SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (+1022)
  Byzantine monk and poet 

How are You at once the source of fire,
how also the fountain of dew?
How do You make gods of us humans?
how do You make darkness light?
How do You make one re-ascend from hell?
how do You make us mortals imperishable?
How do You draw darkness to light?
how do You triumph over night?
How do You illumine the heart?
how do You transform us entirely?
How do You become one with us?
how do You make us children of God…?

How is it I embrace You
     within myself,
     yet see You spread                               
         across the heavens?

• Introduction
• RETREAT CENTRE
• Facebook Page
• Gospel Commentary
• Lectio Divina
• Between Ourselves
  • 2026
    • Deadly Poison
    • Secrets
    • Karma
    • Perfection
    • alone with the Alone
    • Prayer
    • Giving and receiving
    • Language
    • Apparitions
  • 2025
    • Conscience
    • Helping
    • Scripture verses
    • The law of freedom
    • Stay free
    • Pets in heaven
    • Died for us
    • Are you good?
    • Monastery
    • Spiritual Path
    • The Good
    • Divinity of Christ
  • 2024
    • The Tallaght cross
    • Escaping from oneself
    • Love your enemies?
    • Old time religion
    • Who am I?
    • Rosary
    • Tidiness
    • Personality
    • Philosophy
    • You are here
    • Rules
  • 2023
    • Normality
    • Aggression
    • Spiritual nourishment
    • Grace
    • Has faith a future?
    • The Forest
    • Selfie
    • The Earth
    • The ego
    • Self-forgiveness
    • Cynicism
    • Haiku
  • 2022
    • Mindfulness
    • Laughter
    • The Past
    • Being there
    • Merit
    • Origin if evil
    • Laziness
    • Guilt
    • The Past
    • Getting Away
    • Loving God
    • Justified by law?
  • 2021
    • Forced Feelings
    • Nature-Worship
    • Trash
    • Orthodoxy
    • Problematic past
    • Meditation
    • Lazy Meditation
    • Abstraction
    • Covid Slump
    • Meditation
    • Covid-19
    • Has God abandoned us?
  • 2020
    • Covid
    • A Prayer of two words
    • God far or near
    • Ego and real self
    • God Again
    • God
    • Prayer
    • Distant God
    • Understanding oneself
    • Judging
    • Questions
    • Isolation
  • 2019
    • Experience
    • Comparing
    • Breathing
    • Restless activity
    • Cranky temperament
    • Distant God
    • Zen
    • Clutter
    • Fear
    • Warlocks and Witches
    • Going to Mass
    • Anything New?
  • 2018
    • Miracles
    • The Mind
    • Change
    • Home
    • Imagination
    • Joy
    • Tradition
    • Trapped
    • Doing Good
    • Time Past
    • Words, words, words
    • Love and Hate
  • 2017
    • Growing Old
    • Meditation practical?
    • Mindfulness
    • Depth
    • The observer
    • Impassibility
    • Joy
    • The Next Life
    • Christian Meditation
    • Suffering
    • Is God playing games?
    • boredom
  • 2016
    • God
    • Indulgences
    • Confession
    • Eucharist
    • Group ego
    • Spiritual Blindness
    • Secularism, relativism
    • Depth
    • Fear of the future
    • Feeling wrecked
    • Loving God
    • Here and Now
  • 2015
    • Fear of God
    • Where is the ego?
    • Atheist or agnostic?
    • The word 'religion'
    • Rational Religion
    • Mass Again
    • Mass
    • Culture Wars
    • Equality
    • Bereavement
    • Ordinary Life
    • Boredom
  • 2014
    • Energy of Passions
    • Hurt Feelings
    • Arguing Religion
    • "I myself personally"
    • Rules and Regulations
    • God needs praise?
    • Intelligence
    • Is life fair?
    • Isolation
    • Why Meditation?
    • God or me?
    • Trinity
  • 2013
    • Arid Meditation
    • Negativity
    • Answer / Response
    • Corporate responsibility
    • God
    • Are We Free?
