Love Came Down – St. Symeon the New Theologian

“Love came down, as is its way,

in the appearance of a luminous cloud.

I saw it fasten on me and settle upon my head.

And it made me cry out, for I was so afraid;

and so it flew away and left me alone.

Then how ardently I searched after it;

and suddenly, completely,

I was conscious of it present in my heart,

like a heavenly body.

I saw it like the disk of the sun…

It closed me off from the visible

and joined me to invisible things.

It gave me the grace to see the Uncreated.”

– St. Symeon the New Theologian

Symeon_the_New_Theologian


3 comments

  1. Thank you for making this into poetry. It’s both beautiful to look at and it bores deep into your soul when you read it.

    It’s as if Holy Mystery is conducting a symphony through all Eternity. And the Saints have glimpses of their part in the Great Symphony. And any of us, at times of “Visitation” might be allowed a glimpse or given a small part to play. In all humility, and recognizing that any glimpse comes from a place of deep suffering and compassion, I offer something which, to me, echoes St Symeon’s experience…

    http://wisdom4nothing.blogspot.com/2009/06/he-looked-on-his-servant-in-her.html

    Like

  2. Oh, what a beautiful poem! St. Symeon the New Theologian was the first exclusively Orthodox saint I learned about. Would it be ok if I put this poem at my own blog, please? If not, I’ll just put a link to your page so everyone can read this lovely spiritual work!

    Like

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