Saint Simeon Stylites
As chronicled by Dymytriy Tuptalo, Saint Simeon Stylites was born in Cilicia to a Christian family. His mother, Saint Martha, played a pivotal role in his spiritual foundation. At a young age, Simeon heard the Beatitudes read in church (Matt. 5:3–11) and sought their deeper meaning from an elder. Captivated by the elder’s teachings on spiritual poverty, Simeon abandoned his home without returning, seeking solitude for prayer. While meditating, he dreamt of digging a foundation. A voice urged him to dig deeper three times, signifying that only through labor could greatness be achieved. Inspired, he joined a monastery, excelling in fasting and discipline.
For two years, his parents searched for him, mourning his absence. His father ultimately died of grief. Simeon’s dedication to asceticism became extreme. Once, he bound himself with a rope so tightly that it caused severe wounds, which rotted and attracted worms. The other monks, unable to endure the stench, complained to the abbot, who was horrified by Simeon’s self-mortification. Though healed and forgiven, Simeon was dismissed to prevent others from imitating him.
Simeon roamed the wilderness, eventually discovering an abandoned well teeming with serpents and demons. He threw himself into the pit, seeking spiritual purification through prayer. Concerned for his safety, the abbot had a vision in which villagers threatened to burn the monastery if Simeon was not found. Upon being retrieved from the pit, Simeon briefly returned to monastic life but soon resumed his solitary path.
On a mountain, Simeon built a small cell where he secluded himself for three years, later chaining himself to the summit as a sign of devotion. Word of his piety spread, drawing crowds seeking healing and counsel. Frustrated by the intrusion, Simeon constructed a high pillar with a small platform, initiating his life as a stylite—an ascetic living atop a column.
Desert fathers, skeptical of his humility, sent messengers to command him to descend. When Simeon obeyed without hesitation, they left him in peace. Temptations continued, including an apparition of a fiery angel in a chariot inviting him to ascend to heaven. Suspecting deception, Simeon made the sign of the cross, causing the demon to vanish. To atone for nearly succumbing, Simeon stood on one foot for an entire year.
Simeon’s mother, Martha, came to visit but was denied a meeting. She passed away waiting at the base of his pillar. Her body was brought to him, and he wept and prayed until she smiled in death. She was buried near his pillar.
Saint Simeon performed countless miracles and passed away at 103, standing in prayer atop his column. His disciple Anthony discovered his body in this posture.
Mykhailo Skop
