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Venerable Symeon the Stylite 9/14/2013
He was a Syrian by origin, born of simple peasant parents. At eighteen years of age he left his parents and took the monastic tonsure. He imposed on himself the hardest labours, sometimes fasting for forty days. Then he imposed on himself an exceptional ascetic struggle: namely he stood on a pillar day and night, in unceasing prayer. His first pillar was ten feet tall, then he had one of nineteen feet installed, then a third of thirty-six feet, and eventually he settled on a pillar fifty-eight feet high. His mother Martha came to visit him on two occasions, but he would not receive her, and he told her from the pillar: "Mother, do not disturb me now, if I make myself worthy we shall see each other in the world to come." St Symeon experienced great many attacks from demons, all of which he won praying to God. This Saint worked many miracles and healed many sick by word and by prayer. Around his pillar came people from all sides of the world, rich and poor, kings and slaves. And he helped them all; to some of them restoring their physical health, offering consolation and counsel to others, and reprimanding third for their heretical faith. Thus he dissuaded Empress Eudochia from Euthichius' heresy and converted her to Orthodoxy. St Symeon led an ascetic struggle during the reign of Emperors Theodosius II, Marcian and Leo the Great. This first ever stylite in the history of Christianity and a great miracle worker lived for a hundred and three years and fell asleep in the Lord on September 1, 459. His holy relics were taken to Antioch, to the church dedicated to his name.
