Rev. José Mario O. Mandía
One of the later Fathers from the East is John Climacus. The name ‘Climacus’ is given to him because of his work The Climax (Greek klimax, meaning ‘ladder’). This book is known in the West as the Ladder of Divine Ascent (PG 88, 632-1164) and is a comprehensive treatise on the spiritual life.
Pope Benedict XVI describes the times in which John lived. “He was born in about 575 AD. He lived, therefore, during the years in which Byzantium, the capital of the Roman Empire of the East, experienced the greatest crisis in its history. The geographical situation of the Empire suddenly changed and the torrent of barbarian invasions swept away all its structures. Only the structure of the Church withstood them, continuing in these difficult times to carry out her missionary, human, social and cultural action, especially through the network of monasteries in which great religious figures such as, precisely, John Climacus were active” (General Address, 1 February 2009).
At the age of 16, it is believed that John became a monk in what is now known as Saint Catherine’s Monastery, under the tutelage of Abba Martyrius. After the death of Martyrius, John moved to a hermitage farther down the mountain. He lived in silence and strove to exercise humility and obedience. “He never contradicted, never disputed with anyone. So perfect was his submission that he seemed to have no self-will” (Alban Butler, The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints vol. 3. D & J Sadlier, & Company, 1864).
This does not mean, however, that he cared for no one else. “Solitude, however, did not prevent him from meeting people eager for spiritual direction, or from paying visits to several monasteries near Alexandria. In fact, far from being an escape from the world and human reality, his eremitical retreat led to ardent love for others (Life, 5) and for God (ibid., 7)” (Benedict XVI, General Address, 1 February 2009).
“God bestowed on St. John an extraordinary grace of healing the spiritual disorders of souls. Among others, a monk called Isaac was brought almost to the brink of despair by most violent temptations of the flesh. He addressed himself to St. John, who perceived by his tears how much he underwent from that conflict and struggle which he felt within himself. The servant of God commended his faith, and said, ‘My son, let us have recourse to God by prayer.’ They accordingly prostrated themselves together on the ground in fervent supplication for a deliverance, and from that time the infernal serpent left Isaac in peace” (Alban Butler, The Lives or the Fathers, Martyrs and Other Principal Saints vol. 3. D & J Sadlier, & Company, 1864).
After living as a hermit for 40 years, he was appointed abbot – upon the invitation of the monks – of the large monastery on Mount Sinai. He exercised his duties “with the greatest wisdom, and his reputation spread so far that the pope (St. Gregory the Great) wrote to recommend himself to his prayers, and sent him a sum of money for the hospital of Sinai, in which the pilgrims were wont to lodge. Four years later he resigned his charge and returned to his hermitage to prepare for death” (Clugnet, Léon. “St John Climacus.” The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 8. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1910. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/08457a.htm).
As for his famous work The Climax, it “describes the monk’s journey from renunciation of the world to the perfection of love. This journey according to his book covers 30 steps” (Benedict XVI, General Address, 1 February 2009). Pope Benedict XVI points out that these steps can be divided into three stages.
The first step is to renounce the world and to become like a child again, especially through obedience. John wrote: “Blessed is he who has mortified his will to the very end and has entrusted the care of himself to his teacher in the Lord: indeed he will be placed on the right hand of the Crucified One!” (4, 37; 704).
The second step is the struggle against passions and vices. He pointed out that in themselves, passions are not bad, but it is our wrong use of them that makes them sinful. John taught that “all those who enter upon the good fight (cf. 1 Tim 6:12), which is hard and narrow, … may realize that they must leap into the fire, if they really expect the celestial fire to dwell in them” (1,18; 636).
In the last stage, one achieves hesychia (peace of soul) and indifference to afflictions and sufferings. The very last step is crowned by the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. Pope Benedict XVI adds that we should not think that these steps are only for monks who live apart from others. Renunciation, the struggle against passions, the practice of virtue are all necessary for those who follow Christ, including ordinary Christians.
John Climacus died around the year 650 in Egypt.
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