobedience, self-conceit, vanity (Phil. 2:3 ), arrogance, cunning, curiosity, slander, and if he does anything, - with pleasure through the despicable passion of the body and defiles his inner person, according to the word of the Lord (Rom. 7:22, Eph. 3:16).

But let it not be, brethren, that we ever bring such tares, having received in laziness the seed of vice in our hearts. Let us bring 30-, 60-, 100-fold fruits to Christ, cultivated in us by the Spirit, which are love, joy, peace, truth, kindness, long-suffering, faith, meekness, temperance; eat the bread of knowledge, and grow in virtues, and reach human perfection, the measure of the full stature of Christ (Eph. 4:13), to whom all glory is due forever. Amen.

Simeon the New Theologian did not seem to say anything new, did not make original and loud statements, but in his speech, instructing, obviously, his contemporaries, he showed once again that no one canceled the commandment of God, that it does not cease to be relevant, but on the contrary, it is always necessary not only for the existence of a person on earth, but also for his own salvation and gaining the Kingdom of God. And as in the 4th century St. Ephraim the Syrian says that “Blessed is the man in whom there is the love of God, because he carries God within himself. In whom love, together with God, is above all, he never abhors anyone, small and great, glorious and inglorious, poor and rich: on the contrary, he himself is trash for everyone; “he covers everything, endures everything”, he does not exalt himself before anyone, does not puff himself up, does not slander anyone himself and turns away his hearing from those who slander, he does not flatter, he does not stumble himself and does not stumble his brother’s feet, does not compete, does not envy " . So St. Basil the Great, continuing the theme of love, utters the same thought that sounds ten centuries later from Simeon the New Theologian: “Love has two remarkable means: to grieve and suffer because a loved one suffers harm, and also to rejoice and work for the good beloved. Therefore, blessed is he who weeps for the sinner, who through this is exposed to terrible danger; and rejoice in those who do well.” St. Simeon will repeat it. He sets as an example to follow people who wept over their sinning brothers, accepted their sins upon themselves, asking forgiveness from God for them, and did not even want to be saved themselves, without them, being connected with them by true gospel love, which Christ commanded and actually fulfilled His words with their lives. This is how they already on earth became "partakers of the Holy Spirit", "heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven", "joint-heirs of Christ".

Many may, however, hastily say: “Christ is God, it is easy for Him to love,” but we are given examples of the life of people who are no different from us, not just as an example to follow, because Christ really remains the only example, but to strengthen our strength saints become open to the world, who do not desire any earthly glory, but seek only the path to salvation, the path to Christ. And I want to believe that what we know will not become just a part of history, but a real guide to life.

St. Basil the Great "Spiritual Instructions", M., 1998.

Brothers and fathers, if someone pretends to be virtuous for the deceit and destruction of many, he is in reality unhappy, condemned and vile by God and people; but it is evident that he who feigns some passion, being impassive, after the example of the ancient fathers, for the sake of the salvation of many, is happy and worthy of praise. For as the devil in the guise of a serpent and adviser, it seems to someone good and helping, but in truth, since he (the serpent) is deadly and deprives a person of all the fruits in paradise, he turned out to be a theomachist and a murderer; in the same way, the one who, under the guise of vice and apparently speaking bad words, in order to find out what the devil is doing with those who pretend to be virtuous, to turn those who do evil to repentance and salvation and recognition of their sin, he clearly becomes an imitator and employee of God , the savior of people. But this is only the business of those whose attitude to the perception of this air and the world and its affairs has become indifferent, whose mind does not feel [passion] for what is visible, but who humbly despised the body, [the cause] equal to the Angels, I say, completely united with God Wholly having Christ in themselves wholly - by deed, experience, feeling, knowledge and contemplation of God.

