In the history of Christianity, the third spiritual writer to whose name the title of Theologian is attached is the Monk Simeon the New Theologian. The Holy Father, through oral and later written teachings, preached his personal experience of intimate communion with the Lord. Russian Orthodox people became acquainted with the works of Simeon the New Theologian thanks to the translation works of Bishop Theophan the Recluse, who appreciated the holy father for the fact that... “the venerable one inspires jealousy for the inner life of grace... And he explains everything so clearly that it unquestioningly captivates the mind.” The proposed first book of the three-volume set includes a translation of forty-four sermons - “Words”, which are preceded by a lengthy work by 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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The given introductory fragment of the book Works of St. Simeon the New Theologian. Words and hymns. Book One (Simeon the New Theologian) provided by our book partner - the company liters.
Life of St. Simeon the New Theologian
Compiled by his student Nikita Stifat (abbreviated)
The Monk 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 of solitude. When he grew up, his parents sent him to Constantinople to his relatives, not the least at court. There he was apprenticed and soon completed the so-called grammar courses. He should have switched to philosophical ones, but he refused them, afraid of being carried away into something indecent by the influence of fellowship. The uncle with whom he lived did not force him, but hastened to introduce him to the career path, which in itself is a rather strict science for those who are attentive. He introduced him to the self-brother kings Vasily and Constantine the Porphyrogenitus, and they included him in the rank of courtiers.
But the Monk Simeon cared little about the fact that he became one of the royal synclite. His desires were directed toward something else, and his heart lay elsewhere. While still studying, he became acquainted with Elder Simeon, whose name was Reverence, visited him often and used his advice in everything. It was all the more free and at the same time necessary for him to do this now. His sincere desire was to quickly devote himself to a world-denying life, but the elder persuaded him to have patience, waiting for this good intention to mature and take deeper root, because he was still very young. He did not leave him with advice and guidance, gradually preparing him for monasticism and among 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. One day, handing him a book of the writings of Mark the Ascetic, the elder pointed out to him various sayings in them, advising him to think about them more carefully and guide his behavior according to them. Among them was the following: if you always want to have soul-saving guidance, listen to your conscience and urgently carry out what it will inspire you. The Monk Simeon took this saying to his heart as if it had come from the mouth of God Himself, and he decided to strictly listen and obey his conscience, believing that, being the voice of God in the heart, it always inspires one thing that saves the soul. From then 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 of it as was necessary to maintain life. So he went deeper and deeper into himself and into the realm of God. At this time he was granted that grace-filled enlightenment, which he himself describes in his word on faith, speaking as if about another certain young man. Here the grace of God allowed him to taste more fully the sweetness of life according to God and thereby suppressed the taste for everything earthly.
After this, it was natural for him to feel a strong impulse to leave the world. But the elder did not deem it good to satisfy this impulse immediately and convinced him to endure more and more.
Six years passed like this. It happened that he needed to leave for his homeland, and he came to the elder to receive the blessing. Although the elder told him that now was the time to enter monasticism, he did not keep him from visiting his homeland. The Monk Simeon gave his word that as soon as he returned, he would leave the world. On the way, he took the “Ladder” of St. as a guide. John Climacus. Arriving at his homeland, he did not get carried away with everyday affairs, but continued the same strict and solitary life, for which the domestic order gave great scope. There was a church nearby, and next to the cell’s church and not far from it there was a cemetery. In this cell he secluded himself - he prayed, read and devoted himself to the thought of God.
At one time he read in the holy “Ladder”: insensibility is the mortification of the soul and the death of the mind before bodily death, and he became zealous to banish this disease of insensibility from his soul forever. For this purpose, he went out to the cemetery at night and prayed fervently there, thinking together about death and the future judgment, as well as about the fact that the dead, on whose tombs he prayed, were now dead who were alive like him. To this he added a stricter fast and a longer and more vigorous vigil. Thus, he kindled within himself the spirit of life according to God, and its burning kept him constantly in a state of contrite tenderness, which did not allow insensibility. If it happened that cooling was approaching, he hurried to the cemetery, cried and sobbed, beating his chest, and did not get up from his place until the usual tender contrition returned. The fruit of this course of action was that the image of death and mortality was so deeply imprinted in his consciousness that he looked at himself and others no differently than at the dead. Because of this, no beauty captivated him, and ordinary carnal movements froze 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 asked him to stay at home while he saw him off to the next world, but when he saw where his son’s fiery desire was heading, he said goodbye to him with love and a willing blessing.
The time of returning to Constantinople was for St. Simeon the time of renunciation of the world and entry into the monastery. The elder received him with fatherly hugs 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 God’s pledge, the elder led him into one small cell, more like a tomb, and there he outlined for him the rules of the cramped and regrettable monastic life. He told him: look, my son, if you want to be saved, go to church unforgettably and stand there with reverent prayer, without turning here and there and without 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, death and judgment. - In his severity, the elder observed, however, a prudent measure, taking care that his pet did not have an addiction even to strict feats. Why sometimes he assigned him obediences that were difficult and humiliating, and sometimes light and honest; sometimes he intensified his fasting and vigil, and sometimes he forced him to eat his fill and sleep enough, in every possible way accustoming him to renounce his will and his own orders.
The Monk Simeon sincerely loved his elder, honored him as a wise father and did not deviate even a hair's breadth from his will. He was so in awe of him that he kissed the place where the elder prayed, and he humbled himself so deeply before him that he did not consider himself worthy to approach and touch his clothes.
