Do not despair! God's mercies welcome repentance

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 5 ~ On Repentance

¶38. Nothing equals or excels God’s mercies. Therefore, he who despairs is committing suicide. A sign of true repentance is the acknowledgment that we deserve all the afflictions, visible and invisible, that come upon us, and even greater ones. Moses, after seeing God in the bush, returned again to Egypt, that is, to darkness and to the brick-making of Pharaoh, who was symbolical of the spiritual Pharaoh. But he went back again to the bush, and not only to the bush, but also up the mountain. Whoever has known divine vision will never despair of himself. Job became a beggar, but he became twice as rich again.

Do not give up, but stand your ground courageously

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 5 ~ On Repentance

¶30. Do not be surprised that you fall every day; do not give up, but stand your ground courageously. And assuredly, the angel who guards you will honour your patience. While a wound is still fresh and warm, it is easy to heal; but old, neglected and festering ones are hard to cure, and require for their care much treatment, cutting, plastering and cauterization. Many from long neglect become incurable, but with God all things are possible.

Who would not run this fair course of obedience?

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 4 ~ On Obedience

¶ 105. From obedience comes humility, as we have already said earlier. From humility comes discernment as the great Cassian has said with beautiful and sublime philosophy in his chapter on discernment. From discernment comes clairvoyance, and from clairvoyance comes foreknowledge. And who would not run this fair course of obedience, seeing such blessings in store for him? It was of this great virtue of obedience that the good Psalmist said: Thou hast in Thy goodness prepared for the poor, obedient soul, O God, Thy presence in his heart.

Be zealous within your soul, not outwardly

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 4 ~ On Obedience

¶ 82. Be zealous within your soul, without showing it in the least outwardly, either by visible sign or by word or by a hint. And you will only do this when you stop looking down on your neighbour. But if you are still inclined to do this, become like your brethren so that you do not differ from them simply in being conceited.

Take up arms courageously

Venerable John Climacus ~ The Ladder of Divine Ascent
Step 1 ~ On Renunciation of the World

¶22. Let us charge into the good fight with joy and love without being afraid of our enemies. Though unseen themselves, they can look at the face of our soul, and if they see it altered by fear, they take up arms against us all the more fiercely. For the cunning creatures have observed that we are scared. So let us take up arms against them courageously. No one will fight with a resolute fighter.

Introduction to the Ladder

Introduction to the Ladder of Divine Ascent
St. John Climacus
January 8-22, 2014
Reader Paul Winter

Introduction to the Ladder ~ Part 3 of 3

Introduction to the Ladder of Divine Ascent
St. John Climacus
Part 3 of 3
January 22, 2014
Reader Paul Winter