SAINT POLYCARP

SAINT JOHN CLIMACUS

( THE LADDER )

(649)

St. John Climacus was nicknamed (Climax = Ladder) by his popular book, “Ladder to Paradise”. He was from Palestine. It is said that he was married in his early life and became monk after the death of his wife. He joined a monastery in the Palestinian wilderness. On Mount Sinai, his spiritual father, and guide was a holy man called Martyrius. After he died he left the monastery, and made his solitude nearby, for forty years. He submitted himself totally to God, in a strict way of perfection, hiding his talents and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. His eyes were always in tears moaning in prayers. Only on Saturdays and Sundays, he broke his solitude and silence to attend the church to worship with other monks who benefited from his spiritual teaching and counsel.

He was possibly a disciple of St. Gregory the Nazianzen. His work on ‘Ladder to Paradise’, earned him immense popularity, in the middle age, and continued to this day considered an outstanding writing on vices and virtues. He climbed with his reader thirty steps in thirty chapters to reach heaven. On each step of the ‘Ladder’, he gave insight to a holy Christian living. According to him the goal was to achieve a state of disinterestedness in earthly life so as to attain the wonders of eternal life. It was written with illustrated curious anecdotes of monastic life.

At age seventy, he was elected Abbot of the monastery at Mount Sinai. After four years, he retired to his cell and died at age eighty in 649.

“…. Do not make judgments, and you will travel no quicker road to the forgiveness of sins. “ Do not judge, you will not be judged” (LK 6:37). If a man commits a sin before you at the very moment of death, pass no judgment because God’s judgment is hidden from us. Men have sinned greatly in the open but have done greater good deeds in secret. Their detractors have been fooled with smoke instead of sunlight in their eyes.”

"Nothing equals or excels God's mercies. Therefore, he who despairs is committing suicide. A sign of true repentance is the acknowledgment that we deserve all the afflictions, visible and invisible, that come upon us, and ever greater ones. Moses, after seeing God in the bush, returned again to Egypt, that is, to darkness and to the brick-making of Pharaoh, who was symbolical of the spiritual Pharaoh. But he went back again to the bush, and not only to the bush, but also up the mountain. Whoever has known divine vision will never despair of himself. Job became a beggar, but he became twice as rich again."   St. John Climacus.

"Greater than baptism itself is the fountain of tears after baptism, even though it is somewhat audacious to say so. For baptism is the washing away of evils that were in us before, but sins committed after baptism are washed away by tears. As baptism is received in infancy, we have all defiled it, but we cleanse it anew with tears. And if God in His love for mankind had not given us tears, those being saved would be few indeed and hard to find."    St. John Climacus

"Your tongue longs to jump into arguments, but restrain it. It is a tyrant, and you must fight it daily seventy times seven."
St. John Climacus.

"Repentance is the renewal of baptism. Repentance is a contract with God for a second life. A penitent is a buyer of humility. Repentance is constant distrust of bodily comfort. Repentance is self-condemning reflection, and carefree self care. Repentance is the daughter of hope and the renunciation of despair. A penitent is an un -disgraced convict. Repentance is reconciliation with the Lord by the practice of good deeds contrary to the sins. Repentance is purification of conscience. Repentance is the voluntary endurance of all afflictions. A penitent is the inflictor of his own punishments. Repentance is a mighty persecution of the stomach, and a striking of the soul into vigorous awareness." St. John Climacus.

The Ladder of Divine Ascent

This book outlines thirty steps of the ladder by which one ascends to salvation. It gives practical guidance and advice to the spiritual one who struggles to reach heaven. This is only a brief names of the 30 ladder steps, referring the viewer to this monumental work of Saint John:

Steps 1 - 6: 1 - On Renunciation of the world. 2 - On Detachment from worldly things    3 - On Exile or Pilgrimage. 4 - On Blessed Obedience. 5 - On True Repentance ( as a renewal of Baptism ). 6 - On Remembrance of Death.

Steps 7 - 12: 7 - On Blessed Mourning. 8 - On Meekness and Freedom from Anger. 9 - On Remembrance of Wrongs. 10 - On Slander or Calumny (born of hatred). 11 - On Talkativeness and Silence. 12 - On Lying.

Steps 13 - 18: 13 - On Despondency (low in spirit). 14 - On Gluttony. 15 - On Purity and Chastity. 16 - On Love of Money or Avarice. 17 - On Non - Possessiveness (detachment). 18 - On Insensibility.

Steps 19 - 24: (to be continued)