Saint Nikodemos (Νikόdēmos) of the Holy Mountain was born on the Greek island of Naxos in 1748 and was baptized Nicholas. He was a well-behaved child, avoiding bad company and nurturing a love for what is good and beneficial. He had a passion for both sacred and secular knowledge from a young age, receiving education from the village priest and later from Archimandrite Chrysanthos at the school in Naxos.
At the age of twenty-six, he went to Mount Athos and was tonsured at Dionysiou Monastery, taking the name Nikodemos. He served as the monastery’s secretary before being tasked by Saint Makarios Notaras to edit the manuscript of the Philokalia. This marked the beginning of his literary work, which continued throughout his life.
Saint Nikodemos was known for his simplicity, humility, and profound concentration. He had exceptional memory skills, knowing the Holy Scriptures and the writings of the Holy Fathers by heart. He was tonsured into the Great Schema in 1783 and spent six years in silence before resuming his literary activities.
One of his notable works was the Exomologitarion (Manual of Confession) published in 1794, the first book of its kind in the Orthodox Church. He also made significant contributions by publishing liturgical books, such as the New Theotokarion containing sixty-two Canons to the Most Holy Theotokos.