SITTING AND LISTENING

St. Symeon the New Theologian (949-1022) was an early mystic and poet. He recorded much of his visions and thoughts. HIs counsel was:

“Sit down alone and in silence.” 

This is an excerpt from Symeon’s mystical union with God as light:

“But, Oh, what intoxication of light, Oh, what movements of fire!
Oh, what swirlings of the flame in me, miserable one that I am,
coming from You and Your glory!
The glory I know it and I say it is your Holy Spirit,
who has the same nature with You, and the same honor, O word;
He is of the same race, the same glory,
of the same essence, He alone with your Father,
and with you, O Christ, O God of the universe!
I fall down in adoration before You.
I thank You that You have made me worthy to know, however little it may be,
the power of Your divinity.

‘Sit down alone and in silence ‘ seems to me to still be very important wisdom. ‘I thank You that You have made me worthy to know, however little it may be.’

“If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; from now on you know him, and have seen him.” Jesus