Niketas Stethatos

He was a follower of Symeon the New Theologian and wrote the most complete biography of Symeon, Life of Symeon.

• Name — Niketas Stethatos • Born — c. 1005 • Died — c. 1090 • Venerated In — Eastern Orthodox Church

Niketas Stethatos was born c. 1005 and entered the Monastery of Stoudios in Constantinople at the age of fourteen. He became a close disciple of Symeon the New Theologian, eventually writing the most complete biography of his teacher, the Life of Symeon. Niketas later became abbot of the Monastery of Stoudios. The sobriquet "Stethatos", meaning "courageous," was given to Niketas due to his speaking out against Constantine IX Monomachos having an illicit mistress. Niketas Stethatos is credited with defending Symeon the New Theologian's teachings on hesychast prayer, which were considered subversive even by some eastern church authorities. Niketas gained the support of the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius, who eventually won Symeon's canonization. Niketas later supported Michael Cerularius in 1054, taking part in the conflict that became the East-West Schism, writing anti-Latin treatises criticizing the use of unleavened bread, Sabbath fasting, and the celibacy of priests.

"The rays of primordial Light that illumine purified souls with spiritual knowledge not only fill them with benediction and luminosity; they also, by means of the contemplation of the inner essences of created things, lead them up to the noetic heavens. The effects of the divine energy, however, do not stop here; they continue until through wisdom and through knowledge of indescribable things they unite purified souls with the One, bringing them out of a state of multiplicity into a state of oneness in Him." — From the Philokalia. On Spiritual Knowledge, Love and the Perfection of Living, #21. "The Spirit is light, life and peace. If consequently you are illumined by the Spirit your own life is imbued with peace and serenity. Because of this you are filled with the spiritual knowledge of created beings and the wisdom of the Logos; you are granted the intellect of Christ (cf. 1 Cor. 2:16); and you come to know the mysteries of God's kingdom (cf. Luke 8:10). Thus you penetrate into the depths of the Divine and daily from an untroubled and illumined heart you utter words of life for the benefit of others; for you yourself are full of benediction, since you have within you Goodness itself that utters things new and old (cf. Matt. 13:52)." — From the Philokalia. On Spiritual Knowledge, Love and the Perfection of Living, #46.