March: Day 30: Teaching 2: Venerable John Climacus

March: Day 30: Teaching 2:
Venerable John Climacus
 
(The Degrees of Moral Perfection)

By Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko

I. From his youth, the now celebrated Saint John Climacus loved the Lord and, despite the flattering hopes inspired by his natural talents and extensive education, he left the world and withdrew far from his homeland to Sinai, to free himself through pilgrimage from many obstacles to spiritual life, and in the chosen place to have a clear indication of what and where he should seek.

Having thus laid a good foundation, he from the very moment of entering the monastery wholeheartedly surrenders himself to the experienced mentor and places himself in such a state as if his soul had neither its own reason nor its own will. By suppressing in himself excessive self-confidence and self-will, he soon frees himself from the pride typical of gifted individuals, acquires heavenly simplicity, and becomes perfect in the works and virtues of obedience.

When then his mentor departed to the Lord, Saint John, aflame with love for greater perfection, having already strengthened himself in the virtues of monasticism — both external and internal — steps forth into the realm of silence. Choosing a fitting location for this endeavor five versts from the Lord's temple, he spent forty years there in a solitary life of strict abstinence and asceticism, in unceasing prayer and contemplation, especially in tears, which constituted for him bread both day and night.

Soon he ascends to the highest degree of purity and becomes a vessel of special gifts from God, of foresight, boldness in prayer, and miracles. Then, when it was necessary to choose an abbot, all the brethren unanimously appointed him as their leader, like a newly revealed Moses, and he, having descended from the mountain of divine contemplation, presented his holy Ladder, like divinely written tablets, where he depicted the image of a perfect Christian life, traversed by them and inscribed by the grace of God in his heart. Guiding these chosen monks in this way, he reaches the limits of visible life and departs to the heavenly Jerusalem.

II. Here is the whole course of the Saint's life. We have not touched on the details, intending to indicate only those stages by which he ascended to perfection, for our instruction. And it is easy for everyone to notice that there were three most important of them: leaving the world with all its hopes, the labors of obedience at the will of the superior, then silence which made him worthy of special gifts of God and God-wise guidance. These stages are common to all the saints who shone forth with Christian perfections on earth, as you can see for yourself by reading with attention the life of any of them. We must all go through the same stages, if we wish not only to seem, but to be true Christians.

Renunciation of everything, or leaving the world, is clear to you. Obedience is a life of good works, not of one's own will, but at the direction of another. Finally, silence is the desire to be constantly in the heart with the one God, which when someone achieves it, begins to manifest the powers of God, or special gifts. See now how this can be fulfilled by a layman, and even fulfilled by you.

a) The fact that Saint John has left the world and withdrew to the Sinai monastery reflects our own abandonment of a sinful and impassioned life, and our turning of mind and heart towards godliness; for the world represents the image of an impassioned sinful life, whereas the monastic abode symbolizes a virtuous life. Whoever forsakes sin and resolves to live a holy life does the same as another who leaves the world and enters the monastery. If during Great Lent, for instance, you sincerely repented and resolved not to offend God with your sins anymore, you have become imitators of Saint John, who, having left the world, withdrew to the Sinai monastery. It remains for you to persist in this intention and in fulfilling its requirements, so as to become his imitators and to attain the second degree of his ascent to perfection.

b) In the second degree, in the monastery, Saint John carried out the labor of obedience under the guidance of his elder mentor. In your daily life, what should this obedience consist of? In the fulfillment of the commandments, which define the way of life for each of you, as a family man, as a member of civil society, and as a son of the Church. Do what the commandments command, and you will be a correct obedient servant. If you are a servant, fulfill the commandments of a servant; if a father or mother, fulfill the parental commandments; if you are a son, fulfill the commandments of sonship; if a judge, fulfill the commandments of justice; if a merchant, trade as prescribed. If civil order requires something, fulfill it. And all that the Holy Church prescribes, fulfill from the smallest to the greatest. All this is saving obedience, when actions are not performed according to one's own will, but according to what is prescribed. Saint John had a guide. Who are your guides? The pastors of the Church. Go, ask, and be enlightened each time, and act according to their guidance. They will not express their own will to you, but the commandments of the Gospel and the regulations of the Holy Church of God. Thus, whoever, having abandoned sin, begins to live in the labors of good deeds and the fulfillment of all-encompassing commandments of God under the guidance of lawful pastors will be an imitator of Saint John in his second degree of perfection.

c) How, then, to imitate him in silence? This is how. Observe, what is silence? Externally, it is the removal from all and being alone, while internally, it is the elimination of all mental distractions and the gathering of oneself within the heart, to dwell there unceasingly before the face of the one all-seeing God. External silence is not in our hands and may only occur accidentally in everyday life; but inner solitude is in your control. Arrange it for yourself, taking care to enter within yourself as often as possible, into your inner cell, and there to stand alone before the one God. Whether you are at home, on a journey, at work, or in the temple, strive not to let your attention depart from your heart and do not allow the eye of your mind to wander from the vision of God. And you will be solitaries or followers of silence. The need for silent inner dwelling arises in the soul due to conscientious labor in the fulfillment of God's commandments. As long as passions and sinful habits live in the heart, inner silence cannot be attained. The work of virtue and the fulfillment of God's commandments drive out from our nature the passions and sinful habits. Then the call to be one with the Lord is born. And behold, those who are strengthened in good deeds and dispositions often, whether during prayer at home and in the temple, or during pious contemplation and reading, enter so deeply within and immerse themselves in such silence that they do not notice how time passes, and despite the external effort, for example during prayer or standing in the temple, they would not wish to cease it, in order to always remain in this blessed state. This is the beginning of inner silence, which is also possible within the family life. It is necessary to continue life in the same labor of good deeds. The Lord will not forsake the work of love. It is only necessary to eliminate from life all that may disturb this good disposition and to extinguish the blessed warmth of inner silence.

III. Thus, each of you can become a complete imitator of Saint John. It remains to continue life in the same work of good deeds. Ascend to the measure of the fullness of Christ. Forgetting what lies behind, reach forth unto those things which are ahead, towards the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Source: A Complete Annual Cycle of Short Teachings, Composed for Each Day of the Year. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.