Monk
Venerable Nikephoros was a great figure of the Church. Around the 13th - 14th century, he lived an ascetic life in Mount Athos. He was the spiritual mentor of Saint Gregory Palamas and, together with the venerable Theoliptos, preached and spread the ascetic teachings of monasticism.
He lived in solitude, uniting himself with God. Saint Nikephoros received the divine grace of the Holy Spirit and composed a treatise in which he gathered various teachings of the Holy Fathers of the Church concerning vigilance, concentration, and prayer. This work is included in the Philokalia.
In his writings, he teaches that vigilance and concentration in the prayer of Jesus have the power to free a person from all passions. Saint Nikephoros calls this spiritual path “attention” and explains that by gathering our thoughts within our heart, it is necessary to pray continually with the words: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” Through this prayer, the soul attains love, joy, and peace, fulfilling its spiritual needs and drawing closer to God.
