THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT

My beloved brothers and sisters in Christ Our Only True Lord, God, and Savior,

CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE.

THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT
By Saint John Climacus

His ladder has THIRTY STEPS OR RUNGS, one for each year in the hidden life of Christ before His baptism. Saint John’s ingenious use of the ladder-image at once catches the reader’s attention, giving to his book as a whole a distinctive flavor and unity. Indeed, his symbolic ladder soon became part of the spiritual imagination of the Christian East, and is frequently represented in panel icons, refectory frescoes and illuminated manuscripts. Saint John is usually shown standing to one side, near the foot, holding a scroll and pointing to the ladder. The monks are struggling laboriously upward, while at the top Christ reaches out His arms to welcome those who have completed the ascent. On the right of the ladder Angels encourage the monks as they climb, on the left demons try to trip them up and pull them off, and at the bottom the dragon of teh abyss waits with open jaws. It is evident that he has arranged his rungs with care, according to a precise scheme.

The work falls into THREE MAIN SECTIONS, of unequal extent. In the first THREE STEPS, Saint John describes the break with the "world," the renunciation both outward and inward that forms the presupposition of any spiritual ascent. Then, in a far long section (Steps 4-26), he discusses the "active life" or "practice of the virtues" (praxis, praktiki), along with the corresponding passions that must be uprooted. Finally, the last four steps are devoted to the "contemplative life" (theoria), to STILLNESS, PRAYER AND UNION WITH GOD.

The basic pattern of the THIRTY STEPS of THE LADDER can be presented thus:

I. The Break with the World
1. Renunciation
2. Detachment
3. Exile

II. The Practice of the Virtues ("Active Life")
(i) Fundamental Virtues
4. Obedience
5. Penitence
6. Remembrance of Death
7. Sorrow

(ii) The Struggle Against the Passions

(a) Passions That Are Predominantly Non-physical

8. Anger
9. Malice
10. Slander
11. Talkativeness
12. Falsehood
13. Despondency

(b) Physical and Material Passions
14, Gluttony
15. Lust
16-17. Avarice

(c) Non-Physical Passions (cont.)
18-20. Insensitivity
21. Fear
22. Vainglory
23. Pride (also Blasphemy)

(iii) Higher Virtues of the "Active Life"
24. Simplicity
25. Humility
26. Discernment

III. Union with God (Transition to the "Contemplative Life")
27. Stillness
28. Prayer
29. Dispassion
30. Love

THE LADDER as a whole, a basic progression from human effort to DIVINE GIFT, from kopos (labor) to CHARISMA (GIFT). Certainly, God’s grace is absolutely INDISPENSABLE FOR THE ATTAINMENT OF ANY VIRTUE, however humble. Yet, while both the DIVINE and the HUMAN elements are present throughout the ascent of the ladder, on the earlier rungs we are chiefly conscious OF OUR TOIL and STRUGGLE, while on the higher rungs we are more and more aware OF THE FREELY GRANTED GRACE OF GOD. What begins as painful warfare ends as spontaneous joy:

"At the beginning of our RELIGIOUS LIFE, we cultivate the virtues, and we do so with toil and difficulty.
Progressing a little, we then lose our sense of grief or retain very little of it. But when our mortal
intelligence turns to zeal and is mastered by it, then we work with full joy, determination, desire, and
a holy flame."

Saint John Climacus is constantly warning us not to attempt TOO MUCH TOO SOON; we cannot "CLIMB THE ENTIRE LADDER IN A SINGLE STRIDE." When, in the monastery at Alexandria, Saint John tried to start a discussion about STILLNESS or INNER SILENCE (hesychia), he was kindly but firmly rebuked by his hosts:

"Father John [they said], we are CORPOREAL BEINGS and we lead A CORPOREAL LIFE. Knowing this, we choose to wage war according to the measure of our weakness." [Resources: The Ladder of Divine Ascent]

(To be continued)

___________
"Glory Be To GOD
For
All Things!"
– Saint John Chrysostomos
+ + +

With sincere agape in His Divine and Glorious Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+ Father George