Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Saturday 5 January 2019 the feast of Saint Simeon the Stylite
"Follow me.” John 1,43 Jesus is building the world consciously , deliberately . He initiates , addresses, approaches Mary, Saint Joseph , Philip, calls the apostles , giving, providing them with tasks, missions , work. God also calls the greats of the Old and New Testament by name . Lets think of Abraham , Moses , the prophets , but we can also think of the saint celebrated today , Saint Simeon the Stylite as well.
Saint Simeon the Stylite lived around the beginning of the year 400 next to Antioch . He comes from a small village , spent his youth in the field grazing the sheep . One day in the church he heard the Lord’s voice and from this day onwards his life was changed for ever. They read the "Sermon on the Mount “ that day in which the Lord called blessed the “pure in heart “ . Simeon leaving everything behind becomes a monk .. Because of his too strict , ascetic life after ten years his fellow monks advise him to leave . Finally he lived for close on forty years on a twenty meter high pillar, column , on which there could not have been more than two square meters of room . He had an exacting daily program , during the night , in the morning he prayed , in the afternoon he listened to th people who gathered there. The pilgrims confessed their sins, asked for advice , consolation from him , many were just plain curious . People of all different ranks, background of that big world as it was then went to him ! The ascetic put up with illness , hunger , the heat of the day , rain, wind , storm , but even the crowd of those driven by curiosity, and the large crowd seeking help, without a word of complaint from day after day, year after year . His funeral resembled an emperor’s triumphant procession.
What could have driven this man , more than one thousand seven hundred years ago to this extraordinary, cruel lifestyle ? Nobody can persistently stand for a period of over forty years on the top of a column, one needs extraordinary self-discipline , thinking of himself the world’s greatest sinner ! He stands steadily and in the meantime he teaches, gives wise advice to the simple folk and the educated teachers , priests and laymen alike , very- very humbly . Back in those days as well there were curious people , investigative journalists who provoked , wanted to uncover Simeon’s secret.Simeon’s secret is the same , as every saints' who listen to God ! Saint Simeon the Stylite’s secret is the same as that of Abraham, Moses or Philip sitting under the fig tree , or God’s all saints . God called them and they followed their God ! Simeon’s life, the saints’ lives speak that beyond the desire of the body and blood , the calculating, weighing up sober human thinking ,there is such a force that is not only capable to address , guide us but one that makes the man sitting at the one table with Him infinitely happy as well . What could have driven this man , more than one thousand seven hundred years ago to this extraordinary, cruel lifestyle ? Nobody can persistently stand for a period of over forty years on the top of a column, one needs extraordinary self-discipline , thinking of himself the world’s greatest sinner ! He stands steadily and in the meantime he teaches, gives wise advices to the simple folk and the educated teachers , priests and laymen alike , very- very humbly . Back in those days as well there were curious people , investigative journalists who provoked , wanted to uncover Simeon’s secret.Simeon’s secret is the same , as every saints' who listen to God ! Saint Simeon the Stylite’s secret is the same as that of Abraham, Moses or Philip sitting under the fig tree , or God’s all saints . God called them and they followed their God ! Simeon’s life, the saints’ lives speak that beyond the desire of the body and blood , the calculating, weighing up sober human thinking ,there is such a force that is not only capable to address , guide us but one that makes the man sitting at the one table with Him infinitely happy as well .
God is not discriminating , He not only calls the rich, the educated , the famous, He not only wants the”good" people without sins ! Simeon was neither rich, nor educated , he started his dialogue with God in a deserted rural settlement , and this dialogue made him into a saint , and that patch of soil where he lived into a sanctuary ! After his death they built a church on the spot where he lived , that became a place of pilgrimage , whereto people even travel today to pray. Simeon was made a saint by his dialogue with God , God’s presence sanctified that place , this place of prayer became a sanctuary , a place of pilgrimage . You can also start the dialogue with our Creator God there where you are , where you live , as it is quite certain that the Lord is calling you as well , and He’ll tell you the same as He did to Philip or Smeon :”follow me ! “
Following Christ, stumbling ,
Father Csaba
translated by dr k.e.
Photo: a kind godparent , who has been happily supporting a child for years because he feels that God is asking this from him !
The Word of God
The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip found Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him about whom Moses in the law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus son of Joseph from Nazareth." Nathanael said to him, "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." When Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him, he said of him, "Here is truly an Israelite in whom there is no deceit!" Nathanael asked him, "Where did you get to know me?" Jesus answered, "I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you." Nathanael replied, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!" Jesus answered, "Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than these." And he said to him, "Very truly, I tell you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."
John 1:43-51
Father Csaba’s reflection on the gospel Saturday 5 January 2019 the feast of Saint Simeon the Stylite