Introduction to St. John of the Ladder and His Work
St. John of the Ladder, a prominent figure in Orthodox Christian spirituality, is best known for his profound work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Born in the early 6th century, he became the abbot of the monasteries on Mount Sinai and dedicated his life to asceticism and spiritual guidance. His feast day, celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, invites the faithful to reflect on the teachings encapsulated in his iconic text, which serves as a spiritual roadmap to achieving union with God.
The Ladder of Divine Ascent has exerted a significant influence on Orthodox spirituality over the centuries. This masterpiece consists of thirty steps, each representing a different virtue or stage of spiritual growth, leading ultimately to the summit of divine communion. St. John’s practical and accessible guidance has resonated with countless Christian saints and monastics throughout history, making it a quintessential resource for anyone seeking spiritual transformation. Its wisdom continues to inspire believers, particularly during the Lenten season, when the themes of repentance and ascetic struggle are especially relevant.
The enduring popularity of The Ladder today speaks volumes about its timeless relevance. Many Orthodox Christians turn to this work during Lent as an essential tool for self-examination and spiritual ascent. In the words of St. Gregory of Sinai, “The teaching of the Ladder is a light that illumines the path of those who strive to climb to heaven.” Similarly, St. Ignatius Brianchaninov noted, “The steps of the Ladder are the guide for the soul seeking the way to God.” These reflections highlight the deep appreciation for St. John’s wisdom, making The Ladder of Divine Ascent not just a historical text but a living document that continues to guide and uplift the faithful in their spiritual journeys.
How the Ladder is Organized
The Ladder of Divine Ascent has thirty rungs in St. John’s work; one for each year of Christ’s Life. These rungs are not organized haphazardly, but build on each other.
The first three rungs call us to “come out and be separate” (2 Cor. 6:17) from the world. This is what the name of the Church means. In Greek, the word is “ekklesia” which means “called out”. Before we can make any spiritual progress, we have to make a break with the world and its attachments. These rungs can be summarized helpfully under five headings:
I. BREAKING WITH THE WORLD
1. Renunciation of the World
This rung emphasizes the importance of letting go of worldly attachments to embrace a life of asceticism, or self-denial. QUOTE: “A Christian is one who imitates Christ in thought, word, and deed- as far as is humanly possible… The self-controlled man strives with all his might in the midst of the trials, snares, and noise of the world, to be like someone who rises above them.”
2. Detachment
True freedom comes from detaching oneself from both material possessions and emotional ties in order to love God first. QUOTE: “The one who really loves the Lord, who has made a real effort to find the coming Kingdom… will not love, care or worry about money, or possessions, or anything at all on earth.”
3. The Exile of the Heart
A call to see oneself as a stranger in the world, fostering a longing for heavenly things. QUOTE: “Exile is separation from everything in order to keep the mind inseparable from God.”
II. FOUNDATIONAL VIRTUES OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
4. Obedience
Obedience to spiritual authority is vital for growth, as it cultivates humility and surrender to God’s will. QUOTE: “Obedience is the burial place of the will and the resurrection of humility.”
5. Repentance
Acknowledging sin and turning back to God is the first step in the journey to healing and transformation. QUOTE: “Repentance is the renewal of baptism. It is a contract with God for a second life.”
6. Remembrance of Death
Keeping the inevitability of death in mind inspires urgency in one’s spiritual practices. QUOTE: “Someone has said that you cannot pass a day devoutly unless you think of it as your last.”
7. Joy in the Holy Spirit
The joy that comes from the Holy Spirit strengthens the soul and makes the ascetic struggle bearable. QUOTE: “And remember that never in your life can you see the same day twice.”
III. STRUGGLING AGAINST THE PASSIONS THAT BIND US
8. On the Struggle for Freedom from Anger and on Meekness
Few things can short-circuit our spiritual life like the impulse of anger. QUOTE: “If it is true that the Holy Spirit is peace of soul… then there is no greater obstacle to the presence of the Spirit in us than anger.”
9. On the Remembrance of Wrongs
This is the sin of malice and bearing grudges. QUOTE: “Remembrance of wrongs is the consummation of anger. It is a keeper of sins.”
10. On Slander or Calumny
Talking about other people’s sins rather than focusing on one’s own sins. QUOTE: “Do not regard the feelings of a person who slanders his neighbor, but rather say to him: ‘Stop, brother! I do worse things every day, so how can I criticize him?” You accomplish two things when you say this. You heal yourself and you heal your Neighbor with the one bandage.”
11. On Talkativeness and Silence
Idle or empty talk, boorishness, the virtue of silence. QUOTE: “Deliberate silence is the mother of prayer.”
12. On Lying
Lying is wearing a mask to hide ourselves, it is the mother of hypocrisy. QUOTE: “Hypocrisy is the mother of lying and often its cause.”
13. On Despondency
Recognizing and overcoming despondency is essential, as it can lead to spiritual stagnation. QUOTE: “Despondency reminds those at prayer of necessary duties.”
14. On Gluttony
Controlling our appetites so they do not control us through fasting. QUOTE: “Control your appetites before they control you… so let us restrain our appetites with the thought of the fire to come.”
