Symeon the New Theologian: Christian Poet Mystic

A Short, Beautiful Poem by Symeon the New Theologian.

Symeon's poetry and prose insisted that all humans could and should directly experience God (theoria). He followed Christ's injunction in Matthew to " go into your closet to pray", interpreted to mean to look inward by ceasing to register the senses and thus, achieving a direct experience of God.

What is this awesome mystery
that is taking place within me?
I can find no words to express it;
my poor hand is unable to capture it
in describing the praise and glory that belong
to the One who is above all praise,
and who transcends every word...
My intellect sees what has happened,
but it cannot explain it.
It can see, and wishes to explain,
but can find no word that will suffice;
for what it sees is invisible and entirely formless,
simple, completely uncompounded,
unbounded in its awesome greatness.
What I have seen is the totality recapitulated as one,
received not in essence but by participation.
Just as if you lit a flame from a flame,
it is the whole flame you receive.

Amen.

Thanks to Ivan Granger and PoetryChakhana.com for it's continuing efforts to share the poetic beauty of Radiance.