When the first prayer was said to Simeon the God-bearer for the well-being and he alth of children, it is not known. However, they turned to the saint with such prayers from ancient times and were invariably heard. For centuries, believers have been asking the saint for help both in recovering from illnesses and in preventing them at all.
Who was this saint?
Simeon lived during the reign of Ptolemy II in Egypt. He was, according to legend, one of the seventy-two scholars who were ordered by this ruler to translate the texts of Holy Scripture from the Hebrew dialect.
This man lived in Jerusalem and, according to the Gospel written by Luke, was very pious. Very little information about the biography of Simeon and his earthly affairs has been preserved. As stated in the Protoevangelium by James, Simeon was elected to the priesthood of the Jerusalem temple. This happened after Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was brutally murdered. And, according to the book of James, Simeon wasa vision of the Holy Spirit telling him that he would live until he saw Jesus.
Legends of Saint Simeon
There is a legend that tells that when working on the book of Isaiah, the future saint took the prophecy of the Immaculate Conception for a mistake in the text. He decided to make corrections and write in the Greek translation not "virgin", but "wife". However, the angel stopped the scientist's hand, preventing him from making corrections to the texts. Not allowing the scientist to change the words of the prophecy when translating into Greek, the angel predicted that Simeon would not leave earthly life until he saw the truth of what was written.
However, this is not the only tradition that tells about the doubts that visited Simeon when translating the prophecy of Isaiah. Another legend says that, full of skepticism, the scientist threw his ring into the water, saying that he would believe in the truth of the words of Scripture only if he found his drowned ring. It happened during the return of Simeon from the lands of Egypt home to Jerusalem. Stopping in one of the villages in order to have lunch, the scientist bought fish. In her stomach, he found his discarded ring.
How the saint died
In Russian Orthodoxy, the life of Simeon was compiled by Bishop Dmitry, Metropolitan of Yaroslavl and Rostov, an educator, preacher and spiritual writer who did a lot not only for the church, but also for the culture of the country as a whole. The bishop conducted a painstaking study of references to the saint in apocryphal sources and combinedthem in his work.
According to the life, Simeon died after the Candlemas, at the age of no less than 360 years. One day, the elder felt the need to urgently come to the hall of the Jerusalem temple, which he did. And there Simeon met Mary with a newborn and Joseph, who came for a traditional donation for a male baby. The future saint took the newborn in his arms and blessed him, after which he turned to Mary. The words spoken by the elder are known as the prayer of Simeon the God-Receiver. “Now you release your servant, Vladyka…” - with these words she begins. She has survived to this day. Another name for it is "The Song of Simeon the God-Receiver".
This scene formed the basis of the icon-painting canon "Softener of Evil Hearts", on the image, in addition to the Mother of God, the prophecy of Simeon himself is symbolically written. And the very day of the meeting of the saint with the baby became the feast of the Candlemas.
Simeon reposed immediately after what happened in the Jerusalem temple. Thus, the prophecy was fulfilled that it was not given to him to die before meeting with the son of God. Nowadays, you can bow to the incorruptible relics of the saint in Croatia, in the city of Zadar, in the church of St. Simeon.
What is customary to pray to a saint?
Historically, prayer to Simeon the God-bearer helps to cope:
- with ailments both bodily and spiritual;
- with intrigues of ill-wishers, damage or evil eye;
- with difficulty in captivity;
- with overwhelming sinful thoughts.
They ask the saint not only for help in healing from ailments, but also for the possibility of avoiding them.
How to pray for children?
Prayer to Simeon the God-Receiver, saving newborns from all evil, illness and the evil eye, has been common in Russia since ancient times. In order to ask the holy patronage and protection for the baby, it is not at all necessary to use ready-made texts from prayer books. All of them were composed by people, so there are no barriers to praying in your own words.
Hot, filled with sincere care and, of course, faith, words, Simeon the God-bearer will surely heed. Prayer for children who have recently seen the light can be formulated in your own words. You can also use predefined text. For example:
“God-bearer, holy elder, Simeon! Hear me, servant of God (proper name), give me your favors. I ask you to protect my baby (name of the child), to protect him from all evil. Protect from bad people and from ailments, from the misfortunes of all. Grant him a quiet and comfortable life, long and in good he alth. Save from sorrows and hardships, but endow with joys and earthly blessings. Amen"
How to pray for the he alth of a child?
Of course, when children get sick, all parents look for help from doctors. However, we should not forget about the power of faith in the Lord. Cases of inexplicable, from the point of view of physicians, healings from the most serious and hopeless diseases are not so rare.
Prayer to Simeon the God-Receiver for the he alth of children can be different. Here is one example:
“Saint Simeon, who took the baby Jesus in his arms! Do not leave without your intercession before the Lord in the hour of hard trial. Help, begged the Lord to heal my child from the disease (name of the child). Strengthen my spirit, give strength and meekness, do not allow me to grumble, fill my soul with humility. Give me the strength to endure a difficult test, both for me and for the child (name of the child). Take away his suffering and bestow he alth on my child. Amen.”
How to pray for well-being in the family?
It's no secret that children are sensitive to the relationship between adults. If there is no love, sincerity, mutual respect and understanding in the family, then the baby grows painful, capricious, selfish and even angry. Prayer to St. Simeon the God-Receiver will help to cope with this. He provides assistance in any difficult life situation, granting peace of mind, humility and meekness to those who deal with it, strengthening their faith and instilling hope in their hearts. And these qualities are extremely important in relationships between people, especially if they leave much to be desired.
Prayers to Simeon the God-bearer for family well-being also does not have strict canons. Therefore, you can create it yourself. For example:
“The Receiver of God, Saint Simeon, with great patience awaiting the birth of the Savior! Help me, teach me meekness and humility, grant kindness and strength, do not let temper and haste, selfishness and vanity fill my soul. Help, grant respect and love for my neighbors, do not let your heart become hard and dry. cast outthoughts are black, unrighteous, cleanse my mind, Saint Simeon!
Do not let my child (child's name) grow in sorrow and sinfulness, which we, his parents, indulge in. Do not allow his soul and body to suffer from nervous ailments, from visible ones that arise. Grant peace and tranquility to my house, prosperity and purity. Amen"
Prayer to Simeon the God-Receiver is read at any time. But in the old days they prayed to the saint in the evenings, before going to bed. This tradition is connected with the fact that the "Song of Simeon" is included in the list of prayers read in churches at evening services.
