في الكنيسة كان الشقيقان يساعدان كاهن الجزيرة في شؤون الهيكل أثناء القداس الإلهي، وكانا في الوقت نفسه يساعدان في الترتيل والقراءة والإنشاد. ليس عندنا معلومات البتة عن أخيه بطرس، هل مات، أم تزوج وانتقل إلى مكان آخر… جل ما في الأمر أننا سمعنا عنه بشكل موجز في إحدى كتابات القديس نيقوديم دون أن يغني ذلك من معلوماتنا عن بطرس.
After the death of his father Anthony, Nicholas left the world and went to Mount Athos, where he became a monk with a new name, Nicodemus / Nicodemus. As for his mother, Anastasia, she went to a women’s monastery named after Saint John Chrysostom, located on one of the outskirts of the remote island of Naxon, where she became a nun bearing the name (Agathy, meaning righteous).
As soon as the traveler landed in Athos, he roamed the mountain and eventually settled in the Monastery of Saint Dionysius to begin his angelic life. It was only a short period of time until he advanced, shone with virtues, was distinguished by obedience, and was known for his love of heartfelt prayer. He was a man of prayer, speaking about it on all occasions. Anyone who reads his writings will notice that it is never devoid of eagerness and clear attention to the necessity and sweetness of prayer.
Saint Nicodemus was not an illiterate person, but rather he was a great intellectual and knowledgeable of the sciences of his time. He had a scientific mind and an insightful and creative thought. In addition, he had high morals that are rare among human beings.
تلقى القديس نيقوديم علومه الأولى، منذ أن تفتح على الحياة، على يد كاهن رعيته، الأرشمندريت خريسانثوس (الزهرة الذهبية)، الذي كان أستاذاً في مدرسة الجزيرة Naxos. ولما بلغ الخامسة عشر من عمره، أرسلته أمه انسطاسيا إلى مدينة أزمير (تركيا)، إلى مدرسة داخلية تعرف باسم “المدرسة الإنجيلية”، وكانت بحق على المستوى اللائق بين مدارس ذلك الزمن. أعجب نيقوديموس القديس لا سيما بمدير المدرسة القدير اروثيوس بولسام. وفي تلك المدرسة التقى نيقولاوس (نيقوديم لاحقاً) رفيق الدراسة غريغوريوس السادس بطريرك القسطنطينية. كان نيقولاوس مثل الطالب الخلوق النجيب والمجتهد. أحب العلم جداً وانكب على التحصيل بكل جوارحه. درس اللاهوت والآداب واللغات الأجنبية. ويقال أنه تعلم الإنجليزية أيضاً. كان باختصار رجل الحكمة والفضيلة معاً. ثم إن مدير مدرسة أزمير، طلب منه أن يُعِدّ نفسه لخلافته على إدارة المدرسة وشؤونها، لكن نيقولاوس رفض عرضه بلطف، فنارُ الشوق الإلهي كانت تستعر في داخله، وكانت أنظاره تتطلع إلى آثوس.
كان في نفس نيقولاس الشاب حنين لا يوصف إلى حياة الصلاة والسكينة، وقد رغب من كل قلبه في أن يكرس حياته لله. لقد أحب القول الآبائي الشهير: “مغبوطة عيشة أهل البراري لأنهم بالعشق الإلهي يتطايرون دائماً”.
Nicholas arrived on Athos in 1775 when he was twenty-six years old. He visited the monastery of Saint Dionysius as a novice brother. Since his arrival, his name changed to Nicodimus, the name whose fame later spread throughout the horizons, due to his knowledge and the abundance and quality of his spiritual writings.
In the monastery, Nodim graduated in virtues, starting out as a reader, then a writer. The monk Nicodemus had a fluid pen, a sharp thought, and a bright spirituality. He wrote his first book and called it (Philokalia of the Hermit Fathers). After a short period, he wrote another book, which he called Sayings of the Elder Fathers, then he added a third book to it, which he called “Frequent Communion.” He sent all of these writings to Metropolitan Macarius of Corinth, who was on a visit to the Holy Mount (Athos) in order to seek spiritual respite and receive blessings from the holy fathers. As soon as Bishop Makarios received these writings and read them, Nicodem promised to print them upon his return.
Nicodemus was not only a man of pen and thought, but in addition to that, he was a man of love, struggle, prayer, and all the virtues. Because of his passion for the life of prayer, his intellectual talent, and his ability to write, he wrote a wonderful book that is truly considered a pearl and a pearl throughout the Orthodox world, which he called (The Confession). This book and other writings came from the writings of Saint Nicodemus, a saint, and fill a void for both lay people and confessors, especially since spiritual fatherhood is an essential pillar in the foundation of the Holy Orthodox Tradition. Then, after a while, Nicodemus wrote another book interpreting the letters of St. Paul, and another interpreting the Book of Psalms. Then he added another book, which he called (The Garden of Graces), in which he explained, at length, the nine valleys in the dawn prayer.
The life of extreme asceticism, the meager living, and the loneliness of close and distant enemies combined to destroy his health, and he became ill, but despite this, he continued to pray with unparalleled zeal. During his illness, he was able to write a new book called (Confession of Faith).