It is also shameful to eavesdrop or secretly spy on [what] your neighbor is doing, but [in the event] if it is in order to blaspheme [him], or consider him bad, or scold (blaming), mock on occasion what he saw and heard; but if it is in order to be sympathetic and wise, in the thought of correcting your neighbor and praying for him with tears from the heart, then such a thing is not (is) bad. I have seen a man who has many faults and invents many ways so that nothing done or said by those who were with him would be hidden from him, did this not to harm them, never in his life, but to [one] in a word, [ the other] with gifts, the third by some other trick to instruct the opposite case and reasoning. For I also saw such a [person]: now weeping because of one, then sighing for another, or hitting himself in the face and chest for someone, taking on the mask of a sinner in word and deed, no doubt (he was) how he who does evil condemned himself, and confessed to God, and fell down at his feet, and wept bitterly. And I saw another rejoicing with those [who] succeeded so that it seems that he himself, more than those, is going to receive a reward for virtues and labors. About those who fall in word and deed, and who remain in evil, he was sad and mourned so much that it seems that only he in truth should repay for everyone and will be punished.

And I saw a man who so longed and desired the salvation of his brothers that often with hot tears from the bottom of his heart he asked the philanthropic God either to help (save them), or to condemn him together with them, imitating God and Moses, not wanting salvation only for himself . For by holy love in the Holy Spirit they were so bound together that they preferred not to enter the Kingdom of Heaven alone and be set apart from them. Oh holy bonds, oh great power, oh soul, having care for heavenly things, it would be better to say - about God, carried away by God, in love for God and neighbor.

So, whoever has not yet reached this love and has not found even a trace of it in his own soul, has not felt its full presence, [he] still on earth, in the earthly and even underground, turned out to be hidden, like a mole, obviously blind, and himself, like the one who listens only by ear to what is said on earth.

O misfortune that, born of God and receiving immortality from Him and becoming partners in the heavenly calling and chosen and co-heirs of Christ, we have not yet felt such great blessings received by us, but insensibly, so to speak, like iron put into the fire, or as an insensible the skin, unconsciously dipped into crimson paint, so we lie, being in the midst of such great blessings of God; recognizing that we have no awareness of [these blessings] in ourselves. And when we ascend [in pride] as already saved and listed as saints, pretending and embellishing and playing holiness, as if we are unhappily living on an orchestra or stage, we become like actors and adulteresses who, deprived of natural beauty, by rubbing and foreign colors are stupid hope to embellish themselves. But the features of the saints who are born again are completely different.

You need to know that just like a baby, when it comes out of its mother’s womb, it imperceptibly feels this air and goes straight to weeping and screaming automatically, so the one born again, having left this world as from a dark womb, having entered the spiritual, incorruptible light and completely bending a little into this world, he is immediately filled with inexpressible beauty and sheds (for joy) tears without pain, understanding, of course, from where he was saved and what kind of light he was awarded: for this is the beginning of his being numbered among the Christians.

Those who have not yet reached this beauty in knowledge and contemplation of God, have not yet found it in many perseverance, and suffering, and shedding tears, so that through these deeds, cleansed from sin, find it, and become completely one with it [become], and enter into union with her, how, tell me [frankly], how can they be called Christians at all?! Because they are not what they should be.

Since if what is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is a spirit, bodily born and became a man, but in order to become spiritual, one must think [about this], believe and strive, otherwise how will it really become a spiritual person and will be consider yourself a spiritual person? Unless secretly, like someone wearing a dirty cloak, he imprisons himself, but will be thrown out with his hands and feet bound, not as a son of light, but of flesh and blood, and will be sent into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. For he who received the opportunity to become the son of God and heir to the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal blessings, who understood in many ways through what deeds and commandments he should ascend to this dignity and glory, and neglected all this, preferring earthly and corruptible, and choosing the life of pigs, and considering that temporary glory is better than everlasting - what is unjust in that from all the faithful he will be separated and condemned along with all the unbelievers and the devil?

