Venerable Simeon the Myrrh-Streaming -

Life

Stefan Nemanja was a great ruler of the Serbian people, unifier of the Serbian lands, creator of the independent Serbian state, defender of Orthodoxy, and destroyer of heresies. First he was baptized in the Latin church, but later freed himself from that church and became a member of the Orthodox Church. In the beginning, he was dependent in state matters on the Greeks, but later freed himself from that dependence and became completely independent. When he had consolidated the state, and the Orthodox faith in the state, then, following the example of his son Sava, he received monastic tonsure in the monastery of Studenica in the year 1195 and received the name Simeon. His wife Ana also received monastic tonsure, received the name Anastasia and withdrew to a women's monastery. After two years of monasticism in Studenica, Simeon went to the Holy Mountain. There he settled first in the monastery of Vatopedi, together with Sava. Father and son spent days and nights in prayer. There they built six chapels: to the Savior, to the Unmercenaries, to Saint George, to Saint Theodore, to the Forerunner and to Saint Nicholas. They purchased the ruins of Hilandar and built a wondrous monastery in which Simeon lived only eight months and then died. When he was breathing his last, Sava, at his wish, laid him on a simple mat. With eyes directed at the icon of the Mother of God and the Savior, the blessed elder uttered these words: "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord!" And he departed to the Lord on February 13, 1200.

From the Hymn of Praise

With horror Zoe saw in the fire the monkHow he burns without regret, fear, or sigh!With horror and with shame Zoe repented:"Oh what this man does just to save his soul!"