The Right Faith in the Lives of the Saints: 3. St. Symeon the Fool-for-Christ

Hieromonk Lavrentie | September 29, 2019

 

The Saint also saw the secrets of the thoughts of human hearts, which was shown in the following way: Near the city there was a monastery, in which two fathers were speaking, inquiring about Origen—why such a wise man as he fell into heresy and perished. One said that Origen’s wisdom was not from God, but from learning and from much reading of books, while the other said that it is impossible for a man, without the grace of God, to speak and write such things, some of which are still received today by the right-believing. Disputing thus at length and coming to no understanding, they said to one another: “It is heard that the desert of the Jordan has great holy fathers enlightened by God. So let us go there, perhaps we will find such a one who will resolve our doubt.”

Thus advising one another, they first went to the Holy City of Jerusalem and, after venerating the Holy Places, they went into the desert of the Dead Sea. There, by the providence of God—Who did not disregard their labors—they found Elder John, who was a friend and fellow ascetic of Symeon; but now John too had reached the perfect measure of holiness and had the gift of prophecy. Therefore, seeing the fathers who had come to him, he said to them: “Welcome, you who have left the sea and wish to draw water from the dry lake.”

Then, after much spiritual conversation among them, and the matter concerning Origen being brought up, Elder John said to those who had come: “O fathers, I have not yet received such a gift from God as to be able to discern the unknown things, but go to the fool Symeon, who is in your city. He will tell you all about whatever you ask him.”

And they, returning to their place, went to the city of Emesa and asked: “Where is Symeon, the fool elder?” Some answered them, laughing: “What do you want to hear from a fool, who scandalizes and insults everyone, and especially reproaches the monks?” But they, paying no attention to those words, searched for the elder and found him in the house of a vegetable seller, lying on fava beans and eating from them like a bear. Then one of them, being scandalized, said to himself, laughing: “Indeed, a great wise man we have come to see! This one will teach us much!”

Then, approaching him, he said: “Bless, father!” But Symeon, looking at them with anger, said: “You have come badly, and the one who sent you to me is a fool!” Then, rising up, he struck hard on the face the one who had been scandalized and said: “Why do you blaspheme the bean? It has been soaked for forty days. Origen did not eat from this and, entering the sea, could not come out of it, but drowned in the deep! Go away from here! Go away, or you will be beaten!”

And they departed, marveling at the elder’s foreknowledge; for before they asked him anything about Origen, he had already answered them, mentioning the one who had sent them and revealing the thought of their hearts. But they could tell no one anything about him. And as for what he said about the bean being soaked for forty days, it meant that he had spent that many days without food, as he later told his friend, the deacon John.

 

Romanian source: https://theodosie.ro/2019/09/29/dreapta-credinta-in-vietile-sfintilor-3-sf-simeon-cel-nebun-pentru-hristos/