Therefore, I call on all of you, brothers and fathers, hurry while there is time and we live, fight to become sons of God, to become children of the light - for this is what gives us the birth again - hate the flesh and the suffering born of it, hate all evil desires and greed, down to the most insignificant form and deed. We can do this if we think of the greatness of the glory, the joy, and the blessings that we have to receive. For what, tell me, is more important in heaven and on earth than to become a son of God and his heir and joint heir with Christ? Absolutely nothing! But due to the fact that we prefer earthly goods and what is in our hands (material, material), and do not seek the goods that are in heaven, and are not attached by desire to them, we clearly show by visible evidence that at first we are overcome by the disease of unbelief. , as it is written: “How can you believe in the glory received from people, but do not seek the glory of the One God?” - after that, having become slaves of passions, we are nailed to the earth and everything that is on it (earthly things), and we completely refuse to desire the heavenly and the Divine, but in the madness of the soul we reject the Divine commandments and are deprived of His adoption. For what could be more foolish than to disobey God and not rush to achieve His adoption? For he who believes that there is a God represents something great about Him. After all, he knows that He alone is the Lord and Creator and the Lord Himself (Lord) of everything, that He is immortal, eternal, incomprehensible, invisible, imperishable, and His Kingdom will have no end. He who really knows this about God, how can he not desire Him? How will he not hasten to lay down his soul in death for His love, in order to be worthy - I do not say "become His son and heir" - but to become one of His faithful servants standing next to Him? If, however, everyone who keeps all the commandments of God without blemish is a child of God and becomes a son of God, born again and truly faithful, and a Christian is recognized by all. But we despise the commandments of God and reject His laws, according to which He, having come with glory and with terrible power, will immediately punish, and we show ourselves in faith by our unfaithful deeds, in unbelief that we are faithful only in words. For faith alone will not help us in the least, because it is dead, and the dead will not become heirs of life if they do not seek it first by deed and by keeping the commandments. By these deeds, a certain fruit is grown within us that gives a great harvest: love, mercy, compassion for others, meekness, humility, patience, chastity, purity of heart - through which we will be granted the vision of God, and in which the presence of the Holy Spirit and brilliance, and which (purity of heart) gives birth to us from above, and fills [us] with the sons of God, and kindles a lamp, and shows us children of light, and frees souls from darkness, and, of course, makes us partakers of eternal life.

So, let us not neglect doing the commandments of the Lord, relying on some deeds and virtues alone - I am talking about fasting, vigil, lying on the ground and various other sufferings - as if we have the opportunity to be saved through those separately from this [ fulfillment of the commandments]. It's impossible, yes it's impossible. Let the five foolish virgins convince you, and those who have done many signs and wonders in the name of Christ, [who], not having the love and grace of the Holy Spirit in themselves, heard from the Lord: “Depart from Me, you workers of iniquity! For I do not know where you come from!” And not only these, but also many others with them, who were baptized by the holy apostles and the saints who followed the apostles, neither the grace of the Holy Spirit, nor the primacy due to wickedness, and did not accept the lot of worthy life, by which they were chosen, and did not manifest themselves as children of God, but remained, being flesh and blood, not believing that there could be a Holy Spirit in any way at all, or not seeking or expecting to receive [His grace]. Such - not the masters of the desires of the flesh and spiritual passions - will never have strength, they will never be able to show strength in virtues, for the Lord says: "You cannot do anything apart from Me." But I call you, fathers and brothers, let us hasten as best we can, so that we can already become heirs of the Holy Spirit and become worthy of His gifts, in order to receive both present blessings and future ones, through the grace and love of mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ, to Him be glory forever. centuries. Amen.

Translation by E.A. Kozlova

Magazine "Beginning" No. 12, 2002

The pagination of this e-book matches the original.

Saint Simeon the New Theologian

CREATIONS

t. Ι.

WORDS

WORD FIRST. 1. What was Adam's crime? 2. How did all men become corruptible and mortal because of his transgression? 3. How did the merciful and philanthropic God, through the economy of the incarnation, deliver the human race from corruption and death? 4. And what is the sacrament of the cross and the three-day burial of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ? 21

WORD SECOND. 1. That human nature, through the incarnation of the Son and God the Word, comes back into good being, that is, into that good and divine state in which it was before Adam's transgression. 2. Also about natural, written and spiritual law. 3. More about how anyone can come into prosperity. 4. And what works by doing, can we enter the kingdom of heaven. 27

WORD THIRD. 1. About the fact that we should test ourselves, whether we have the beatitudes of Christ, because they (the virtues indicated by them) are the sign of the seal (of Christ). 32

WORD FOUR. 1. About the fact that the death of the soul is the removal of the Holy Spirit from it, but the sting of this death is a sin; and that the death and corruption of the body is likened to the death and corruption of the soul. 2. And what are the signs of the deadness and liveliness of the soul. 3. About how corruption and death are taken away, and about the fact that death is now not destroyed, but trampled down and made insignificant. 4. About how the bodies of the reposed saints are glorified after death, also about the resurrection and the righteous judgment of God. 44

