This saint, from the first to the last day in his monastery, was an image of perfect obedience. The Monk Simeon of Athos (whose photo will be presented a little below) lived in a monastery with a sociable statute of 46 years. He constantly prayed “to great tears” and turned his life into a great feat because of love for his Lord. The monk Simeon of Athos was never in the gate and did not retire to the wilderness, as he considered all this auxiliary means, but not the very purpose of Christian life. However, at the same time, he was very far from worldly life.
Monk Simeon of Athos: biography
In the world, his name was Simeon, after being tonsured a monk, he became Siluan. He was born in 1866 in the village of Shovskoye, Tambov province, in a pious family of the poor peasant Antonov John. His parents were very hardworking, wise and meek by nature people, although illiterate.
The old man himself later recalled that his family was friendly and large, they lived very poorly, but if possible they tried to help the poor and hungry, sometimes even giving the last thing they had. With great interest and hospitality, they received wanderers. Father often talked with them about God and Orthodox Christianity. These conversations could not pass by the receptive soul of the young lad.
Help for seniors
From childhood, Simeon helped his relatives, of course, to the best of his ability, his brothers in the construction of a landowner estate, and his father in the field. And, most likely, it was for this reason that he left his village school, in which he studied for only “two winters”. However, this did not stop him in the pursuit of knowledge, which was always inherent in him.
The Antonov family was very devout, inextricably linked with the village church, in which they constantly went to the service. From infancy, this instilled in Simeon a sense of reverence for God's word, and from this his soul was filled with a sense of Christian humility and various virtues. In the temple, he learned church literacy, focused prayer and careful study of the book “Lives of the Saints”.
Feeling the grace of God with all his soul and heart, one day he decided to leave as a novice in a monastery, then to take tonsure. However, this aspiration was not supported by his father, who considered that he must first serve in the military and then make this important decision.
Simeon could not disobey the will of his parents and continued his usual life. He was only 19 years old. He soon forgot about his pious intention. He, young and handsome, like many of his peers, began to succumb to various temptations of worldly life.
Warning
But the Lord himself helped him to get out of the abyss of sinful immersion and worldly fuss, and then Simeon again felt a strong desire to become a monk.
One evening, returning from cheerful festivities, he fell asleep and saw in a dream how the "stinking snake" penetrates him. He was very scared and at the same time felt very disgusted, and then, at the time of awakening, he had the words of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who said that in a dream he swallowed the serpent, and he was disgusted, and it was unpleasant for Her to see what he was doing. Simeon immediately realized his sinful life and then greatly repented for it before God, thanked the Mother of God and again wanted to devote his life to the Most High.
However, at first he followed the instructions of his father and completed military service in St. Petersburg. There, his colleagues loved and respected him, he was an exemplary, responsible and executive soldier, as well as a faithful comrade. It is in the army that he has the gift of wisdom. Thanks to his advice, many colleagues successfully resolved their problems and received peace of mind.
Monasticism
Successfully serving, Simeon never forgot about God. Shortly before its completion, he received a blessing for monasticism from the holy righteous father John of Kronstadt. And, having stayed in his father’s house for only one week, collecting everything necessary for the trip and gifts for the monastery, he said goodbye to his relatives and went on the road that led him to the monastery on Mount Athos.
In 1892, in autumn, the Monk Simeon of Athos reached the Holy Mountain. At this time, the heyday of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery was, and he became a novice of this holy monastery. Life in it was simple, very modest and unremarkable. First he worked at the mill, and then the housekeeper and the head of the workshop and the food warehouse, and in old age he managed a trading shop. Having passed the entire initial path of monastic life, by 1896 Simeon was tonsured into the mantle with the name Siluan. In 1911, he accepts the schema, remaining with the same name.
Life in monasticism
The Monk Simeon of Athos did not have his disciples in the monastery, and he never had obedience to any old man, as he was brought up in the general atmosphere of the spiritual tradition of the ancient monastery, which developed many centuries ago, and this implied long prayers and divine services, confession and communion, fasting and vigil, reading Christian spiritual literature and unceasing prayer.
Saint Simeon of Athos, always being among the people, was able to save his heart and mind from all sorts of temptations and thoughts, which he purged by prayer before God, since he considered this the shortest way to salvation.
On September 24, 1938, the Shimonk Silouan peacefully departed to the Lord. His life became an example of meekness, humility and love for others. 50 years later, in 1998, the Monk Saint Simeon of Athos was ranked among the saints by the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople.
In turn, His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow Alexy II introduced the name of the holy elder into the month of the ROC (according to the old style, September 11).
Simeon of Athos: Quotes
His wise quotes represent a vast world of teachings and instructions that are necessary for the development of a spiritual person. The strongest of his statements will appeal to any person who believes or disbelieves, because the elder believed that if you want to help a person, it is not necessary to be rich or strong - it is enough to be kind. He considered the poorest person who loves money. He also claimed that a man who loves God and his neighbors will never die. And a sign of a healthy soul he had faith, a sick soul - hopelessness. And in conclusion, one can still quote the very instructive words of the old man that life is a textbook that closes only with the last breath.