This kind of life is not without special temptations, and the enemy soon began to build them for him. He brought upon him heaviness and relaxation throughout his whole body, followed by dissipation and clouding of thoughts to the point that it seemed to him that he could neither stand, nor open his lips to prayer, nor listen to church services, nor even express his grief to his mind. . Realizing that this state did not resemble either the usual fatigue from work or illness, the monk armed himself against it with patience, forcing himself not to relax himself in anything, but, on the contrary, to strain himself to do the opposite of what was suggested as a beneficial means of restoring his normal state . The struggle, with the help of God and the prayers of the elder, was crowned with victory. God consoled him with this vision: like a cloud rose up from his feet and dissipated in the air, and he felt vigorous, alive and so light that it was as if he had no body. The temptation passed away, and the monk, in gratitude to the Savior, decided from then on never to sit down during divine services, although this is permitted by the charter.
Then the enemy raised a carnal war against him, confusing him with thoughts, disturbing him with movements of the flesh, and in his sleep he presented him with 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 stood up, pityingly persuading him to moderate his severity or even leave monasticism altogether. But this not only did not detract from his usual exploits, but, on the contrary, strengthened them in some parts, especially in relation to solitude, withdrawal from everyone and prayer.
Finally, the enemy armed the brethren of the monastery, his companions, against him, 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 disapproved, with reproaches and ridicule, more behind his back, and sometimes even to his face. The Monk Simeon paid no attention to either praise or reproach, or veneration or dishonor, and strictly adhered to the rules of internal and external life established by the advice of his elder. And the elder often renewed his convictions to him to be firm and to endure everything courageously, and especially to try to tune his soul in such a way that it would most of all be meek, humble, simple and gentle, because the grace of the Holy Spirit usually dwells in such souls only. Hearing such a promise, the monk intensified his zeal for life according to God.
Meanwhile, the displeasure of the brothers grew and grew, the number of dissatisfied people multiplied, so that the abbot sometimes pestered them. Seeing that the temptation was intensifying, the elder transferred his pupil to the then famous Anthony, abbot of the monastery of St. Mamant, limiting his leadership to observation from afar and frequent visits. And here the life of the Monk Simeon flowed in the usual order for him. His success in asceticism, not only external, but especially internal, became obvious and gave hope that in the future his jealousy for this would not weaken in him.
Why did the elder finally decide to make him a full monk through tonsure and endowment with the schema?
This joyful event renewed and strengthened the ascetic virtues of the saint. He devoted himself entirely to solitude, reading, prayer and contemplation of God; I ate nothing but vegetables and seeds for a whole week and only went to the fraternal meal on Sundays; slept little, on the floor, laying only sheepskin on top of matting; On Sundays and holidays he performed all-night vigils, standing in prayer from evening until morning and throughout the entire day without giving himself rest; He never uttered an idle word, but always maintained extreme attention and sober self-absorption; He sat all locked in his cell, and if he went outside to sit on the bench, he seemed to be drenched in tears and had on his face the reflection of a prayer flame; I read most of the lives of the saints and, having read, sat down to do needlework - calligraphy, copy something for the monastery and elders or for myself; with the first blow of the simandra he got up and hurried to the church, where with all prayerful attention he listened to the liturgical sequence; when there was a Liturgy, he received Holy Communion every time Mysteries of Christ and all that day he remained in prayer and contemplation of God; He usually stayed awake until midnight and, having slept a little, went to prayer together with the brethren in church; During Lent, he spent five days without food, but on Saturday and Sunday he went to the 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.
He had already lived like this for two years in a new monastery for him, growing in good morals and asceticism and becoming rich in the knowledge of the Divine mysteries of salvation through reading the Word of God and the patristic writings, through his own thoughts on God and conversation with the revered elders, especially with his Simeon the Reverent and Abbot Anthony. These elders finally decided that it was time for the Monk Simeon to share with others the treasures of spiritual wisdom he had acquired, and they entrusted him with obedience - to speak teachings in church for the edification of the brethren and all Christians. Even before, from the very beginning of his asceticism, along with extracting from the fatherly writings everything that he considered useful for himself, he also wrote down his own thoughts, which multiplied in him during the hours of his contemplation; but now such an activity became 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 presented them clearly for everyone, in no way, however, without detracting from the simplicity of his speech their height and depth. Even the elders listened to him with pleasure.
A little later, his constant leader, Simeon the Reverent, had the desire to consecrate him with priestly ordination. By the same time, the abbot of the monastery had died, and the brethren with a common voice elected the Monk Simeon to take his place. So at one time he accepted priestly ordination and was elevated to the abbess by the then Patriarch Nicholas Chrysoverg. Not without fear and tears, he accepted these supposed promotions, but in reality they were unbearable burdens. He judged the priesthood and abbot not by their appearance, but by the essence of the matter, which is why he prepared to accept them with all attention, reverence and devotion to God. For such a good mood, he was vouchsafed, as he assured later, in the moments of his ordination, of the special mercy of God, a feeling of descending grace in his heart with the vision of a certain spiritual, formless light that overshadowed and penetrated him. This state was renewed in him later every time he celebrated the liturgy, throughout the forty-eight years of his priesthood, as they guess from his own words about another priest, with whom this happened.