WORD FIVE. 1. What is autonomy that God gave to man in the beginning? 2. And after the fall, what is left in man from this autocracy? 57

WORD SIX. 1. What is sickness in the body, sin in the soul. 2. Just as we have a bodily feeling, so it is necessary that the soul should have a spiritual feeling and feel both its sickness and health. 3. Whoever does not have a spiritual sense and does not feel whether his soul is sick or healthy, he is not yet a Christian, although he is called a Christian, for the direct fruit of the Christian faith is the health of the soul. 63

WORD SEVENTH. 1. God, out of His excessive love for people, subjected them to various hardships in this life. 2. Poverty is a blessing from a holy God. 3. Whoever blasphemes poverty denies Christianity and does not want to be a Christian. 4. Necessity insists that Christians have sorrows and troubles.

WORD EIGHT. 1. To keep in mind what is read in the divine Scripture is the operation of the power of God. 2. About prayer and reading. 3. How should a Christian pray? 69

WORD NINE. 1. The biggest sin is to pray without the fear of God, without reverence and attention. Those who allow it do not properly know God. 2. In order to know God, divine light is required. 3. Every person sins in mind, word and deed. In order to be protected from sins, it is necessary first of all to heal the mind. 74

WORD TENTH. 1. God did not create the weak in the beginning of man, so that he sinned through weakness, as he sins now. 2. One is the sin of Adam, and another is the other sins with which we sin today. 3. What has been given to us by Christ, and what is sin? 4. For this reason, God became a man, so that he would abolish the works of the devil. 81

WORD ELEVEN. 1. The holy father writes this word to one of the lay disciples and teaches how to honor the holy spiritual fathers. 2. What must be done to find a real spiritual father? 3. And having found him, how should he be treated? 92

WORD TWELVE. 1. He who repents of his sins will not receive any benefit if he does not seek to receive from Christ the Lord and the healing of that infirmity for which he sins. 2. Whatever a person does in real life, he does it in vain, if it does not contribute to the health of his soul. 3. How does sin happen according to our will and without our will? 121

WORD THIRTEEN. 1. Medicine that heals the soul is one, and not many of them. 2. People sin in four ways. 3. Salvation of all in the single will of God; but man has nothing in himself by which he himself could be saved. 126

WORD FOURTEEN. 1. What does God require of a Christian? 2. What harm has a person suffered and is suffering from the devil, but does not know it? 3. All people are ill in soul and do not understand it. 4. They need to know their ailments in order to seek a doctor. 5. The cunning devil sets up his temptations like a bait before people. 6. Why do not all Christians excel in the virtues? 133

WORD FIFTEEN. 1. There are seven classes of persons for whom the prayer of the Church for their salvation is needed. 2. Those who pray to God, but meanwhile do not know what they are asking for, are not heard. 3. Those who do not pray in the spirit labor in vain. 141

WORD SIXTEEN. 1. Who is a true Christian? 2. A Christian who loves fame or pleasure or money is not a true Christian. 3. Christians need to bear sensitive hardships and exploits in order to free themselves from these passions. 4. Every good deed must be done for the purpose of receiving the grace of Christ and holiness. 5. Praying with attention is a gift from God. 6. Sinners are enemies of God, from whom He turns away. 149

WORD SEVENTEEN. 1. Whatever good a person does, good comes to him himself. 2. How do we know if God has accepted our fasting, prayers and alms? 3. How should we sing and pray? 4. Sanctification and freedom are given to the soul through faith. 5. The soul of psalmody should be humility. 6. How is the grace of God extinguished? 158

WORD EIGHTEEN. 1. Faith in seven meanings is used. 2. Through faith a person is made worthy of the grace of God. 3. It is impossible to please God without faith. 167

WORD NINETEEN. 1. The soul is cleansed through faith and the fulfillment of the commandments of Christ. 2. She is clothed from above with the descending power of the Holy Spirit and is made worthy to see God. 3. Those who wish to receive good from God should endure with joy every sorrow, suffering and temptation that meets them. 4. Everyone should consider himself, whether he is worthy to enter into the kingdom of heaven. 173

