He was born in Cilicia at the end of the fourth century. Simeon was always a wonder to the world. His hard work is unbelievable to human intellect.
Simeon, who was a shepherd when he was a child, went to a nearby temple to feed his sheep on a cold winter’s day. After reading about eternal happiness, Simeon asked how he could receive this blessing. Simeon soon realized that the best way to do this was to live a monastic life and to work hard to attain perfection.
Simeon had a rope tied around his waist. So after a while, his flesh rotted. The saint ate only once a week and fasted for forty days in the desert. Determined to tighten his penance a little, the saint climbed to the top of a pillar and began to praise God. The saint had been praising God in this way for about thirty-seven years in the face of wind, rain and sun. The saint, who had worked hard, was always seen as happy. Humility and obedience were the hallmarks of his life. Many people came to hear the words uttered by the power of God from this ascetic. So many were converted through the teachings of the saint.
In 459, Simeon was found standing still on the pillar. The same thing happened for three days. On the third day, when his disciples went up to the pillar, they saw that the holy body of the old man was bent down in prayer and that the spirit was departed from his body.