March: Day 30: Teaching 1:
Venerable John Climacus
(Moral Lessons From His Life)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
Venerable John Climacus
(Moral Lessons From His Life)
By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko
I. Saint John Climacus, whose memory is celebrated today, upon reaching the age of 16, preferred to offer himself entirely as a most sacred sacrifice to God, and for that purpose, retired to Mount Sinai, where he submitted himself to the obedience of Elder Martyrios. Four years after joining the monastery, he received the angelic schema. His obedience to the elder was so profound that he seemed to have no will of his own. In his dealings with the brethren, he was very simple, and although he was highly educated and learned, he behaved in such a manner that he did not display his advantages over others. He lived with the elder for nineteen years until the end of his life, and after the elder's death resolved to live in solitude, but not before receiving the consent of Saint George the Arselaites for this. He chose a desert as the place for his solitude and settled in a secluded part of the valley at the foot of Mount Sinai.
From then on, every Saturday and every Sunday, the monk went to the Sinai temple to listen to the Divine Liturgy and to partake of the Holy Mysteries. He showed moderation in food, drink and sleep, not exhausting himself with excessive fasting and vigil, and avoiding satiety and laziness. The time free from prayer, the venerable one devoted to reading the sacred scriptures and copying sacred books. When he was with the brethren, he willingly entered into conversation with them. It happened that some of the brethren suspected the venerable one of vanity; the Saint, in order to stop the temptation, imposed complete silence on himself, which he maintained for a whole year, until those who had been tempted, feeling the deprivation of spiritual edification, recognized their mistake, and themselves asked Saint John not to deprive them of his conversation as before. John fulfilled their desire.
After 40 years of living in the desert, Saint John was chosen by his brethren to be the abbot of Mount Sinai. Soon after this election, a severe drought began in Palestine and Arabia. Then the inhabitants of these countries came to Saint John and asked his prayers for rain. God heard the pure prayers of Saint John, as He once did the prayers of Elijah the Tishbite, and sent abundant rain. The venerable one died at the age of 80, leaving behind a very remarkable and soul-profiting book he had written titled "The Ladder", showing the thirty steps of a God-pleasing life, for which he was called "the Ladder-Climber".
II. The life of this righteous man can be very instructive for many of us.
a) Firstly, it gives a lesson to young men. The beautiful age of youth should be devoted primarily to pious pursuits and exercises in good deeds, characteristic of this age, as did the teacher John, having dedicated himself to the service of God from the age of 16.
Does not the farmer sow his seeds in the field in the spring, in order to have good fruits? And the more carefully he cultivates the field at this time, and the better he sows the seeds, the better the harvest of grain he receives later on, and the greater the profit he receives from it. It is otherwise with him who misses the good time for sowing and, having poorly cultivated the land, scatters bad seeds on it. To such a farmer the earth gives scanty fruits, and sometimes refuses them altogether. Is not youth the spring of our life? He who sows the seeds of piety in youth has a sure hope of reaping an abundant harvest of piety in mature age and old age; but he who wastes his youth in empty pursuits and wicked pleasures, what can such a one hope for in mature age, and much less in old age, if he only lives to see it? For it is known from experience that those who spend their years in poor conduct in youth grow old prematurely and end their lives before reaching old age.
b) Secondly, Saint John Climacus, who was distinguished by the virtue of obedience to his elders, the leaders in spiritual life, teaches us this virtue too.
How great the feat of obedience is and what reward is prepared for it in heaven can be seen from the following vision:
One great elder, being in rapture, saw four ranks in heaven, signifying the perfection of ascetics. In the first rank stood one who was oppressed by ailments, but blessed the name of the Lord; in the second – a selfless host; in the third – a silent hermit; finally, the fourth and highest rank was occupied by one who was obedient to his mentor and devoted to him with all his heart for the sake of the Lord. This man wore a gold chain for his obedience and had great glory among others.
Therefore, Saint John Climacus says: “Blessed is he who has completely mortified his will and entrusted all care for himself to his mentor in God, for such a one will stand at the right hand of the crucified Savior.” (Step. 4)
Saint Gregory the Great speaks of the greatness of the virtue of obedience: “The virtue of obedience alone implants other virtues in the soul and protects those that have been implanted. Therefore, it is rightly preferred to sacrifices (1 Kings 15:22), because in sacrifices the flesh of another is slaughtered, but through obedience it is one’s own will.”
III. Through the prayers of Saint John Climacus, may the Lord grant us to be established in the virtue of obedience.
Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.