Therefore, when they asked him what a priest and priesthood were, he answered with tears, saying: alas, my brothers! Why are you asking me about this? This is something that is scary to even think about. I bear the priesthood unworthily, but I know well what a priest should be. He must be pure in body, and even more so in soul, not stained by any sin, humble in outer disposition and contrite in heart in inner mood. When he celebrates the liturgy, he must contemplate God with his mind and fix his eyes on the Gifts that are presented; he must consciously dissolve in his heart with Christ the Lord, who exists there, in order to have filial boldness to converse with God the Father and cry out without condemnation: Our Father. This is what our holy father said to those who asked him about the priesthood and begged them not to seek this sacrament, high and terrible for the very Angels, before they came to an angelic state through many labors and exploits. It is 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 anything, not only in deed and word, but also in the innermost thoughts of your soul. And in this way, we can offer God a sacrifice every day, both for ourselves and for our neighbors, a contrite spirit, tearful prayers and supplications, this is our hidden sacred act, about which God rejoices and, accepting it into His heavenly altar, gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit. This is how he taught others, and he himself celebrated the liturgy in the same spirit; and when he performed the liturgy, his face became angelic and was so filled with light that it was impossible to freely look at him because of the excessive lightness emanating from him, just as one cannot freely look at the sun. There is true evidence of this from many of his students and non-students.
Having become the abbot 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 in good order, but after the renovation of the monastery, he cleaned it, renovated it, 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 having a special table; and in order for this to be more accurately fulfilled, he himself always went to the common meal, without, however, changing his usual fasting rule.
The brethren began to multiply, and he edified them by word, example and general well-ordered order, being jealous to present everyone as men of desire to God our Savior. God himself 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 copious 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 had a conversation privately or in church, his word went from heart to heart and was always effective and fruitful. He wrote it. He often sat up all night, composing theological discussions, or interpretations of the Divine Scriptures, or general edifying conversations and teachings, or prayers in verse, or letters to various disciples from the laity and monks. Sleep did not bother him, nor did hunger and thirst and other bodily needs. All this, through a long feat, was brought to the most modest measure and established by skill, like a law of nature. Despite, however, such deprivations, in appearance he always seemed fresh, full and alive, like those who eat and sleep well. The fame of him and his monastery spread everywhere and gathered to him all the zealots of the real world-denying life. He accepted everyone, edified them and raised them to perfection through his leadership. Many of them took up the task with all zeal and successfully followed their teacher. But everyone also imagined a host of disembodied Angels praising God and serving Him.
Having arranged his monastery in this way, the Monk Simeon had the intention of keeping silent, appointing a special abbot for the brethren. He chose in his place a certain Arseny, who had been tested and approved by him many times. good rules, in a good mood and the ability to conduct business. By handing over the burden of leadership to him, he general meeting He gave the brethren the necessary instructions on how to rule, and the brethren on how to be under his control, and, having asked forgiveness from everyone, he retired to the silent cell he had chosen for an inseparable stay with one God in prayer, contemplation of God, reading the Scriptures in sobriety and reasoning of thoughts. He had nothing to add to his exploits. They were always under tension to the greatest possible extent, but, of course, the grace that guided him in everything knew what rank was best for him to maintain in this new way of life, and instilled it in him. The gift of teaching, which had previously found satisfaction in private and church teachings, now turned all his attention and labor to writing. At this time he wrote more ascetic lessons in the form of short sayings, an example of which we have in his active and speculative chapters that have survived to us.
Until the end, however, the saint 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 its fire. His elder, Simeon the Reverent, his spiritual father and leader, departed to the Lord in extreme old age, after forty-five years of strict asceticism. The Monk Simeon, knowing his ascetic labors, purity of heart, approach and appropriation to God, and the grace of the Holy Spirit that overshadowed him, composed words of praise, songs and canons in his honor and brightly celebrated his memory every year, painting his icon. Perhaps his example was imitated by others in the monastery and outside the monastery, because he had many students and admirers among monks and laymen. The then Patriarch Sergius heard about this and, calling the Monk Simeon to him, asked about the holiday and what was being celebrated. But seeing what high life There was Simeon the Reverent, not only did he not resist the honoring of his memory, but he himself began to take part in it, sending lamps and incense. So sixteen years passed. In memory of the celebration, 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 educated scientifically and strong in speech, left the diocese, lived in Constantinople and was a member of the patriarch and the court. This man of this world, hearing how everywhere the wisdom and holiness of the Monk Simeon was praised and especially his wondrous writings, compiled for the teaching of those seeking salvation, was moved by envy against him. Having leafed through his writings, he found them unscientific and unrhetorical, which is why he spoke of them with contempt and rejected those who loved to read them from reading them. From denigrating the scriptures, he wanted to move on to denigrating the saint himself, but he found nothing reproachful in his life until his malice stopped at his custom of celebrating the memory of Simeon the Reverent. This custom seemed to him contrary to the orders of the Church and tempting. Some of the parish priests and laity agreed with him on this, and they all began to buzz in the ears of the patriarch and the bishops who were with him, raising the lawlessness of the righteous. But the patriarch and the bishops, knowing the work of the monk and knowing where and why this movement was coming from, did not pay attention to it. The one who started the evil deed, however, did not calm down and continued to spread displeasure in the city regarding this matter to the monk, not forgetting to remind the patriarch about it, 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 revered elder that could cast doubt on his holiness, and found that Simeon the Reverent sometimes in feelings of humility used to say: after all, temptations and falls happen to me too. He took these words in the rudest sense and came 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 it. They called the monk and demanded an explanation from him regarding the slander leveled against his elder. He answered: as for the celebration in memory of my father, who gave birth to me to live according to God, Your Holiness, my lord, knows this better than me; As for the slander, let the wise Stefan prove it with something stronger than what he says, and when he proves it, then I will speak out in defense of the elder I honor. I myself cannot help 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 let others act as they please. They were satisfied with this explanation, but gave the commandment to the monk to celebrate the memory of his elder as humbly as possible, without any solemnity.
