where he lived unmarried with his old mother.
With his fellow ascetic friend John, at the age of 30 years,
Symeon took monastic vows in the monastery of Abba Gerasimos.
After 29 years in the desert getting close to God,
the holy Symeon moved to Emesa.
The saint asked God to permit him to serve people
in such a way that they would not acknowledge him.
By feigning madness he drew attention away from himself
and prophetically preached Christ.
As a first example of this kind of behaviour we note
that he entered Emesa dragging a dead dog behind him tied to his foot.
He thereby showed to those who would receive it
the truth that we all have death clinging to us,
and often without noticing its stench.
So, this blog attempts in its own small way
to identify the ‘dead dogs’ tied to our feet
so that we might cast them aside and embrace Christ.
It is an anonymous blog,
although the author will confess to being an Orthodox Christian.
It is anonymous because the author wishes to raise issues
that some might find painful, even offensive.
Unfortunately I do not have the holiness of St. Symeon
or else I would not care about receiving blows for my pains.
My ‘dead dog’ is a reluctance to die.
Lord have mercy on me!
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