Saint Nicodemus has a reputation that has spread across the borders of Athos and beyond. His name is hardly mentioned among theologians and monks unless someone speaks about the theology, biography, and holiness of Nicodemus. Some of them were translated into Russian, English, French, German, Italian, including Romanian and Turkish as well. In 1955, the Ecumenical Patriarchate declared him a saint, more than a century after his death. This saint remains to this day in the conscience of believers, especially lovers of Orthodox theology and spirituality. His life was a mirror that reflects paradise beauties and testifies with taste that the torments of earth are not compared to the joys of heaven. It is a contemporary face that has been scoured by divine grace, and the dust in it shines and becomes evident.
The church celebrates it on July 14.
His writings:
It is with great sadness that we say that a small part of his work has been lost. But fortunately, most of his writings are still preserved. Some of them are in print, others are under piles of dirt, and others were published in a wonderful appearance that testifies in form and content to the splendor of ascetic thought and spiritual literature. It remains to say that what has been printed so far is considered in itself a wonderful treasure, a unique heritage, and an unforgettable Orthodox Athonite masterpiece.
What are his works?
- In interpretation:
- Interpretation of the Book of Psalms (2 volumes - 1200 pages).
- Interpretation of the Epistles of Saint Paul (three volumes, 1350 pages).
- University Theses (a book of 370 pages).
- In canon law:
- Interpretation of the laws found in the Bisalion (p. 789).
- And the groan of confession (400 pages).
- In rituals, morals, and behavior:
- Philokalia of the Heraldic Fathers (5 vols.).
- Sayings of the Elder Fathers (texts, biographies, fathers, and ascetics) and these fall into 5 huge volumes.
- In Frequent Communion (288 pages).
- In Spiritual Guidance, a 220-page book that deals with the subject of preserving the five spiritual senses.
- A book about the righteous Malatheon the Confessor (225 pages).
- An introduction to the writings of Saint Simeon the New Theologian, and an introduction to reading it. It is a large book (758 pages).
- An introduction to Father Saint Gregory Palamas and all his writings (3 huge volumes), of which only the introduction has been preserved for us for a long time.
- The book of the invisible war (276 pages).
- Book of Ascetic Sports (608 pages). It earned him international fame in ascetic literature.
- The truth of Jesus Christ, a unique pearl and a spiritual pearl (395 pages).
- A book dealing with the lives of Saints Barsonovius and John, in which Saint Nicodemus addresses spiritual questions and outstanding church problems and responds to them with rare simplicity and depth. It is located in (855 pages)
- In the lives of the saints:
- A list of the biographies of a group of righteous and saints (one volume).
- Contemporary Martyr Saints (1 volume).
- Lives of the saints throughout the year (3 huge parts).
- A book praising the personality of Saint John Chrysostom.
- In liturgy:
- Liturgical legal explanations about the Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, are an explanation of all the church laws established by the councils about Mary, the Mother of God.
- The book of theology.
- A book of psalms for monastery prayers.
- Garden of Bliss. It provides extensive explanations of the nine valleys. It is located in (357 pages)
- The book of the Christian Feasts covers all of them with wonderful sequential explanations and is 1,500 pages spread over two volumes.
- The book (The New Scale) is an extensive explanation of all the Anaphthmic pieces in the eighth tune (located in 390 pages).
- In hymnography:
- It is like 51 huge books in which it deals with interpretation and explanation of the dawn, sunset, and Parakalisi prayers.
- Epistles messages:
- Spiritual messages.
- Messages serve as instructions.
- Letters to loved ones outside the Holy Mountain. They number approximately 79 long letters, each of which is more than 60 pages.
- In defense apologetics:
- The Book of Confession of Faith (his own personal point of view).
- In dreams:
- Miscellaneous:
- A book entitled (What is the Shepherd’s Gospel?).
- Three huge articles on the nature of repentance.
- Great articles on what Orthodox lament is.
- An article on the evening prayer service.
- Various messages explaining liturgical stations.
- Letters in which he explains the meanings of the holidays during the Qandaq and Bayt pieces.
- Who wrote about Saint Nicodemus? and what did he say?:
- Gerasimus macarinitis (miscellaneous).
- Nicodemus Balnerdas (Miscellaneous).
- Bishop Nefrokopios (Miscellaneous).
- Studies carried out by the monk Theocletus of Dionysiati under the title (Saint Nicodemus) Publications, Al-Kawakib, Athens, 1959, in which the writer discusses all the works of Saint Nicodemus in general and detail.
- A study conducted by Jacob Meliros under the title (Saint Nicodemus, the Athosian monk, and the outstanding historical person), Athens, April 1963.
- A study prepared by Constantine Newlindis under the title (Saint Nicodemus, the Athos Theologian), Athens 1967.
- A study compiled by Belalis under the title (Righteous Nicodemus of Athos), printed decorated with pictures and icons, Athens, June 1969.
- A study by Kosti Srzelis (Nicodemus and the Patristic Library), printed twice from 1969 to 1974.
Quoted from the book Unseen Wars by Saint Nicodemus of Athos
Translated by Father Munif Homsi