Monk Simeon Athos: biography, photo, quote

This saint from the first to the last day in his abode was a way of perfect obedience. The Monk Simeon of Athos (pictured below) lived in a monastery with a civic charter for 46 years. He constantly prayed "to great tears" and turned his life into a great feat because of his love for his Lord. Monk Simeon Athos was never in the gate and did not move away to desert terrain, because he considered all this as auxiliary means, but not the very purpose of the Christian life. However, at the same time he was very far from worldly life.

Monk Simeon of Athos: biography

In the world he was called Simeon, after his tonsure as a monk, he became Siluan. He was born in 1866 in the village of Shovsky, Tambov province, in the pious family of the poor peasant Antonov John. His parents were very industrious, wise and meek by nature people, albeit illiterate.

The elder himself later recalled that his family was friendly and big, they lived very poorly, but as far as possible tried to help the poor and hungry, sometimes even giving the last thing they had. With great interest and cordiality, they accepted pilgrims. Father often spoke with them about God and about Orthodox Christianity. These conversations could not pass by the receptive soul of a young boy.

Help to senior

From the very childhood Simeon helped his relatives, of course, to the best of his ability, his brothers-in the construction of a landlord's estate, and his father in the field. And, most likely, it was for this reason that he left his rural school, in which he studied only "two winters." However, this did not stop him in his striving for knowledge, which was inherent in him always.

The Antonov family was very pious, inextricably linked to the village church, in which they constantly went to work. This from infancy gave Simeon a feeling 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 the church literacy, concentrated prayer and attentive study of the book "Lives of the Saints".

Feeling God's grace with all his soul and heart, one day he decided to go away as a novice to a monastery in order to take a vigil. However, this desire was not supported by his father, who felt that at first he needed to serve in the military service, and already after taking this important decision.

Simeon could not disobey the will of his parents and continued his normal life. He was only 19 then. Soon he forgot about his pious intent. He, young and handsome, like many of his peers, began to succumb to the various temptations of worldly life.

Warning

But the Lord Himself helped him to get out of the abyss of sinful immersion and worldly vanity, and then Simeon again felt a strong desire to become a monk.

One evening, returning from merry festivities, he fell asleep and saw in his dream how the "stinky snake" penetrates into it. He was very frightened and at the same time felt very disgusted, and then, at the moment of awakening, he had the words of the Most-Holy Theotokos, who said that he swallowed the serpent in a dream, and he was disgusted, and it was unpleasant for him to see what he was doing. Simeon immediately realized his sinful life and then strongly repented for it before God, thanked the Mother of God and again wanted to devote his life to the Almighty.

However, first he fulfilled the instructions of his father and served in St. Petersburg. There colleagues liked and respected him, he was an exemplary, responsible and executive soldier, as well as a faithful companion. It is in the army that he has the gift of wisdom. Thanks to his advice, many of his colleagues successfully resolved their problems and received peace of mind.

Monasticism

Successfully passing service, Simeon never forgot about God. Shortly before his graduation, he received a blessing for monasticism from the holy righteous father of John of Kronstadt. And, having stayed in the father's house for only one week, collecting all the necessary things for the road and gifts for the monastery, he, having said goodbye to his relatives, went on the road that led him to the monastery on Mount Athos.

In the year 1892, the Monk Simeon of Athos reached the Holy Mountain. At this time was the heyday of the Russian Panteleimon Monastery, and he became a novice of this holy monastery. Life in it was simple, very modest and unremarkable. First he worked at a mill, and then an economist and a manager of a workshop and a food warehouse, and already in his old age ran a trading store. After passing the entire initial path of monastic life, by 1896 Simeon is tonsured in a mantle named Siluan. In 1911 he accepted the schema, remaining with the same name.

Life in the monastic life

In the monastery the Monk Simeon of Athos did not have his disciples, and never in the obedience of any elders, as he was brought up in the general atmosphere of the spiritual tradition of the ancient monastery, established many centuries ago, and this implied long prayers and services, confession and communion, Fasts and vigils, reading of Christian spiritual literature and incessant prayer.

St. Simeon of Athos, being always among people, was able to keep his heart and mind from all temptations and thoughts that he was cleansing with a prayerful upcoming before God, for he considered this to be the shortest way to salvation.

On September 24, 1938, Schemonah Siluan peacefully departed to the Lord. His life has become an example of meekness, humility and love for others. In 50 years, in 1998, the Monk Saint Simeon of Athos was numbered among the saints by the Holy Synod of Constantinople of the Orthodox Church.

In turn, His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II of Moscow introduced the name of the holy elder in the months of the ROC (in the old style of September 11).

Simeon of Athos: quotations

His wise quotations represent a vast world of teachings and instructions that are necessary for the development of the spiritual personality. His strongest statements will be to the liking of any person, believer or non-believer, because the elder considered that if you want to help a person, it is not necessary to be rich or strong - it's enough to be kind. He considered the poorest person to be someone who loved money. He also claimed that a person who loves God and others will never die. And a sign of a healthy soul he had faith, a sick soul - hopelessness. And in conclusion you can still quote the very instructive words of the old man that life is a textbook that closes only on the last breath.