{"id":6887,"date":"2020-12-11T08:30:26","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T15:30:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/?p=6887"},"modified":"2020-12-11T08:31:32","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T15:31:32","slug":"symeon-the-new-theologian-we-awaken-in-christs-body-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/2020\/12\/11\/symeon-the-new-theologian-we-awaken-in-christs-body-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Symeon the New Theologian – We awaken in Christ’s body"},"content":{"rendered":"

We awaken in Christ\u2019s body
\nby Symeon the New Theologian<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

English version by Stephen Mitchell<\/font><\/p>\n

We awaken in Christ\u2019s body
\nas Christ awakens our bodies,
\nand my poor hand is Christ, He enters
\nmy foot, and is infinitely me.<\/p>\n

I move my hand, and wonderfully
\nmy hand becomes Christ, becomes all of Him
\n(for God is indivisibly
\nwhole, seamless in His Godhood).<\/p>\n

I move my foot, and at once
\nHe appears like a flash of lightning.
\nDo my words seem blasphemous? \u2014 Then
\nopen your heart to Him<\/p>\n

and let yourself receive the one
\nwho is opening to you so deeply.
\nFor if we genuinely love Him,
\nwe wake up inside Christ\u2019s body<\/p>\n

where all our body, all over,
\nevery most hidden part of it,
\nis realized in joy as Him,
\nand He makes us, utterly, real,<\/p>\n

and everything that is hurt, everything
\nthat seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful,
\nmaimed, ugly, irreparably
\ndamaged, is in Him transformed<\/p>\n

and recognized as whole, as lovely,
\nand radiant in His light
\nhe awakens as the Beloved
\nin every last part of our body.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/a> \u2014 from The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry<\/a>, by Stephen Mitchell<\/font><\/p>\n


\/ Image by rpphotos<\/a> \/<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n

Since we are coming into the Christmas season, I thought I would take the opportunity to share one of my favorite poems by Symeon the New Theologian.<\/p>\n

Symeon doesn\u2019t urge us to merely honor or love the Beloved (Christ within the Christian tradition) from a distance. We melt into the Divine, become<\/i> one with the Divine, share the same body. <\/p>\n

I move my hand, and wonderfully
\nmy hand becomes Christ, becomes all of Him<\/i><\/p>\n

Some of these lines remind me of the poem attributed to Teresa of Avila, You Are Christ\u2019s Hands<\/a> with it\u2019s lines\u2013 \u201cChrist has no body now on earth but yours, \/ no hands but yours\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

This poem by Symeon is one I just want to drink in \u2014 it feels so deeply healing and generous to the soul. <\/p>\n

and everything that is hurt, everything
\nthat seemed to us dark, harsh, shameful,
\nmaimed, ugly, irreparably
\ndamaged, is in Him transformed<\/p>\n

and recognized as whole, as lovely,
\nand radiant in His light
\nhe awakens as the Beloved
\nin every last part of our body.<\/i><\/p>\n

Thinking of Christmas, I have always felt a particular love for manger scenes, ceramic, porcelain, or carved wooden figurines of the Christ Child laid in a bed of straw, Mary knelt over her new child, Joseph with his lamp, the Three Magi holding their gifts, a shepherd with a few sheep, an ox and an ass at rest. Often the scene has a hut-like manger as background, the roof covered with moss \u2014 with the announcing angel and the Christmas star shining above. That iconic scene has always felt magical and alive to me, rich with unspoken meaning.<\/p>\n

And it is. We can read the gospel stories of the birth of Christ as simply describing events, or we can read it more deeply as being imbued with spiritual meaning.<\/p>\n

In the Nativity, we discover the pure spark of light that is the Christ child \u2014 also represented by the star \u2014 surrounded by the emptiness of the night. The Nativity is an image of light in the darkness. A small child, vulnerable, humble, poor, a tiny point of existence, surrounded by the immensity of the night\u2026 but with the promise that the light will increase until it floods the world with its light. (It is no accident that Christmas is set near the Winter Solstice, when the world is plunged in darkness and awaits the rebirth of the sun.)<\/p>\n

Looking at Mary and Joseph, one way to understand Mary in the Nativity story is that she represents the heart or the soul, while Joseph represents the intellect. From this perspective, the gospel story of the virgin birth takes on ever deeper dimensions.<\/p>\n

In the mystical tradition, the soul must first stop attempting to take false lovers through every outer experience, and yearn so deeply for the true Beloved within that she (the soul) becomes restored to her natural \u201cuntouched\u201d state (Mary\u2019s virginity). That is, the soul must become purified, inward focused, unattached, \u201cuntouched\u201d by the experiences of the outer world. Mary\u2019s virginity is a virginity of awareness.<\/p>\n

When this happens deeply enough, the divine touch comes, and a new life (the Christ child in Christian tradition) is formed within the soul. The overwhelming sense of joy and spiritual bliss that is felt becomes a new presence in the body and mind.<\/p>\n

But the father of this new life is not Joseph. The heart does not conceive by the intellect, but through direct communion with the Eternal. At this stage, the intellect has a choice: Retreat into cold denial, proclaiming, \u2018I do not know that child\u2019 and reject the heart and the life it carries; or it can recognize that something deeply sacred is taking place, something not of its own making, and then take responsibility and provide for the growth and maturation of that inner illumination.<\/p>\n

In this way, the Christian gospel drama is played out in you and me and in all devout mystics. This isn\u2019t something experienced only by Christians; here, we are simply using Christian language to describe a universal mystical experience\u2026<\/p>\n

