Χριστός ανέστη! Αληθώς ανέστη!
Christ is Risen! Truly He is Risen!
Христос Воскрес! Воистину Воскрес!
ქრისტეაღსდგა! ჭეშმარიტადაღსდგა!
«Rejoice!» «Peace be unto you!»
Synaxarion From the Menaion.
On May 24 we commemorate our devout Father Symeon Stylites the Younger of Wonderful Mountain (c.592).
On this day we also commemorate the holy Martyrs Meletios the Commander and those with him: John, Stephen, Serapion the Egyptian, Callinicus the Magus, and twelve Counts and Tribunes: Faustus, Festus, Marcellus, Theodore, Meletius, Sergius, Marcellinus, Felix, Photinus, Theodoriscus, Mercurius, and Didymus; three women: Marciana, Palladia, and Susanna; two infants: Kyriacus and Christian; and another 11,208 who witnessed with them. The service in their honor is celebrated in the Temple of the holy Martyr Plato, found in the vestibule called Domninus, in Constantinople.
On this day we also commemorate the Saint Kyriakos of Evrychou, in Cyprus, the Wonderworker
Venerable Nikita Stylites, Wonderworker of Pereyaslavl-Zalesski (1186)
Saint Gregory of Novgorod, Archbishop (1193)
Translation of the relics (c.1067) of St. George of the Holy Mountain and Georgia (1065)
Commemoration of Inauguration of the church of Virgin Mary in Karrais of Syria
Hymn of Praise
Saint Simeon the Stylites
by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
Glory to wonderful Simeon of the Wonderful Mountain,
Of the Most-high Creator, he was the praise.
Prayer, fasting and all night vigils
A saint he became, with powerful gifts,
With powerful gifts, God’s grace.
With Grace, his labor the Lord rewarded,
In works and in deeds, powerful Grace,
Which cures diseases and demons destroys,
Which, according to the truth, every deed he judges,
And, the mysteries of heaven and men he recognizes.
From his childhood years, until his older days
A beautiful and fragrant sacrifice, he was.
His heart, the altar of the Living God was,
For the Spirit All-holy, a glowing sanctuary.
To the greatest spheres, the mind powerfully uplifted,
Where all the objects of faith, with the eyes are seen.
And, toward good his will was extended,
Mightily strengthened in God’s law.
What are all riches, and all kingdoms; What are they?
As a quick spark, they glow and extinguish!
Compared to a holy man – even the whole world, what is it?
The world changes, perishes and the saint remains.
If it (the world) does not a saint produce, the world, a fig tree is
Without fruit and worth, a dead barren tree!
Glory to wonderful Simeon, of the Wonderful Mountain,
Of creation and the Creator, he was the praise.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://orthodox.cn/prologue/May24.htm
***
The Apostle Paul said: “To the pure all things are pure” (Titus 1:15). Even the food of man, by itself, cannot be called impure although some food in man can provoke impure thoughts and desires in man. Concerning this, the wonderful St. Simeon the Stylite reflects on a conversation with his Elder John. John the Elder said: “Man does not soil food and drink for the Lord says in Scripture: `Even as the green herb have I given you all things’ ” (Genesis 9:3). To that Blessed Simeon responded: “If man then does not soil food, nevertheless it gives birth to impure thoughts and darkens the mind and it gives root to and fattens passions and transforms the spiritual man into the physical, nailing his thoughts to earthly desires.” Is not the water which falls from the clouds clean? But when too much rain falls, the crops decay from it. Likewise heavy foods provoke the decay of the spiritual and moral being of man.
***
This wonderful saint Simeon was born in Antioch in the year 522 A.D. during the reign of Emperor Justin the Elder. His father perished in an earthquake and he was left alone with his mother Martha. At age six, he withdrew to the desert to a spiritual father John under whose guidance he submitted himself to a life of austere fasting and prayerful asceticism to the astonishment of all who saw him. Enduring horrible demonic temptations, he received great comfort and grace from the Lord and His angels. The Lord Christ appeared to him under the guise of a handsome youth. After this vision, a great love for Christ burned in Simeon’s heart. He spent many years on a “pillar” praying to God and chanting psalms. Under God’s guidance, he withdrew to a mountain named “Wonderful” by the Lord Himself. Because of the name of this mountain, Simeon was surnamed the “Man of the Wonderful Mountain.”