    • Religion: bad philosophy
    • Praying
    • New Missal
    • Atheism Again
    • Atheism
    • Understanding Liturgy
  • 2012
    • Blaming God
    • Other Religions
    • Spiritual Messages
    • Talking to oneself
    • Ego and the Gospel
    • God's existence
    • Unique Vocation
    • Finishing things
    • Miracles
    • The Unknown Future
    • Pornography
    • The Rosary
  • 2011
    • Physical Beauty
    • Living in the Now
    • The Church now
    • Personality
    • Meditation
    • Stinginess
    • Latin in the Liturgy
    • Busy Life
    • Stepson
    • Messy Meditation
    • Virtue
    • Home
  • 2010
    • Spiritual Progress
    • God's Forgiveness
    • Zen
    • Fear for The Future
    • God the Father
    • Fear for the future
    • Unconditional Love
    • Meister Eckhart
    • Control Freaks
    • Meditation
    • Change
    • The Human Soul
  • 2009
    • Catholic New Age
    • Disillusionment
    • Natural Causes?
    • The Ego
    • Meditation: Christian or Buddhist?
    • Is wealth something to be avoided?
    • Look at the shadows
    • Trinity and Spirituality
    • Prayer of Petition
    • Darwin
    • Crisis
    • Meditation
  • 2008
    • Thanking God
    • Marriage Crisis
    • Too much Humility
    • J. Krishnamurti
    • Humility
    • Is Ego such a bad thing?
    • Transcendence and Immanence
    • The big blancmange
    • Searching for God
    • Stages of Growth
    • God and emptiness
    • Mistakes
  • 2007
    • Love
    • Simple
    • Motives
    • Failure
    • Silence of the heart
    • How to Meditate
    • Pottery retreats
    • Judging Others
    • Taking small steps
    • Absence/Presence of God
    • Forgiving Oneself
  • 2006
    • Scholasticism
    • Fear
    • Love
    • Study of Theology
    • Bad Spiritual State
    • Mantra
    • Meditation
    • Happiness
    • Anger
    • Public Speaking
    • The Eucharist
    • Pursuit of happiness
  • 2005
    • God Loves You
    • Catechism
    • Anxiety
    • Difficult Member
    • Hesitation
    • Reform of Morals
    • Does God keep his promises
    • Prayer of Petition
    • Baptisim
    • My Search
    • The Search for Meaning
    • God and evil
  • 2004
    • Boring Religion
    • Prayer
    • Celibacy
    • Ways of Praying
    • Creation
    • Control Freak
    • Suffering
    • The Passion Of Christ
    • Meditation
    • Fading Church
    • Confrontation
    • Boredom
  • 2003
    • On Loving
    • Vocation
    • Narcotics
    • Inside/Outside
    • The Next Life
    • Sin
    • Spiritual Direction
    • Celibacy
    • Which Jesus?
    • The Church changing
    • Document on New Age
    • Praising God
  • 2002
    • Faith
    • Body/Mind/Spirit
    • The meaning of life?
    • Punishment for our sins
    • Aeging
    • Caring
    • Stopping violence
    • Indecision
    • Unique Call
    • Belief in Hindu/Buddhist Definition of God
    • Praying
    • Child Sexual abuse
  • 2001
    • Confession
    • Worrying about the past
    • Meditation
    • Interconnectedness
    • Bereavement
    • Finding Peace
    • Longing for good news
    • Eastern Spirituality
    • Necessity of Suffering
    • Clarity of Gospel
    • Taize
    • The Eucharist
  • 2000
    • Growing up
    • The purpose of Life?
