“A monk is an angel. His work is mercy, peace, and sacrifice of praise.” These words, spoken by Saint Nilus to the brothers of Montecassino monastery, beautifully encapsulate his own life. A towering figure of Italian monasticism, Saint Nilus the Younger—so-named to distinguish him from his illustrious namesake in the East—was born in the town of Rossano in tenth-century Calabria, at the intersection of Byzantium and Rome.
His engrossing but little-known biography was composed shortly after his death by one of his disciples and is replete with extraordinary ascetic feats and harrowing episodes, from month-long fasts and nightly vigils in caves to battles with demons and political intrigues that brought him before the throne of Popes and Emperors. This new English translation, which makes the text accessible while faithfully preserving the flavour of the original Greek, is sure to captivate and inspire.