In the traditional iconography, we see the infant Christ on a bed of straw in a manger surrounded by animals. In the gospel tale, two animals are mentioned specifically: an ox and an ass. Why those two animals? Esoteric Christian teachings sometimes explain it this way: the ox (an ancient symbol of Venus), represents sensuality and passion; the ass can be seen as embodying either the ego or reason. What are they doing in this image of divine birth? Notice that they are not suppressed; the ox and ass are not chained or slaughtered. No, they rest, they are at peace, tamed by the presence of spiritual light. More than that, they are actually protecting the infant, giving him their strength. As one 20th century Christian teacher phrased it, \u201cThey are warming the Christ child with their breath.\u201d Viewed this way, the nativity gives us an image not of suppression, but of integration of the energies of life in support of the awakening soul.<\/p>\n

There is, of course, much more to explore. The cave or manger of the birth. The three Magian wise men from the east. But I hope I have suggested some good ideas to contemplate and inspire a bit more spiritual connection this Christmas.<\/p>\n

he awakens as the Beloved
\nin every last part of our body.<\/i><\/p>\n

Wishing each and every one of you a beautiful Christmas, Hanukkah, and Solstice. May this time when the light renews itself amidst the darkness also bring a renewal of the light and life within you and everyone your life touches.<\/p>\n


\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/a>Recommended Books: Symeon the New Theologian<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n\n

<\/p>\n

\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
The Longing in Between: Sacred Poetry from Around the World (A Poetry Chaikhana Anthology)<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nThis Dance of Bliss: Ecstatic Poetry from Around the World<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nReal Thirst: Poetry of the Spiritual Journey<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nThe Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry<\/a><\/small><\/td>\nThe Book of Mystical Chapters: Meditations on the Soul\u2019s Ascent from the Desert Fathers and Other Early Christian Contemplatives<\/a><\/small><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
More Books >><\/a><\/i><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/center>
\n<\/p>\n\n\n
\n\"Symeon<\/a>\n<\/td>\n\nSymeon the New Theologian<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Turkey (949 \u2013 1032) Timeline<\/a>
\nChristian<\/a> : Eastern Orthodox<\/a>
\n<\/a><\/a><\/em>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n

Symeon was born into an aristocratic family in Asia Minor (Turkey) and was given the name George. This was when the region was still part of the Christian Byzantine Empire. From boyhood George was groomed for a life in politics. At age eleven, he was sent to the capital Constantinople (Istanbul) to live with his uncle who guided him in his early education. <\/p>\n

When he was 14, George met a monk at the monastery of Studios named Symeon the Pious. George accepted Symeon the Pious as his spiritual director while continuing to prepare for a life in politics.<\/p>\n

Somewhere around age 20, George was overcome by an ecstatic state in which he experienced God as a living presence of radiant light.<\/p>\n

Despite this radically transformative experience, he spent several more years attempting to fulfill his family\u2019s expectations, eventually becoming an imperial senator. However, his continuing mystical experiences were not compatible with such a public life and, at age 27, he renounced his previous life and became a monk, entering the monastery at Studios to continue under the direct guidance his spiritual director, even taking on the same monastic name \u2014 Symeon.<\/p>\n

The closeness teacher and disciple shared worried the monastic authorities and the two were separated. The young Symeon was given the choice of remaining at Studios and no longer receiving spiritual guidance from the elder Symeon, or he could go to another monastery and keep his spiritual director.<\/p>\n

So as not to lose the guidance of Symeon the Pious, the young Symeon chose to move to the monastery of St. Mamas in Constantinople. There, Symeon was ordained a priest and eventually became the abbot of the monastery, reviving the monastery\u2019s life of prayer and meditation. While abbot of St. Mamas, Symeon wrote extensive treatises (called the Catecheses) as guidelines for the ideal monastic and God-focused life, emphasizing the power of contemplative prayer and meditation.<\/p>\n

The mystical spiritual practices that he advocated led to further conflicts with authorities and Symeon was exiled in 1009 to a small hermitage on the far side of the Bosphorus.<\/p>\n

Disciples began to gather around Symeon and soon the small hermitage grew into a full monastery. It was there that Symeon wrote his most personal work, Hymns of Divine Love, a collection of poems describing his mystical experiences.<\/p>\n

Symeon\u2019s doctrines and poetry emphasize not only the possibility, but the necessity of personally experiencing the Divine. He also stated that one need not be a monk or renunciate, saying that one \u201cwho has wife and children, crowds of servants, much property, and a prominent position in the world\u201d can still directly experience communion with the divine.<\/p>\n

He is called Symeon the New Theologian to distinguish him from John the Evangelist (called John the Theologian in Greek) and Gregory of Nyzanius (also called Gregory the Theologian in the Eastern Orthodox tradition).<\/p>\n

More poetry by Symeon the New Theologian<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We awaken in Christ\u2019s body by Symeon the New Theologian English version by Stephen Mitchell We awaken in Christ\u2019s body as Christ awakens our bodies, and my poor hand is Christ, He enters my foot, and is infinitely me. I move my hand, and wonderfully my hand becomes Christ, becomes all of Him (for God […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[2390,79,792,1642,272,271],"class_list":["post-6887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry","tag-christ-child","tag-christian-poetry","tag-nativity","tag-nativity-symbolism","tag-st-symeon-the-new-theologian","tag-symeon-the-new-theologian"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6887"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6889,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6887\/revisions\/6889"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.poetry-chaikhana.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}