Because of his love for God, he was endowed with the rare gift of grace, by which he healed every infirmity, tamed wild beasts, discerned into distant parts of the world and the hearts of men. He left his body and gazed at the heavens and conversed with angels, frightened and cast out demons, prophesied, at times lived without sleep for thirty days and even longer without food and received nourishment from the hands of angels. The words of the Lord were completely fulfilled in him: “He that believes in me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do” (St. John 14:12). In the year of our Lord 596 A.D. and in the seventy-fifth year of his life, St. Simeon presented himself to the Lord that he, together with the angels, may satisfy himself gazing upon the face of God.
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://orthodox.cn/prologue/May24.htm
***
Saint Martha (July 4), mother of Saint Simeon of Wonderful Mountain was a native of Antioch. From her youth Saint Martha prepared herself for a life of virginity and longed for monasticism, but her parents insisted that she marry John. After ardent prayer in a church dedicated to Saint John the Forerunner, the future nun was directed in a vision to submit to the will of her parents and enter into marriage.
Saint John the Forerunner revealed to Martha that she would have a son who would serve God. When the infant was born, he was named Simeon and baptized at two years of age.
When Simeon was six years old, an earthquake occurred in the city of Antioch, in which his father perished. Simeon was in church at the time of the earthquake. Leaving the church, he became lost and spent seven days sheltered by a pious woman. Saint John the Baptist again appeared to Saint Martha, and indicated where to find the lost boy. The saint’s mother found her lost son, and moved to the outskirts of Antioch after the earthquake. She particularly venerated Saint John the Forerunner, who was for her a protector, frequently appearing to her in visions. Saint Martha was reserved, and no one heard from her a frivolous, false or vain word, no one saw her angry, nor fighting with anyone nor bitter. She was a model of chaste and pious life and by her example she guided many on the pathway to salvation…
”She had the regular habit of rising at midnight for prayer. With great charity, she helped the needy and misfortunate, visited the poor, the orphaned and attended the sick. A year before her death she saw many angels with candles in their hands and, from them, learned the time of her death. Learning of this, Martha with even greater zeal dedicated herself to prayer and good works. She died peacefully in the year 551 A.D. and was buried in the proximity of her son, Simeon the Stylite. After her death, she appeared many times for the purpose of instructing mankind and for the sake of healing the sick. Recorded as her most significant appearance was the one to the abbot of Simeon’s monastery. Following the burial of St. Martha, the abbot placed a votive candle on her grave with the understanding that it should never be extinguished. Then the abbot became ill and the saintly Martha appeared to him and said: “Why do you not burn a votive candle on my grave? Know that I am not in need of the light from your candle since I have been made worthy before God, the Eternal Heavenly Light, but it is needed for you. So when you burn a light on my grave, you entreat me to pray to the Lord for you.” It is obvious from this that the goal of our veneration for the saints is to entreat them as those worthier than us to pray to God for us and for our salvation.”
The Prologue from Ohrid: Lives of Saints by Saint Nikolai Velimirovič
http://prologue.orthodox.cn/July4.htm
Troparion, in Tone I:
A desert dweller, an angel in the flesh and a wonder-worker * wast thou revealed to be, O our God-bearing father Symeon. * Receiving heavenly gifts through fasting, vigils and prayers, * thou healest the infirm and the souls of those who with faith have recourse unto thee. * Glory to Him Who hath given thee strength! * Glory to Him Who hath crowned thee! ** Glory to Him Who through thee worketh healings for all!
Apolytikion of Symeon the Stylite
First Tone
Thou becamest a pillar of patience and didst emulate the Forefathers, O righteous one: Job in his sufferings, Joseph in temptations, and the life of the bodiless while in the body, O Symeon, our righteous Father, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
Troparion of St Nicetas the Stylite Tone 4
O Nicetas, thou didst despise the lusts of youth with true discernment./ In thy courageous life thou didst defeat the enemy and wast pleasing to God in thy prudence./ Thou hast received the gift of wonderworking/ and dost cast out demons and healest infirmities./ Entreat Christ our God to save our souls.
Troparion — Tone 8
The image of God was truly preserved in you, O Mother, / for you took up the Cross and followed Christ. / By so doing, you taught us to disregard the flesh, for it passes away; / but to care instead for the soul, since it is immortal. / Therefore your spirit, O venerable Martha, rejoices with the angels.
Tone VIII: Spec. Mel.: “O most glorious wonder …”:
Taking wing with divine desire, * while yet bearing the flesh * and clad in dust, * thou didst manifestly become a dweller with the angels, * having forsaken earthly things * and ascended to the heavenly, O father, * ever mounting to God * on thy lofty pillar, ** and shining forth in thine ascents. (Twice)
Christ is risen from the dead, by death trampling down upon death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life.
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