Having established order and order in his monastery and installed another leader and leader in his brethren’s place, he went to Epirus and then to Thessaly, where he preached the word of God: affirming those who wavered in the faith, assuring those who doubted, strengthening those who were firm in the faith, he urged them to love one another, honor Sundays and holidays, and attend the Church of God for prayer. From here the monk went to Athens, where, by the grace given to him by the Lord, he healed various diseases and cast out unclean spirits. Here, with the blessing of the Athenian Bishop Lawrence, every Sunday and holiday he taught people a pious and chaste life. From Athens he went to Euripus, where, just as in Athens, the saint’s preaching was confirmed by miracles, as a result of which all Euripian Christians began to have deep respect for him and revered him as a great saint of God.
The Turks living in Euripus, seeing the reverence shown by Christians to the Monk Simeon, being incited by the devil, slandered him before the mayor of Euripus, saying that he condemns all Muslims, calling their faith false, and curses the prophet Mohammed, and that there is a danger that this man would not actually convert the Euripus Turks to the Christian faith. Having heard the denunciation, the mayor immediately sent the Kavass to seize the Monk Simeon, put him in chains and then take him to the square for public burning.
When they brought the Monk Simeon to the square and began to collect firewood for the fire, then he, in chains, began to help the Turks and put firewood. Seeing this, the one holding him by the chain said to him:
- Father! After all, this fire is being prepared for you, since the mayor ordered you to be burned.
“Well,” answered the saint, “if this is the will of God, then I sincerely wish to suffer for confessing the name of His Holy One!”
This conversation was overheard by an Arab Christian, who invited several pious women with him, with whom he immediately went to the mayor’s mother and earnestly asked her to beg her son not to put the monk to death. The mayor's mother, moved by a feeling of compassion for the innocence of the saint, immediately went to her son and began to ask him not to do any harm to the slandered innocent monk and not to take on his soul the sin of his death.
“What a sin,” answered the mayor, “if I ordered the burning of the condemner of our faith and the seducer of our faithful into the Christian faith!”
“It’s all a lie, my son,” his mother answered. “In that case, if you do him any harm, then know that I myself will put myself to death.” You better call that unfortunate man and ask him in detail about everything, and then, I assure you, you will see for yourself that it was in vain that you condemned an innocent man to death!
After the mother’s departure, the mayor and other dignitaries decided that, indeed, he had acted unfairly, and decided to call the Monk Simeon and ask him about the denunciation. Then a messenger was sent to the place of execution and the Monk Simeon was brought in chains to the mayor, who, seeing his meek face, barefoot and almost naked, in only an old cassock, involuntarily felt favor towards him, and therefore kindly and quietly asked him:
- I was informed that you are seducing the Turks from believing in Mohammed and inviting them to accept the Christian faith, is this true?
“I did not come here to convert Turks to Christianity, but on the contrary, to confirm Christians in the faith in Jesus Christ, and I teach them what the Gospel commands,” answered the teacher. Simeon.
– What does the Gospel teach? – the mayor asked him again.
“It commands not to steal, to live in purity, not to covet anything that belongs to others, to love each other, to pay royal taxes, to firmly maintain one’s faith, to honor Sundays and holidays.
The mayor, having listened to him with curiosity and not seeing in him the guilt of which he had been slandered, ordered his release.
After this, the Monk Simeon began to preach the word of God with even greater boldness. And thus, having visited many cities and villages, he returned to the cenovia he founded in Flamuria. But, however, to the regret of his disciples, he did not stay with them long: his soul, out of great love for his neighbors, wanted to feed with the word of God those who demanded it, while his disciples, who had already succeeded in a virtuous life, could themselves affirm with the word of God not only themselves, but also others, and therefore he, having said goodbye to them, went to Constantinople, where he was kindly received by the Patriarch of Constantinople, who lovingly allowed him talk with the people and affirm them unshakably and firmly maintain faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And thus, the zealot of the Lord’s commandments tirelessly began to talk with the people, not only in the church, but also in the squares.
The people reverently listened to the teachings of the saint, so that many hastened to confess their sins to him and receive permission through him; others followed him everywhere, listening to his soul-saving conversations and, becoming his disciples, received tonsure into an angelic image at his hand.
Finally, after many years of tireless preaching, he peacefully departed to the heavenly abodes; His holy body was buried with honor by the patriarch in Halki, in the Church of the Most Holy Theotokos.
Two years after the blessed death of the Monk Simeon, the monks of the Flamurian cenovia, who were at one time in Constantinople on monastic affairs, wished to transfer the relics of their father and mentor from Chalok to the cenovia that he created. To do this, they asked the patriarch for permission. The Patriarch, seeing the love of the students for their teacher, rejoiced and ordered them to take them without restraint and transfer them to his monastery.
Having made a new ark, the Kinovites came to Khalki before their departure, and when they opened the tomb of the Monk Simeon, a fragrant fragrance spread from his relics; and all the sick who touched and kissed them received healing. Among many, we cite the following case here.
At the very time when the saint’s coffin was opened, one artisan, who had long suffered from consumption, which was already coming to an end and was ready to kidnap his victim, as soon as he kissed the head of the monk, the cough immediately stopped and the phlegm stopped, and he became completely healthy. Subsequently, in gratitude for his healing, he made a shrine for St. the relics of your healer.
After the relics of St. Simeon were brought to his monastery, they were placed with honor and honored not only by the monks of his monastery, but also by those pious Christians to whom he preached the word of God.
One cannot remain silent about one more miracle that occurred from the relics of the saint. One day, the monks of his monastery, setting out to collect alms according to the custom of the monasteries there, took with them in the ark the finger of the Monk Simeon. Having reached the Oreisk fortress, here they met one patient suffering from swelling of the body, who, having learned that they had part of the relics of the Monk Simeon, asked them to come to his house and serve a prayer service. The monks came to his house and, having blessed the water, ordered the sick man to kiss the saint. relics and drink consecrated water. As soon as the patient completed all this, suddenly a foul-smelling substance flowed out of his entire body, and he soon completely recovered. Seeing himself healed, the former patient, in gratitude to his healer, transferred all his property to the full possession of his monastery, and he himself, having adopted a monastic image, spent the rest of his life there in a virtuous life.
Through the prayers of St. Simeon, O Christ our God, heal both our mental and physical illnesses and grant us the portion of Thy saints. Amen.
Prmch. Agathangel of Esphigmen († 1819, commemorated April 19, October 29)
Prmch. Timofey Esfigmensky, Athos († 1820, commemorated April 19, October 29)
For their lives, see October 29.