WORD TWENTIE. 1. Who are those who truly love God, from what is love for God born and how is it revealed? 2. What are the deeds of love towards God's neighbors? 3. Love is the head of the law. 181

WORD TWENTY-ONE. 1. About almsgiving: who satisfies God when He is hungry, and gives drink when He is thirsty, and how can such things be done? 2. He who shows mercy only to the poor, and does not show mercy to himself, does not receive real benefit, leaving himself neglected, naked from every good deed and from the grace of God. 185

WORD TWENTY-TWO. 1. First we must receive the grace of Christ, and then we can already walk the life according to God. 2. How are they worthy of this grace? 3. Who is in sin and who is in grace? 4. Every sin is from the devil, but good is from Christ. 5. What is the head of the virtues, and what are their feet? 199

WORD TWENTY-THREE. 1. People are enslaved to three passions: love of money, love of glory and voluptuousness. 208

WORD TWENTY-FOUR. 1. God did not create anyone to be a slave of another person, much less demons. 2. About wordless anger and lust, and from what a person is exposed to them. 3. Just as bodily vision requires healthy eyes, a balanced distance, clean air and the light of the sun, so intellectual vision requires all this mentally. 217

WORD TWENTY-FIVE. 1. About passionate, unfaithful and crafty, or evil mood. 2. What is the union of God with the sons of light, and how does it happen? 232

WORD TWENTY-SIX. 1. Concerning repentance and against those who crookedly interpret the following words of the divine Paul: foresee them, foresee them and so on (Rom. 8:29 et seq.). 241

WORD TWENTY-SEVEN. 1. Soulful instructions for every Christian. 245

WORD TWENTY-EIGHT. 1. Every sin is ungodliness, and every sinner is ungodly. 2. Christ died to heal people from their sins. 3. To be called only Christians, this comes to us from our ancestors and from the Christian race. 249

WORD TWENTY-NINE. 1. He who seeks from God, but does not know what he is seeking, seeks in vain. 2. How to pray for the kingdom of God? 3. The soul, worthy of the kingdom, must feel this with feeling and show it in deed. 4. Who is evil, and how can one get rid of his slavery? 5. How is the resurrection of the soul accomplished? 259

WORD THIRTY. 1. How many kinds of knowledge about God and what are they? 2. We ought to know what God is, but what He is we must not ask. 3. To be a Christian, one must believe and be baptized. 4. Who is called and is a Christian, and who is called, but is not a Christian? 5. Whoever does not do the will of Christ the Savior is not a Christian. 6. Unrighteous Christians are worse than Jews. 268

WORD THIRTY-ONE. 1. There are two chief works, of which destruction is in one, salvation in the other. 2. Pride grows with a person. 3. Everyone needs to realize that he is nothing. 4. The main feature of a Christian is humility. 5. There are two sacrifices acceptable to God, without which there is no salvation. 6. What is the sign that someone is drawing near to God? 274

WORD THIRTY-TWO. 1. Sent to a certain Christian brother - about repentance, which shows what needs to be done to someone who, after falling into sin and acquiring an evil habit, repented and initiated correction. 279

WORD THIRTY-THREE. 1. To those who partake of the divine Mysteries. - And who takes communion unworthily. 285

WORD THIRTY-FOUR. 1. About the words of the Apostle Paul: redeeming time, as the days of the cunning are(Ephesians 5:16). 2. How does anyone rationally atone for the time of the present life? 293

WORD THIRTY-FIVE. 1. About words: the first man from the earth, the ring; second man Lord from heaven(1 Cor. 15:47). 2. How do we put off the earthly man and put on Christ, and become His relatives and brothers? 301

WORD THIRTY-SIX. 1. God will judge on the day of judgment, as sinners, those who do not seek to receive the grace of God. 2. The power of sin is incomprehensible. 3. Christ uses the members of Christians as instruments. 307