    • Spirituality
    • A world of changing values
    • Falling out of love
    • Taxes
    • The need for space
    • Financial disaster
    • The existence of God
    • Problems of Institutions
    • Christian hope and the Church
    • Clerical Gentlemen
• Wisdom Line
  • 2026
    • CHARLES DE FOUCAULT
    • BROTHER LAWRENCE
    • RICHARD OF ST VICTOR (+1173)
    • ST COLUMBANUS (c. 543–615)
    • BASIL OF CAESAREA
    • ST ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY
    • THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA
    • ST PHILIP NERI
  • 2025
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN [x]
    • St TERESA OF AVILA (vi)
    • CLOUD OF UNKNOWING
    • ST BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (iii)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN [x]
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN [ix]
    • St VINCENT de PAUL
    • ST ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA (ii)
    • ST AELRED OF RIEVAULX (iii)
    • ST AELRED OF RIEVAULX (ii)
    • ST AELRED OF RIEVAULX
    • St Basil the Great & St Gregory Nazianzen
  • 2024
    • St John Cassian (ix)
    • St John Cassian (viii)
    • St John Cassian (vii)
    • St John Cassian (vi)
    • St John Cassian (v)
    • St Peter Chrysologus
    • St Irenaeus of Lyons
    • John Scotus Eriugena
    • Jakob Boehme
    • JEAN-PIERRE DE CAUSSADE
    • ST GREGORY NAZIANZEN (ii)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (vix)
  • 2023
    • ST JOHN DAMASCENE (c. 675 - 749)
    • POPE LEO THE GREAT (c. 400-461 AD)
    • IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH (viii)
    • ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (ii)
    • St Augustine (354 AD - 430) (ix)
    • ST BENEDICT (480–547 AD)
    • IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH (vii)
    • Johann Tauler (xv)
    • ST CATHERINE OF SIENA (ii)
    • St PATRICK
    • ST POLYCARP OF SMYRNA
    • St THOMAS AQUINAS (1225 - 1274)
  • 2022
    • ST JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542 - 1591)
    • Meister Eckhart (x)
    • ST THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
    • ST Gregory The Great
    • ST Dominic
    • ST BONAVENTURE (ii)
    • ST IRENAEUS OF LYONS
    • ST ATHANASIUS OF ALEXANDRIA (c. 296–373)
    • ST CATHERINE OF SIENA
    • ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM
    • St TERESA OF AVILA (v)
    • ST THOMAS AQUINAS
  • 2021
    • St TERESA OF AVILA (iv)
    • Canticle of Daniel
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (viii)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (vii)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (vi)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (v)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (iv)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (iii)
    • St Augustine (354 AD – 430) (Viii)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (xi)
    • Johann Tauler (xiv)
    • Thomas Merton (xiv)
  • 2020
    • JOHN DAMASCENE (ii)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (x)
    • Johann Tauler (xiii)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (ix)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (viii)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (vii)
    • St TERESA OF AVILA (iii)
    • ST CATHERINE OF SIENA (iii)
    • ST CATHERINE OF SIENA (ii)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (vi)
    • Johann Tauler (xii)
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (ii)
  • 2019
    • JOHN CASSIAN (iv)
    • JOHN CASSIAN (iii)
    • JOHN CASSIAN (ii)
    • JOHN CASSIAN (i)
    • Clement of Rome | JELALUDDIN RUMI
    • GREGORY OF NYSSA
    • IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
    • IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH
    • IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH | JELALUDDIN RUMI
    • IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH | JELALUDDIN RUMI
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN
  • 2018
    • SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN, ST AUGUSTINE
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (xv), RUMI, Suso
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (xv), RUMI
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (xiv)
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (xiii)
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (xii)
    • Julian of Norwich (x)
    • St Bernard of Clairvaux (ii)
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (xi) & Meister Eckhart (ix)
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (x)
    • St JOHN OF THE CROSS
    • FRANÇOIS FÉNELON (ix)
  • 2017
    • JEANNE-MARIE GUYON
    • Henry Vaughan
    • T.M. Taylor
    • Erskine of Linlathen
    • GEORGE MACDONALD
    • Thomas Merton (xii)
    • Sir Arthur Eddington
    • Thomas Merton (xiii)
    • Paul Evdokimov
    • Gerald Vann OP(ii)
    • Johann Tauler (xi)
    • Gerald Vann OP
  • 2016
    • Henri-Frédéric Amiel
    • Patrick Kavanagh
    • Martin Buber
    • Tauler/Rumi
    • William Temple
    • ALBERT SCHWEITZER
    • LEO TOLSTOY
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (v)
    • Blaise Paschal
    • Johann Tauler (x)
    • Karl Barth
    • St Athanasius (ii)
  • 2015
    • Francois Fenelon (viii)
    • HENRI NOUWEN (viii)
    • Baron von Hügel
    • Johann Tauler (ix)
    • HENRI NOUWEN (vii)
    • HENRI NOUWEN (vi)
    • HENRI NOUWEN (v)
    • Desert Fathers and Mothers(iv)
    • ORIGEN (c. 184 - c. 253) (vi)
    • ORIGEN (c. 184 - c. 253) (v)
    • ORIGEN (c. 184 - c. 253) (iv)
    • ORIGEN (c. 184 - c. 253) (iii)
  • 2014
    • ORIGEN (c. 184 - c. 253) (ii)
    • Rabbi Friedman
    • ORIGEN (c. 184 - c. 253) On Prayer
    • Meister Eckhart (ix)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (iv)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (iii)
    • Thomas Merton (xii)
    • Thomas Merton (xi)
    • RABBI HESCHEL (iii)
    • RABBI HESCHEL (ii)
    • St Bernard of Clairvaux (iii)
    • Pope Francis
  • 2013
    • ST THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (ix)
    • St Francis of Assisi (ii)
    • Meister Eckhart (viii)
    • THE WAY OF CHUANG TZU (ii)
    • THE WAY OF CHUANG TZU
    • RABBI HESCHEL
    • RABBI ABRAHAM JOSHUA HESCHEL
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (viii)
    • Desert Fathers and Mothers(iii)
    • Francois Fenelon (vii)
    • Francois Fenelon (vi)
  • 2012
    • Mde Guyon (iv)
    • John Main, OSB (ii)
    • Francois Fenelon (v)
    • Meister Eckhart (vii)
    • Meister Eckhart (vii)
    • Francois Fenelon (iv)
    • HILDEGARD OF BINGEN (ii)
    • HILDEGARD OF BINGEN
    • CHARLOTTE JOKO BECK (ii)
    • Hafiz
    • Henri Nouwen (iv)
    • Henri Nouwen (iii)
    • St Augustine (vii)
  • 2011
    • St Augustine (vi)
    • St Augustine (v)
    • Thomas Merton (x)
    • Evdokimov(ii)
    • Desert Fathers and Mothers(ii)
    • Rainer Maria Rilke (ii)
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (vii)
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (vi)
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (v)
    • Thomas Merton(ix)
    • Julian of Norwich (ix)
    • Julian of Norwich (viii)
  • 2010
    • St John of the Cross
    • Bl. John Henry Newman
    • Meister Eckhart (vii)
    • Julian of Norwich (vii)
    • Julian of Norwich (vi)
    • Julian of Norwich (v)
    • St. Catherine - God Speaking
    • Thomas Traherne
    • Henry Suso(ii)
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (iv)
    • Walter Hilton (c. 1340 - 1396)
    • Meister Eckhart (vi)
  • 2009
    • Thomas Merton (viii)
