Turning Within to the Still Small Voice : Saint Symeon the New Theologian

Saint Symeon has always posed a great dilemma to the inner life of believers. He is able to use the power of Jung's "conjunction of opposites". He brings together the inside and the outside, the heavens and the earth, the above and the below. He challenges us to tear through the entirety of this universe to find the infinitesimal place where the Spirit of God enters into all Creation. He stimulates us to search for the Pearl of Great Price and sell all that we have to buy its beauty.

Here is one of his poems. Enjoy the simple richness of its depth.

O totally strange and inexpressible marvel!
Because of my infinite richness I am a needy person
and imagine to have nothing, when I possess so much,
and I say: "I am thirsty," through superabundance of the waters
and "who will give me," that which I possess in abundance,
and "where will I find," the One whom I see each day.
"How will I lay hold of," the One who is within me,
and beyond the world, since he is completely invisible?

Journal on this poem.

Ciao!

+TJM

2 comments:

bftrulyDecember 30, 2009 at 8:53 AM
When reading the poem, and St. Symeon referring to have great spiritual richness and imaging having nothing so that he may continual seek God reminded me of the warnings of St. John of the Cross on spiritual development. That as we grow closer to God this closeness feels good. But if we cling to that closeness, dwell on those graces already given to us, seeking to replicate the same emotional response with God, our spiritual development is halted. Although it feels good to us we are no longer growing. Again St. John of the Cross states that as we experience a grace from God, the entire benefit of that grace is imparted to us at that moment, and it is better for us to let go of that grace so that God may send us a new one. Our relationship with God then becomes one grace after another, ever living in the present with God.
TJMDecember 30, 2009 at 8:58 AM
That is dead on. It is the same story as with the manna in the wilderness...it could not be stored, only collected fresh each day! TJM