“One day, reading the words of St. Simeon the New Theologian, I came across this expression: “If a Christian does not see Christ here, in this present life, then he will not see Him in the future” (Word 3).”
Jonah, being at a loss about this expression, asked Elder Akakios what kind of vision of Christ St. was writing about. Simeon.
“Yes, child,” answered the monk, “don’t doubt it: St. Simeon speaks the truth, for every Christian must still behold Christ with the eyes of his heart and imagine him in his heart, as the teacher of languages, the Apostle Paul, said about this (Gal. 4:19).
-And you, father, have you seen Christ? – Jonah asked him innocently.
“I saw,” the elder answered with angelic meekness.
- What did He tell you and is telling you? – Jonah asked again.
– He constantly tells me the same thing: “Come after Me” (Matthew 4:19), i.e. fulfill My commandments, but nevertheless, due to my negligence, I do not follow His Divine voice. - Having said this, Akaki cried bitterly.
- For God’s sake, holy father, do not deprive me of one more question: you say that you can see in the heart of Christ, how is it possible to see Him, explain my bewilderment?
“Know, child, that few are granted this gift; for this it is necessary to cleanse oneself of passions, and after this, when the Lord God sees that the flesh is subjugated to the spirit and the heart is cleansed of all passionate lusts, then Jesus Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit indwells it, and then such a chosen one of God sees Christ in his heart with intelligent eyes, as if sensual.
Some disciples of the Monk Akaki, tempted by the sight of beautiful faces, asked him how they could save themselves from such a temptation.
“I don’t know what to tell you to this,” he answered, “because I never feel any passionate movement in myself when looking at beautiful faces, but on the contrary, when I happen to see beautiful facial features, then I involuntarily ascend in thought to the Heavenly Creator and glorify my Creator for His great and wondrous deeds, that He created such a beautiful creature from insignificant dust, and believe me, my dear children, that after this I I feel such joy in my heart that I even forget about food.
Finally, the Monk Akakios, already at the end of his days, still had to send the martyr St. to God. Pachomius the Russian, who courageously accomplished his suffering feat for the prayers of his great mentor. And then, after him, his pure and blessed soul departed from his mortal body to the Lord God, on April 12, 1730, at the age of 98 from birth. About his blessed death, Rev. Akakios was informed by God several days in advance, which he revealed to one monk, Athanasius, who came from the monastery of St. Anna, visit him.
“Athanasius! - said St. Akaki, goodbye! I’m going on a long journey, and we won’t see each other here again!”
Through the prayers of St. Akaki, may we also be worthy to stand in the glory of the saints, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever. Amen.
For his high deeds, the Monk Akaki was awarded the gift of unceasing mental prayer and Divine revelations. He reposed in the Lord on April 12, 1730, having reached almost a hundred years of age.
19
St. Simeon Bosoy, Filofeevsky, Flamurian, Athonite, abbot († 1594, commemorated April 19)
The Monk Simeon came from a clergy background. His father Andrei was a priest. When Simeon reached adolescence, he was sent to learn to read and write, in which he showed rapid success, so that everyone who knew him marveled at the quickness of mind and the excellent abilities of the young lad.
In the 15th year from birth, Bishop Pachomius of Dimitrias took him into his bishopric and subsequently tonsured him as a monk and ordained him to the rank of hierodeacon. However, Simeon did not stay long with Bishop Pachomius, since his thoughts drew him into solitude. And therefore, having opened his thoughts, as well as his desire, to the bishop, he asked for his fatherly advice. The bishop, seeing his heartfelt desire, did not interfere with his intention and, having given him a parting blessing, sent him away in peace.
Initially, the young ascetic settled on Mount Olympia, in the Ikonomion monastery, near Kissara. Here he began to lead the most strict and severe life, laboring in fasting, vigil and prayer, and in order to humble the flesh and deprive himself of sweet sleep, he put stones on his bed and thus soon rose to the heights of virtues.
Having lived for some time in this monastery, he wished to see the great ascetics, and therefore, leaving Mount Olympia, he went to Athos, where he entered the brotherhood of the Lavra of St. Athanasius. Simeon's high life soon attracted the attention of the Lavra authorities, who considered it necessary to promote him to the rank of hieromonk. Here, in the Lavra, while still in the rank of hierodeacon, the Monk Simeon showed a special trait of humility with which his blessed soul was filled. So, one day one of the brethren, wanting to test him to see if he really humbled himself for the sake of God, said to him:
- Father Simeon! Oh, how beautiful your hair is and how beautifully it fits on your head!
The Monk Simeon, without saying a word to him, retired to his cell, cut his hair and, upon meeting this brother, gave it to him, saying:
- Brother, take my hair if you really like it.
From the Lavra the Monk Simeon moved to the Philotheevsky monastery. Here he began to conduct his ascetic life even more strictly; Moreover, the brethren, seeing such a lamp in their monastery, began to have deep respect for him, and subsequently began to convincingly ask him to be their leader in spiritual life and abbot. The Monk Simeon, out of deep humility, refused this great work, but, seeing their strengthened petition and love, he agreed to be their shepherd and mentor. The evil devil, who hates good, not wanting the whole brotherhood to have unanimity and a peaceful spiritual dispensation, outraged the weaker ones against the monk, sowing in them hatred towards him, who from that time began to slander the monk and spread bad rumors about him. The saint, seeing from whom all this evil came, began to admonish the murmurers not to obey the thoughts instilled in them by the evil enemy, but to imitate more prudent ones; Meanwhile, they not only did not come to their senses, but began to reproach him even more strongly.
So, the monk, seeing the hardness of their hearts and giving way to anger, left the Holy Mountain and went to Mount Flamuria, adjacent to Zagora. Here he began to spend his life like disembodied angels, not caring about anything: he chose an apple tree as his home, under which he lived winter and summer without cover, clothing and barefoot. Three years later, he was found here by some lovers of God, who, amazed at his hermit’s life and deprivation in all things, became inflamed in spirit and themselves wanted to be jealous of him in their spiritual life, and therefore began to ask the saint to accept them into cohabitation. For a long time the Monk Simeon did not agree to accept them, frightening them with the labors and hardships that are associated with a hermit’s life, but they were not afraid of this and with tears asked him to bless them to settle near him.
The prayers of zealous lovers of God softened the monk, and he agreed. On the same day, these lovers of God began to build straw pots for themselves, and after some time two more zealous and seeking a solitary life came and they also settled near the monk. And thus, in this small monastery, seven brethren gathered, who began to engage in arable farming and do small crops for their food.
With the settlement of the brethren near the Monk Simeon, the rumor about his godly life began to spread throughout the entire neighborhood, as a result of which pious Christians began to come to him: some for advice, and others only to see his face and receive a blessing from the monk.
Seven years later, the Monk Simeon built a small church in his monastery in the name of St. Life-Giving Trinity, in which he himself celebrated the Divine Liturgy every day. Soon after the construction of the church, priests and deacons began to come to him and, seeing his equal-angelic life, they remained to live near him, and thus little by little the kenobia was formed.