That’s how things would have ended if it weren’t for this Stefan. The futility of his attacks haunted him; and he kept coming up with something and drawing the reverend to answers and explanations for another six years. By the way, he somehow got it out of his cell saint icon, where Simeon the Reverent was written in a host of other saints, overshadowed by Christ the Lord blessing them, and obtained from the patriarch and his synod that they, in the sights of the world, agreed to clean out the inscription above his face: saint. On this occasion, Stefan launched a whole persecution throughout the city against the icon of Simeon the Awesome, and zealots like him treated him exactly as happened in the days of the iconoclasts.
This movement took on an increasingly restless character, and there was no end to the pestering of the patriarch and bishops about it. Looking for ways to establish peace, they came to the idea that perhaps the removal of the Monk Simeon from Constantinople would be sufficient to calm minds and satisfy Stephen. Without seeing how he honors his elder, others will begin to forget about it, and then they will completely forget. Having decided 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 an area where there was an old church of St. Marina, and settled there. The owner of that place, one of the powerful archons, Christopher Fagura, a student and admirer of Simeon, was very happy when he heard about this choice. Therefore, he hurried there and completely reassured his spiritual father with the premises and the delivery of everything he needed. Moreover, on the advice of the monk, he dedicated the entire area to God and handed it over to him to build a monastery.
Meanwhile, in Constantinople, the reverends of the saint, having learned about his removal, were perplexed as to why this happened. The monk wrote to them how everything had happened, asking them not to worry about him, assuring them that everything was going for the better 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, when they came to the patriarch, they sought an explanation as to whether there was anything hostile and unrighteous in this matter 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 only one limitation that it should not be done so solemnly. As for its removal, it was considered beneficial as a means to suppress 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 in his presence repeated the same thing. The monk confirmed the words of the patriarch, assuring that he had nothing against anyone, especially against his most holy ruler, whose attention he always enjoyed, and immediately asked for a blessing to build the monastery he had already planned. These explanations calmed everyone concerned about the removal of the monk. The monk then wrote a peace message to Metropolitan Stephen, and general peace was restored.
From the patriarch, the monk and his friends were invited by the said Christopher to Fagura, where they all collected among themselves the amount required for the construction of the monastery. Then the construction itself hastily began 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 in silence with his usual deeds 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, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ, and appeared richly adorned with gifts of grace. Predictions came from him concerning certain individuals, which were justified by deeds; There were, through his prayers, many healings that he performed, commanding that the sick be anointed with oil from the lamp that glowed in front of the icon of St. Marina.
Thirteen years of the saint's stay in his new monastery passed, and the end of his life on earth approached. Feeling the proximity of his exodus, he called his disciples to him, gave them the proper instructions and, having received the Holy Mysteries of Christ, ordered the singing of the funeral service, during which he walked away praying, saying: in Your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit!
Thirty years later, his holy relics appeared (in 1050, 5th Indict), filled with heavenly fragrances and famous for their miracles. The Monk Simeon the New Theologian is commemorated on March 12, the day of his death.
His divinely wise writings were preserved and put into public use by his disciple Nikita Stifat, who was entrusted with this by the monk himself and who, even during his lifetime, copied them completely, as they were compiled, and collected them together.
OK. 949 – approx. 1022
Simeon the New Theologian (c. 949 - c. 1022) - Middle Byzantine theologian and ascetic writer, one of the greatest mystical writers of the Orthodox Church. Born in Paphlagonia, he came from a noble family. Simeon is his name in monasticism. Perhaps Simeon's worldly name was "George". Under the patronage of his uncle, he became a servant at the emperor's resting place (spafarocubilarius), and then a member of the synclite. After the death of his uncle, Simeon the New Theologian tried to join the brotherhood of the Studite Monastery and met there the elderly monk Simeon, nicknamed “the reverent,” who became his spiritual mentor. Returning to Paphlagonia in 976, Simeon performed various duties in the public service without breaking off relations with his mentor. When Simeon was approx. At the age of 27, he returned to Constantinople and entered the Studite monastery as a novice. However, Simeon's special affection for his mentor, Simeon the Reverent, caused discontent among the brethren and the abbot of the monastery, which traditionally attached great importance to the personal authority of the abbot and compliance with the routine, and after the demands made on Simeon to refuse the spiritual guidance of the mentor, he had to leave the Studite monastery. As a result, Simeon entered the monastery of St. Mamas of Xeroxerkes, remaining under the guidance of his mentor, where he was tonsured a monk under the name of Simeon, then ordained a priest and soon he was entrusted with instructing other monks, and then c. 980 he was elected abbot by the brethren of the monastery. By this time, Simeon began to gain fame among the monastic community and among the residents of Constantinople. After the death of Simeon the Reverent in 986/987, Simeon introduced the veneration of this elder, whose reputation was controversial. This, as well as Simeon’s insistence that real Christian life implies the same fullness of gifts that took place in the ancient Church, which is manifested in the need for a “tangible” presence of grace in the soul of a Christian, led to a conflict between him and part of the monastic brethren in the monastery St. Mamanta. During the patriarchate of Sisinnius II (995–998), thirty monks from the brethren of the monastery, during Simeon’s sermon, spoke out against him and complained to the patriarch. However, he sided with Simeon. Nevertheless, in 1005 Simeon left the abbess, transferring it to his disciple Arseny, but remained to live in the monastery. By the time of approx. 