WORD THIRTY-SEVEN. 1. Man lost the truth after he was expelled from paradise. 2. What is the sin of the devil, and what is the sin of Adam? 3. Man is sinful from his very conception. 4. And is reborn by the Holy Spirit in holy Baptism. 5. What did the kings and prophets desire before the coming of Christ? 6. The spiritual father must first announce those who confess and teach the sacrament of faith, and then impose penance. 7. Every Christian needs to receive divine change. 316

WORD THIRTY-EIGHT. 1. Each of us must know that he is Adam in order to be Christ. 2. The sacrament of the incarnation of the Son and the Word of God aims to re-create those who believe in Him and make them incorruptible and immortal. 3. God's determinations are made by the law of nature. 4. Which ordinances of God are again canceled by Him and in what way? 322

WORD THIRTY-NINE. 1. How to understand: the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom? 2. What are the signs and deeds of faithful and God-fearing people? 3. What are the signs and deeds of unbelieving people and not fearing God? 4. Who is the dead who does not live according to God? 5. Just as we have being from God, so we can only receive well-being from Him. 328

WORD FORTY. 1. Temperance is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe in Christ ought to know that they receive gifts of the Holy Spirit from Him, so that those who do not know that they receive gifts from Christ believe in vain. 333

WORD FORTY-ONE. 1. About the holidays, and how should they be celebrated? 2. Against those who boast of festivities. 3. What is meant by what happens during them? 4. To those who partake of the Most Pure Mysteries worthily and unworthily. 5. How does it happen that one is united with God through Holy Communion, while another is not united? 6. What is the difference between those who partake worthily and those who partake unworthily? 343

WORD FORTY-TWO. 1. What is the sacrament of the Resurrection of Christ? How does the Resurrection of Christ take place in us, and how does the resurrection of the soul take place along with it? - Said on Tuesday of the second week of Easter. 348

WORD FORTY-THREE. 1. About the changes of the soul and body that come from the elements, food and demons. 355

WORD FORTY-FOUR. 1. The devil fights against people with five wiles. 2. Every good deed that a man does should be done either to please God or to thank Him. 3. Whoever seeks to be saved must strive. 4. In which people the King of all and God reigns, and in which he does not reign. 367

WORD FORTY-FIVE. 1. About the creation of the world and the creation of Adam. 2. About the transgression of the commandment and expulsion from paradise. 3. About the incarnate economy of the Lord, and how He became incarnate for us. 4. How is the whole creation to be renewed again? 5. What is this luminous state that the whole creation has to perceive again? 6. How is it that the saints unite with Christ and our God and become one with Him? 7. What is the upper world, and how will it be filled, and when will the end come? 8. Until all who are predestined to be born until the very last day― Until then, the upper world will not be filled. 9. To the words of the gospel: “become like the kingdom of heaven to a king, and marry your son” (Mt. 22:2 et seq.). 10. The saints will know one another after the resurrection. 419

WORD FORTY-SIX. 1. Through regeneration in divine Baptism, the souls of believers are again quickened and, receiving the Holy Spirit as the soul of the soul, bear the fruits of the Spirit of life. Those who bear fruit evil are condemned together with the unbaptized. 424

WORD FORTY-SEVEN. 1. No one should be told that at the present time it is impossible for anyone who wants to rise to the top of virtue and imitate the ancient saints. 433

WORD FORTY-EIGHT. 1. Let no one dare to think that it is possible to be saved by faith alone, without doing good works. 442

WORD FORTY-NINE. 1. About spiritual knowledge, and that the treasure of the Spirit is hidden in the letter of the divine Scripture, and obviously not for everyone, but only for those who have acquired the grace of the Holy Spirit into their souls. 449

WORD FIFTETH. 1. One should not go through the work of the commandments of God with negligence, but one should strive to keep them all. 2. Temptations must be endured generously. 461

WORD FIFTY-ONE. 1. Man must first receive power from Christ through holy baptism and then take up the fulfillment of the commandments, for holy baptism makes those who are baptized either completely immobile, or difficult to move towards evil, just like the second baptism of repentance. Also what should be the priests.

WORD FIFTY-TWO. 1. What are these inexpressible verbs that the Apostle Paul heard? 2. What is the essence of goodness, which the eye does not see, the ear does not hear, and does not arise in the heart of a man? 3. What is the kingdom of God, and how does it effectively appear in us? 467

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