    • ST JOHN CLIMACUS (ii)
    • ST JOHN CLIMACUS
    • GREGORY OF NYSSA (ii)
    • GREGORY OF NYSSA
    • St Bernard of Clairvaux (ii)
    • Julian of Norwich (iv)
    • St JOHN OF THE CROSS
    • VENANTIUS FORTUNATUS
    • Thomas Merton (viii)
    • St Albert The Great
    • Thomas Merton (vii)
  • 2008
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (iii)
    • Eckhart Tolle (iv)
    • ST THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
    • The Cloud of Unknowing (ii)
    • BL. HENRY SUSO (iii)
    • BL. HENRY SUSO (ii)
    • Yevgeny Yevtushenko(1933 - )
    • St Francis De Sales
    • Paul Evdokimov (ii)
    • Joko Beck
    • John Damascene
    • Paul Evdokimov
  • 2007
    • St Athanasius
    • Kahlil Gibran (ii)
    • Clement of Rome
    • Thomas Merton (vii)
    • Johann Tauler (viii)
    • Johann Tauler (vii)
    • Johann Tauler (vi)
    • Tertullian
    • Johann Tauler (v)
    • Ignatius of Antioch
    • John Main, OSB
  • 2006
    • (1st-2nd century)
    • Thomas Merton (vii)
    • Eckhart Tolle (iii)
    • John Main OSB
    • Thomas Merton (vi)
    • Thomas Merton (v)
    • Thomas Merton (iv)
    • Vestiges of God
    • Dogen Zenji & Meister Eckhart (vi)
    • St Augustine (iv)
    • St Augustine (iii)
    • St Augustine (ii)
  • 2005
    • St Augustine
    • Rabindranath Tagore
    • Thomas Merton (iii)
    • Francois Fenelon (iii)
    • Thomas Merton (ii)
    • Lao Tzu
    • St. John of the Cross
    • St. Teresa of Avila (ii)
    • Henri Nouwen (2)
    • Henri Nouwen
    • Eckhart Tolle 2
    • Bede Griffiths (iii)
  • 2004
    • Bede Griffiths (ii)
    • Thomas Merton
    • Francois Fenelon (iii)
    • Bede Griffiths
    • Eckhart Tolle
    • William Blake
    • Kahlil Gibran
    • Francois Fenelon - Suffering
    • Francois Fenelon
    • Mde Guyon (iii)
    • Mde Guyon (ii)
    • Mde Guyon
  • 2003
    • St Columba (or Columcille)
    • From the Sufis
    • Rumi (iii) - What Jesus runs away from
    • Desert Fathers & Mothers (iii)
    • Rainer Maria Rilke
    • Meister Eckhart (v) - God the unutterable
    • Chuang Tzu
    • Jelaluddin Rumi (ii)
    • Jelaluddin Rumi
    • Jean-Pierre de Caussade
    • St Francis of Assisi
    • 12 Steps of AA
  • 2002
    • Theodore the Studite
    • Martin Buber (1878-1965)
    • Desert Fathers & Mothers (ii)
    • Desert Fathers & Mothers
    • Sadhu Sundar Singh - Spiritual Joy
    • The Desert Fathers (ii)
    • The Desert Fathers
    • Sadhu Sundar Singh 1922 Stretch out your hand
    • Meister Eckhart- take one way from God
    • Sadhu Sundar Singh 1922
    • Antony of the desert (c.251 - 356 A.D)
    • Amma Syncletica (3rd - 4th Century) - Coming closer to God
  • 2001
    • Julian of Norwich (iii) - Eternal Love
    • Jacob Boehme - Die continually to sin
    • St Bernard of Clairvaux - Love
    • Johann Tauler (iv) - A three fold birth
    • Julian of Norwich - Shewings
    • St Columban - Boat Song
    • St Therese of Lisieux (iii) - The cherished child of the world
    • St Terese of Lisieux (ii) - God's parity of love
    • Johann Tauler (iv) - Our special grace
    • Meister Eckhart (iii) - Forgiveness
    • St Bonaventure - The minds ascent to God
    • The Cloud of unknowing
  • 2000
    • St Terese of Lisieux - Opening St Paul
    • Teresa of Avila - The role of experience
    • St Bernard of Clairvaux - On loving God
    • Jordan of Saxony - A Christmas greeting
    • St Cyprian - The Lords prayer
    • Johann Tauler (iii) - He searchs to find us
    • Henry Suso - Death of the ego
    • Johann Tauler (ii) - Coping with addictions and neuroses
    • Julian of Norwich - Adam's tunic, human nature
    • Johann Tauler- The birth of God in the soul
    • Meister Eckhart (ii) - Abandonment
    • Meister Eckhart - God unknowable
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