1003 marks the beginning of the conflict between Simeon and bishop. Stefan of Nicomedia, who belonged to an influential circle of Byzantine intellectuals. In order to supposedly reveal Simeon's theological ignorance, Stephen of Nicomedia, having met him, asked the question whether the Son was separated from the Father “by thought or deed”; choosing either of these options could result in a charge of heresy. Simeon, understanding Stephen's plan, promised to respond in writing after retiring to his cell. The answer was the 21st Hymn of Simeon, in which he points out that only by being enlightened by prayer can one speak about God, but then comes the awareness of the antinomy of the Divine reality and that the way of distinguishing between the hypostases of the Trinity is beyond the possibility of expression in words; Stephen’s very question, according to Simeon, testifies to his heresy. The answer irritated Stephen, and he brought Simeon's case to the Synod for consideration. As a result of this, as well as the complaints of some monks of their monastery of St. Mamant, all the icons of Simeon the Reverent were destroyed, and Simeon himself in 1009 was expelled from Constantinople and the monastery of St. Mamant and settled in an abandoned monastery at the church of St. Marina near Chrysopolis . In exile, Simeon wrote several apologetic works. However, soon, in 1010 or 1011. Simeon's case was reviewed and he returned to Constantinople, where he was offered to again become abbot in the monastery of St. Mamantos and even take the episcopal see, but he refused and again retired to the monastery of St. Marina, where he died. Simeon left an extensive literary heritage, distinguished by the deepest theological and mystical content. These are 34 “Catechetical Words” (words pronounced during the abbess at the monastery of St. Mamas), 2 “Thanksgivings” (which are the final part of the “Catechetical Words”), 3 “Theological Words” (compiled on the occasion of a dispute about the words “My Father is more Me" (John 14:28)), 15 "Moral Words", various "Epistles", "Theological, Speculative and Practical Chapters (100 theological and practical chapters, 25 speculative and theological chapters and 100 other theological and practical chapters), 58 “Hymns of Divine Love”, 24 “Alphabet Words”. The 33 “Words” and the treatise “The Method of Sacred Prayer and Attention” stand out. Part of the corpus of “Words” consists of “Catechetical Words”, the other part is part of the work “One Hundred and Fifty Chapters” by Konstantin Chrysomall. The famous treatise “The Method of Sacred Prayer and Attention” is attributed by handwritten tradition to Simeon, but modern researchers deny his authorship.
Literature
Translations and publications:
Divine hymns: (Hymn 1) / Trans. from Greek: hier. Sophrony (Sakharov) // Bulletin of the Russian Western European Patriarchal Exarchate. Paris, 1954. No. 17.
Divine Hymns: (Hymns 6 and 48) / Trans. from Greek: hier. Sophrony (Sakharov) // Bulletin of the Russian Western European Patriarchal Exarchate. Paris, 1953. No. 15.
Hymns // Pearl of great price. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian. Holy Gregory the Theologian. Palladium of Elenopolsky. Rev. Roman Sladkopevets. Rev. Isaac the Syrian. Rev. John of Damascus. Rev. Theodore the Studite / Translation from Syriac and Greek languages S.S. Averintseva. Kyiv: Spirit i Litera, 2003.
Words of St. Simeon the New Theologian / Trans. from Greek: Theophan the Recluse. M., 1890–1892. T. 1–2.
Pirard M. Syméon le Nouveau Théologien. Chapitres théologiques, gnostiques et pratiques / Introduction, texte critique, traduction et notes J. Darrouzes. Paris, 1980. (Sources chrétiennes 51-bis.).
Syméon le Nouveau Théologien. Catéchèses / Introd., texte critique et notes par B. Krivochéine. Trad. par J. Paramelle. Paris, 1963, 1964, 1965. (Sources chrétiennes 96, 104, 113).
Syméon le Nouveau Théologien. Catéchèses 23–34 et actios de grâces 1–2 / Introd., texte critique et notes par B. Krivochéine. Trad. fr. par J. Paramelle Paris, 1965. (Sources chrétiennes 113). P. 303–357.
Syméon le Nouveau Théologien. Hymnes / Introd., texte crit., trad. fr. et notes par J. Koder, J. Paramelle, L. Neyrand. Paris, 1969, 1971, 1973. (Sources chrétiennes 156, Sources chrétiennes 174, Sources chrétiennes 196).
Syméon le Nouveau Théologien. Traités théologiques et éthiques. T. 1, 2 / Introd., texte crit., trad. fr. et notes par J. Darrouzès. Paris, 1966, 1967. (Sources chrétiennes 122, Sources chrétiennes 129).
Un grand mystique byzantin: Vie de Syméon le Nouveau Théologien (949–1022) par Nicétas Stéthatos // Texte grec inédit avec introduction et notes critiques par le P. I. Hausherr S. I. et traduction française en collaboration avec sele P. G. Horn S. I. // Orientalia Christiana. 12 (45), 1928.
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Works and Hymns
THE LIFE OF REVEREND SIMEON NOVAGO THEOLOGIST
The Monk Simeon was born in the Paphlogonian 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 of solitude. When he grew up, his parents sent him to Constantinople to his relatives, not the least at court. There he was apprenticed and soon completed the so-called grammar courses. It was necessary to move on to philosophical ones; but he refused them, fearing to be carried away into anything indecent due to the influence of the partnership. The uncle with whom he lived did not force him, but hastened to introduce him to the career path, which in itself is a rather strict science for those who are attentive. He introduced him to the kings of the self-brothers Vasily and Constantine, the porphyry-born, and they included him in the rank of courtiers.
