Description
St. Symeon the New Theologian was born in Galatia, Paphlagonia, in a.d. 949 and was educated in Constantinople. As a young man of 14 he met and was greatly influenced by the Elder St. Symeon the Pious, who lived in the Monastery of the Studion. Taught spiritual life by his saintly elder, St. Symeon the New Theologian became a lover of interior prayer while living in the world. He experienced the Uncreated Light while in the world, and then left to enter the Studion Monastery when he was 27 years old.
Stirred up by jealous evil thoughts, some of the monks at the monastery caused such troubles that St. Symeon the New Theologian was sent to St. Mamas Monastery, where in a.d. 980, he was made abbot. Because of his strictness and elevated life, some of those monks were so angered that they tried to kill him. After 25 years of ruling the brethren, St. Symeon the New Theologian withdrew to live a life of seclusion in a.d. 1005. This saint had many exalted spiritual experiences and wrote about them. His writings and poems earned him the name New Theologian. St. Symeon died to join his elder Symeon the Pious in Heaven in a.d. 1022.