27 July- Commemorating St. Simeon the Stylite (Mar Shemavoon Desthuni)
The liturgical calendar of the Indian Orthodox Church commemorates on July 27th, one of the most famous of the “pillar-hermits” - St. Simeon the Stylite who was renowned for extreme ascetism and holy life. We also remember him in the 5th Thubden- “..and Mar BarSauma, the chief among the mourners and Mar Simeon the Stylite…”
St Simeon the Stylite was born near the end of the fourth century at Sis, near Nicopolis, in Northern Syria. It is said that before his mother had conceived of him, St. John the Baptist appeared to her in a dream and told her of her conception and what her son would become.
Having been a shepherd since young age, he entered the monastery to initiate his monastic life at the age of sixteen (some mention as eighteen) and led a great ascetic life in worship and prayer. During his life in the monastery, when other monks finished the night prayers and proceeded to sleep, St. Simeon would stand weighed down with a stone hung to his neck, keeping vigil. When it was time for the others to arise, he would remove the stone and join in the prescribed service. One night, as he was putting the stone on his neck, he fell asleep.
Deeply annoyed at himself because he yielded to what he regarded as satanic temptation, St. Simeon obtained a rounded piece of wood and he stood on it during the nightly vigil, so that if he should fall asleep, the wood, rolling, might awaken him. These severe practices aroused the resentment of the monks, who would have him to do only as the monastery rules commanded.
St Simeon then withdrew from the monastery and lived in an empty cave in the nearby mountains, carrying on with his ascetic struggles. Once he decided to spend the entire Great Lent without food or drink. With the help of the merciful Lord, St Simeon was able to endure this strict fast. He would pray standing all the time as long as his limbs were able to support.
There is a quote attributed to the great and famous Indian philosopher and teacher- Chanakya and it says thus: “The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction.” Perhaps this was the reason that multitude of pilgrims came to his abode, asking for his counsel or his prayers, which left him insufficient time for his own devotions.
Shunning worldly glory and striving again to find his lost solitude, St Simeon became determined him to adopt a new way of life. He had a pillar erected with a small platform at the top, and upon this he determined to take up his abode until his death. At first the pillar was little more than nine feet high, but it was subsequently replaced by others, the last in the series being apparently over fifty feet from the ground.
Around the pillar a double wall was raised, which hindered the unruly crowd of people from coming too close and disturbing his prayerful concentration. Women, in general, were not permitted beyond the wall. St Simeon did not make an exception even for his own mother!
She had undertaken long and often unsuccessful searches in finding her son. When she finally found him on the pillar, St Simeon pleaded that he would not see her. He said to her, “If we are worthy, we shall see one another in the life to come.” His mother (whose name was Martha), accepted her son’s will and remained at the foot of the pillar in silence and prayer, and where she breathed her last. St Simeon asked that her coffin be brought to him. He reverently bid farewell to his departed mother, and a joyful smile appeared on her face.
After spending many years in intense ascetic struggles, St Simeon reposed in the Lord in around AD 459.
By the prayers of our holy father among the saints- St Simeon the Stylite, Lord have mercy upon us.
In Christ,
Rincy John
(Compiled)
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