But the Monk Simeon cared little about the fact that he became one of the royal synclite. His desires were directed toward something else, and his heart lay elsewhere. While still studying, he became acquainted with Elder Simeon, who was called the reverent one, visited him often and used his advice in everything. It was all the more free, and at the same time more necessary, for him to do this now. His sincere desire was to quickly devote himself to a world-denying life; but the elder persuaded him to have patience, waiting for this good intention of his to mature and take deeper root, because he was still very young. He did not leave him with advice and guidance, gradually preparing him for monasticism and among 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. One day, handing him a book of the writings of Mark the ascetic, the elder pointed out to him the different sayings in them, advising him to think about them more carefully and guide his behavior according to them. Among them was the following: if you always want to have soul-saving guidance, listen to your conscience and urgently carry out what it will inspire you. This is the saying of the teacher. Simeon took it to his heart as if it were coming from the mouth of God himself, and decided to strictly listen and obey his conscience, believing that, being the voice of God in the heart, it always inspires one soul-saving thing. From then 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 of it as was necessary to maintain life. So he went deeper and deeper into himself and into the realm of God. At this time he was granted that grace-filled enlightenment, which he himself describes in his word on faith, speaking as if about another certain young man. Here the grace of God allowed him to taste more fully the sweetness of life according to God and thereby suppressed the taste for everything earthly.
After this, it was natural for him to feel a strong impulse to leave the world. But the elder did not deem it good to satisfy this impulse immediately, and convinced him to endure more and more.
Six years passed like this. It happened that he needed to leave for his homeland, and he came to the elder to receive the blessing. Although the elder told him that now was the time to enter monasticism, he did not keep him from visiting his homeland. The Monk Simeon gave his word that as soon as he returned, he would leave the world. On the way, he took the Ladder of St. for guidance. John Climacus. Arriving at his homeland, he did not get carried away with everyday affairs, but continued the same strict and solitary life, for which the domestic order gave great scope. There was a church nearby, and next to the cell’s church and not far from it there was a cemetery. In this cell he secluded himself - he prayed, read and devoted himself to the thought of God.
At one time he read in the Holy Ladder: insensibility is the mortification of the soul and the death of the mind before bodily death, and he became jealous to forever banish this disease of insensibility from his soul. For this purpose, he went out to the cemetery at night and prayed earnestly there, thinking together about death and the future judgment, as well as about the fact that the dead on whose tombs he prayed were now dead, who were alive like him. To this he added a stricter fast and a longer and more vigorous vigil. Thus, he kindled within himself the spirit of life according to God, and its burning kept him constantly in a state of contrite tenderness that did not allow insensibility. If it happened that cooling was approaching, he hurried to the cemetery, cried and sobbed, beating his chest, and did not get up from his place until the usual tender contrition returned. The fruit of this course of action was that the image of death and mortality was so deeply imprinted in his consciousness that he looked at himself and others no differently than at the dead. Because of this, no beauty captivated him, and ordinary carnal movements froze 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 asked him to stay at home while he saw him off to the next world; but seeing where his son’s fiery desire was heading, he said goodbye to him with love and willing blessing.
The time of returning to Constantinople was for the Monk Simeon the time of renunciation of the world and entry into the monastery. The elder received him with fatherly embraces and introduced him to the abbot of his Studian monastery, Peter; but he gave it back into the hands of the elder, that great reverent Simeon. Having accepted the young monk as God’s pledge, the elder led him into one small cell, more like a tomb, and there he outlined for him the rules of the cramped and regrettable monastic life. He told him: look, my son, if you want to be saved, go to church without hesitation, and stand there with reverent prayer, without turning here and there and without starting conversations with anyone; do not go from cell to cell; do not be bold, keeping your mind from wandering, paying attention to yourself and thinking about your sinfulness, death and judgment. - In his severity, the elder observed, however, a prudent measure, taking care that his pet did not have an addiction even to strict feats. Why sometimes he assigned him obediences that were difficult and humiliating, and sometimes easy and honest; sometimes he intensified his fasting and vigil, and sometimes he forced him to eat his fill and sleep enough, in every possible way accustoming him to renounce his will and his own orders.
The Monk Simeon sincerely loved his elder, honored him as a wise father, and did not deviate even a hair's breadth from his will. He was so in awe of him that he kissed the place where the elder prayed, and he humbled himself so deeply before him that he did not consider himself worthy to approach and touch his clothes.
The Monk Simeon the New Theologian was born in 946 in the city of Galata (Paphlagonia) and received a thorough secular education in Constantinople. His father prepared him for a court career, and for some time the young man occupied a high position in imperial court. But having reached the age of 25, he felt an attraction to monastic life, fled from home and retired to the Studite monastery, where he underwent obedience under the guidance of the then famous elder Simeon the Reverent. The main feat of the saint was the unceasing Jesus Prayer in her in brief: "Lord have mercy!" For greater prayerful concentration, he constantly sought solitude, even during the liturgy he stood separately from the brethren, and often remained alone at night in church; To get used to remembering death, he spent nights in the cemetery. The fruit of his zeal was a special state of admiration: during these hours the Holy Spirit in the form of a luminous cloud descended on him and covered everything around him from his eyes. Over time, he achieved constant high spiritual enlightenment, which was especially evident when he served the Liturgy.
Around 980, the Monk Simeon was made abbot of the monastery of St. Mamant and remained in this rank for 25 years. He put the neglected economy of the monastery in order and landscaped the temple in it.
