How great a glory in heaven befitted St. Simeon the Receiver of God, who held the Savior of the world in his hands, which the following incident clearly shows as, related in the hagiography of St. Peter the Athonite (June 12). As a commander during a battle, Peter was enslaved, chained and cast into prison in the town of Samara on the shores of the Euphrates River. Languishing in prison for along time Peter, in tears, prayed to St. Nicholas to beseech God on his behalf to liberate him from prison, promising that he will completely dedicate himself to God. St. Nicholas appeared to him in a dream and told him that although he [St. Nicholas] prays to God on his behalf, God delays his deliverance because he [Peter] earlier made a similar vow to God and did not keep it. And further, St. Nicholas counseled Peter that he ought to pray to St. Simeon the God-receiver "who is very mighty before God and stands close to the Throne of God together with the All-Holy Virgin and St. John the Forerunner." Peter heeded the counsel of St. Nicholas and proceeded to pray to St. Simeon. Again St. Nicholas appeared to him, together with St. Simeon, not in a dream but in reality. Peter saw Simeon glorious in appearance, face glowing, and attired in the vestments of an Old Testament priest with a golden staff in his hand. St. Simeon said to Peter: "Do you want to fulfill the vow and become a monk?" To that, Peter replied: "Yes master, with God's help." Simeon then touched Peter's chains with his staff and the chains melted like wax. Opening the doors of the dungeon, the saint led Peter from prison.
HYMN OF PRAISE
A PRAYER FOR A SMALL CHILD
O Powerful Lord, have mercy and save,
Do not extinguish this small flame with death!
This child is like the small flame of a candle,
And the winds of the world are terrible, even to the stars;
A weak fire is banked beneath the ashes
And beneath Your hand, the soul of man.
When the water rises and reaches the throat,
And the flame becomes smaller and the fire becomes damp,
O Lord, save, have mercy and alleviate!
Thus, David the Prophet, prayed to You
Even though he was a huge torch.
And a weak child at the base of heaven
And from sinful thoughts his head began to ache.
Every wind of malice weakened him.
It would be extinguished quickly from the tumultuous winds,
If you do not save, O Helper, hurry,
O Lord, have mercy and save us even now,
And this small flame do not extinguish with death!
Through the prayers, O God, of Your favorite Elder,
Holy Saint Simeon, the wonderful receiver of God.