15. On Lust
Dealing with our disordered sexuality and pursuing chastity. QUOTE: “A chaste person is someone who has driven out bodily love by means of divine love, who has used heavenly fire to quench the fires of passion.”
16. On the Love of Money, or Avarice
Truly the “love of money is a root of all evil” (1 Tim. 6:11). QUOTE: “The lover of money sneers at the Gospel and is a deliberate transgressor. The man of charity spreads his money about him.”
17. On Non-Possessiveness
Refusing to be miserly, being generous, giving alms. QUOTE: “The person who thinks nothing of goods is free from quarrels and disputes. But the lover of possessions will fight to the death for a needle.”
18. On Insensitivity
Apathy and laziness, not responding to God’s call. QUOTE: “Be constant in vigil, meditating on the eternal judgment; then perhaps I shall to some extent relax my hold on you. Find out what caused me to be born in you, and then battle against my mother; for she is not in all cases the same. Pray often where the dead are laid out, and engrave an indelible image of them in your heart. For unless you inscribe it there with the brush of fasting, you will never conquer.”
19. More on Insensitivity
The need for prayer to overcome our laziness. QUOTE: “Just as excessive drinking comes from habit, so too from habit comes overindulgence in sleep. For this reason one has to struggle against it especially at the start of one’s religious life, because a longstanding habit is very difficult to correct.”
20. Yet More on Insensitivity
The need to stay alert to keep attuned to God through vigils. QUOTE: “The bell rings for prayer. The monk who loves God says, “Good! Good!” The lazy monk says, “What a nuisance!”
21. On Fear
Cowardice in the spiritual life. QUOTE: “The servant of the Lord will be afraid only of his Master, while the person who does not yet fear Him is often scared by his own shadow.”
22. On the many forms of Vainglory
Doing good things so others may see, the desire to have your self-esteem reinforced. QUOTE: “If we really desire to please the Heavenly King, we should be eager to taste the glory that is above. The one who has tasted this glory will despise all earthly glory.”
23. On Pride and Blasphemous Thoughts
Destroying arrogance within yourself. QUOTE: “Pride makes us forget our sins, for the remembrance of them leads to humility.”
IV. THE VIRTUES NECESSARY FOR THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
24. On Simplicity and Meekness
Developing guilelessness and honesty with oneself. QUOTE: “Meekness consists in praying calmly and sincerely for a neighbor, even if they are troublesome.”
25. On Humility
The destroyer of the passions, which is rooted in spiritual perception. QUOTE: “Birds fear the sight of a hawk. Those who practice humility fear the sound of an argument.”
26. On Discernment
Self-knowledge of one’s thoughts, passions and virtues so as to always choose whatever is good and true. QUOTE: “One person’s medicine can be another person’s poison, and something can be a medicine to the same person at one time and a poison at another.”
V. THE FRUIT OF KNOWING GOD
27. On Stillness
Quietly resting in God through hesychia, rejecting whatever is just noise. QUOTE: “Let the remembrance of Jesus be present with your every breath.”
28. On Prayer
The mother of virtues, and the attitude of mind and body in prayer. QUOTE: “Do not be over-sophisticated in the words you use in prayer, because the simple and unadorned lisping of children has often won the heart of their heavenly Father.”
29. On Dispassion
Freedom from the passions and the resurrection of the soul before the general resurrection. QUOTE: “Its effect is to sanctify the mind and to detach it from immaterial things, and it does so in such a way that, after entering this heavenly harbor, a man, for most of his earthly life, is enraptured, like someone already in heaven, and he is lifted up to the contemplation of God.”
30. Love
The summit of the Divine ascent, the goal of the spiritual life. QUOTE: “And now at last, after all that has been said, there remains these three that bind the union of all – faith, hope, and love. “But the greatest of these is love” (1 Cor. 13:13), since that is the very name of God Himself (cf. 1 John 4:8).”
Conclusion: The Spiritual Profitability of The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Reading through The Ladder of Divine Ascent provides a deeply enriching spiritual experience that can profoundly transform one’s life. St. John’s insights into the challenges and triumphs of the spiritual journey serve as a guide for believers at all stages of their walk with God. Engaging with the entire work fosters a deeper understanding of the virtues necessary for spiritual growth and encourages readers to strive toward greater holiness. The wisdom contained within these thirty rungs equips individuals to confront their passions and cultivate a life that reflects Christ’s love.
For those with busy schedules or those grappling with specific struggles, The Ladder can also serve effectively as a reference book. Readers can identify their most pressing passions or weaknesses, whether it be anger, pride, or despondency, and focus on the corresponding chapter for targeted spiritual reading. By committing to work through one rung at a time, individuals can take significant strides in overcoming these challenges.
Consider identifying the passion that you most need to address in your life right now. Dedicate yourself to that chapter until you feel a sense of progress and mastery over it. Once you feel you have made strides in that area, move on to the next major passion. This intentional and focused approach allows St. John’s profound teachings to become an active and transformative part of your spiritual journey. The process of climbing the ladder, rung by rung, becomes not only a means of overcoming personal struggles but a continual invitation to deeper communion with God.