The Monk Simeon combined kindness with severity and strict observance of the Gospel commandments. So, for example, when his favorite student Arseny killed the crows that had eaten soaked bread, the abbot forced him to string the dead birds on a rope, put this “necklace” around his neck and stand in the yard. In the monastery of St. Mamant, a certain bishop from Rome, who accidentally killed his young nephew, atone for the sin, and the Monk Simeon invariably showed kindness and attention to him.
The strict monastic discipline, which the Monk constantly instilled, led to strong discontent among the monastic brethren. One day after the liturgy, particularly irritated brothers attacked him and almost killed him. When the Patriarch of Constantinople expelled them from the monastery and wanted to hand them over to the city authorities, the Reverend begged forgiveness for them and helped them in their lives in the world.
Around 1005, the Monk Simeon handed over the abbess to Arseny, and he himself settled at the monastery in retirement. There he created his Theological works, excerpts from which were included in the 5th volume of the Philokalia. main topic his creations are a hidden work in Christ. The Monk Simeon teaches inner warfare, methods of spiritual improvement, and the struggle against passions and sinful thoughts. He wrote teachings for monks, “Active Theological Chapters”, “A Sermon on Three Types of Prayer”, “A Sermon on Faith”. In addition, the Monk Simeon was an outstanding church poet. He owns “Hymns of Divine Love” - about 70 poems full of deep prayerful reflections.
The teaching of St. Simeon about the new man, about the “deification of the flesh,” with which he wanted to replace the teaching about “mortification of the flesh” (for which he was called the New Theologian), was accepted with difficulty by his contemporaries. Many of his teachings sounded incomprehensible and alien to them. This led to a conflict with the highest clergy of Constantinople, and the Monk Simeon was expelled. He retired to the shores of the Bosphorus and founded the monastery of St. Marina there.
The saint peacefully reposed before God in 1021. During his lifetime he received the gift of miracles. Numerous miracles were performed even after his death; one of them is the miraculous acquisition of his image. His life was written by his cell attendant and disciple, the Monk Nikita Stifat.
The nickname New Theologian initially had an ironic meaning - ill-wishers laughed at Simeon’s visions and insights. The Apostle John, who was honored with a special Divine Revelation, was called a theologian, and then a new John appeared. But the saint’s disciples 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 his spiritual search led him to the famous Studite monastery, the monastic center of Constantinople, to the elder Simeon the Reverent. It was probably in his honor that the monk was named Simeon during his tonsure; in the world his name was presumably George. In the monastery, the attitude towards the elder was ambiguous, but the young novice clung to him with all his soul, 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 chose to leave the monastery. He moved to a small monastery nearby, continuing to benefit from the instructions of his spiritual father. And further, having already become the 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 underfoot, and demons tremble at his presence,” he wrote about Simeon the Reverent. No circumstances, including 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 Having entrusted the management of the monastery to his disciple, he spent it “in peace,” in prayers and contemplation; composing hymns - theological miniatures in poetic form.
The word “theologian,” in Greek “theologian,” at that time meant not a scholastic scientist or a graduate of the theological faculty, but a prayer book and ascetic, a person who spoke to God, and God spoke to him. In this sense, the nickname hit the mark. The Monk Simeon actually met Christ. God appeared to him so clearly and definitely that the ascetic could not remain silent about it. How could he remain silent, knowing from experience that everyone can already see God in this life and consciously partake of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Those around us understood Christianity “calmly”: after all, the time of the apostles had 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 persistence,” the monk said at the conclusion of his spiritual instructions to the novice, “the Lord will not hesitate to show mercy to you, I am the guarantor for the Compassionate, I, if I even dare to say this, I am making myself responsible for the Humane One! I will die if He despises you. In your place, I will be consigned to eternal fire if He leaves you. Just don’t do it with a split heart, don’t be double-minded.” Simeon knew, and did not guess, he saw, and did not go by touch - hence the boldness of his words, which reached the point of insolence.
He himself spoke about the visions of the Divine Light that he had been granted, which is very unusual for a Christian ascetic - such experiences, with rare exceptions, remained secret. The Monk Simeon explained it this way: “How 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 fellow poor people and informs them about this, telling them in secret: “Run with with diligence you too, 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 don’t believe him, he shows it to them in the palm of his hand, so that they will believe and show diligence, and quickly overtake that merciful man. So I, humble, poor and naked of all goodness... having experienced in practice the love of mankind and the compassion of God and having received grace, unworthy of all grace, I cannot bear to hide it alone in the depths 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 the talent that was given to me is, and through my words I lay it bare in full view. And I say this not in a hidden place and in secret, but I shout in a loud voice: “Run, brothers, run.” And I not only shout, but also point to the Lord who gives, putting forward my word instead of a finger... Therefore, I cannot stand not to talk about those miracles of God that I have seen and which I have learned in practice 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 “clumsiness”: until I heard it in Greek - elegant, easy text, which just begs to be learned by heart!) Here is a short excerpt in Russian:
I have sinned more than the harlot, who, having learned where You had gone,
Having bought myrrh, I boldly came to anoint
Your feet, my Christ, my Lord and my God.
How did You not reject that one who came from the heart,
So do not disdain me, O Word, but give me Your feet
And hold, and kiss, and stream of tears,
As if with precious ointment, boldly anoint them
Wash me with my tears, cleanse me with them, the Word,
Forgive my sins and grant me forgiveness.
Per. Hieromonk Porfiry (Uspensky).
It is not easy to follow St. Simeon in such merciless “penitential realism.” But this is the meaning of his path. This is how he himself met God. Not everyone understood Simeon. Both during his lifetime and right up to our time, a variety of accusations were and continue to be brought against him: disobedience to church authority, theological ignorance, excessive sophistication of spiritual contemplations, untimely zeal for the Gospel or modernism... But no one saw in him unorthodoxy or unrighteousness. He invariably remained, first and foremost, a maximalist Christian, subordinating his entire being to one goal - Christ.
Priest Nikolai SOLODOV
Simeon's new wordfrom Galata
There are countless people who have received 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: John the Evangelist, Gregory of Nazianzus and Simeon of Galata, called the “new theologian.” Indeed, compared to his two predecessors, Simeon lived quite late: he was born in the middle 10th century, died at the beginning XI 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 small town Galata, took monastic vows in the famous Studite monastery of Constantinople. For a quarter of a century he was the abbot of the monastery of St. Mamant in the same city, but as a result of the conflict that arose, he was forced to leave it and founded the monastery of St. Marina on the shores of the Bosphorus, where he lived the rest of his life. In short, a fairly common biography for a monk of that time.
The creativity of St. Simeon. He wrote several theological treatises, some of them were included in a collection called “Philokalia.” The main theme of his writings is Christian life itself, 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, having renounced everything earthly and immersed yourself in prayer, can also see a piece of His glory and greatness, as far as this is accessible to people. Faith is, first of all, personal communication 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 strict fulfillment of the commandments, and strict fulfillment of the commandments teaches people a deep awareness of their weakness; it is the consciousness of our true weakness that gives rise to the memory of death,” he reminds us in this work. “What makes a pure heart is not one, not two, not ten virtues, but all together, merging, so to speak, into a single virtue that has reached the final degrees of perfection. However, even in this case, virtues alone cannot make the heart pure, without the influence and presence of the Holy Spirit.”
St. Simeon spoke a lot and in detail about this acceptance of the Holy Spirit here and now, in earthly life. Most famous are his poetic hymns dedicated to this topic. Indeed, his theology is, first of all, poetry, a joyful and reverent experience of the human soul meeting God. He talks to God, opening his heart to Him and joyfully marveling at His living and so tangible presence! This is how lovers write to the object of their love...
Inspirational poet
One of the prayers he composed (in a prosaic translation into Church Slavonic) is included in the usual rule for communion, but we also have translations of his other hymns. Quite recently, a collection of poetic translations by Archbishop Hilarion (Alfeev) was published. Here is one of these amazing works:
Like You are a burning flame
And can you be 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 incorruptibility?
How do You draw darkness to dawn?
How do you hold the night with your hand?
How do you illuminate your heart?
How are you changing me?
How did you join mortals?
By making them sons of God?
How you pierce the heart without arrows,
And does it burn with love?
How you tolerate us, how you forgive us,
Without repaying deeds?
Outside of everything, how do you stay?
Looking at people's affairs?
Staying in the distance
How will you announce everyone’s actions?
Give your servants patience
So that their sorrows do not overwhelm them!
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 difficult-to-understand treatises?
The novelty of this theology, first of all, lies in the personal experience of communion with God. Church writers left us many treatises, the desert fathers gave examples of humility and asceticism. But all this is quite difficult for us to imitate, since many Christians do not have the inclinations and abilities for either extreme asceticism or theology. People live their simple life 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 your most intimate thoughts and feelings, without communication with Whom you cannot live. day, not an hour. For all this you don't need to have high education, it is not necessary to eat only a small loaf of bread every other day - such a prayer, or rather, such an experience of communion with God, is available to a layman in the bustle of city life.
Silent pilgrim
St. Simeon is often called the predecessor hesychasm- a special mystical practice that originated in the 14th century and is aimed at contemplating divine energies. Indeed, St. Gregory Palamas, who set out the foundations of this teaching, often refers to the works of St. Simeon. Of the Russian saints, the most closely associated with him is the Venerable Nil of Sorsky, the Trans-Volga continuer of the traditions of hesychasm.
The essence of hesychasm is difficult to define in words, because the word itself comes from the Greek word hesychia, that is, “silence.” A monk immersed in contemplation does not preach sermons or 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 internal, heartfelt contemplation of this Kingdom. At the same time, it is especially important to avoid any daydreaming and exaltation, when a person begins to warm up his sensitivity and “contemplate the heavenly pictures” appearing in his own head.
Full-fledged “mental doing,” as this type of prayer is sometimes called, is, of course, only available to monks, free from worldly vanity. 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 during divine services, and the point here is not at all that this simple thought is not completely understandable at once. No, of course, it’s not difficult to understand it with your mind. But it is important that prayer words are not just consciously pronounced, but penetrate a person’s heart and become his second wind. Repetition is intended to set the appropriate mood for a person’s entire life: even if he is busy with work or household chores, but the heart, having become accustomed to prayer, will never leave it.
And the joyfully amazed hymns of Simeon the New Theologian can help today’s man, accustomed to the pressure of devalued words, to the riot of artificially evoked feelings, to stop his fussy running, 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 watch his heart
From passionate movements, from bad thoughts,
From anger, embarrassment, hypocritical oaths.
I must pay attention to myself and not remember anger,
Don't judge people even in the thoughts of your heart,
Be internally pure, frank in words,
Be sincere, meek, calm, humble.
Ladder e let her not be rich for him,
Let him keep prayer and fasting unremittingly.
And all his feats, and any business,
And every word - let it be with love.
(Translated by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev)
Andrey DESNITSKY
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