March 30 + Saint John Climacus

John was a seventh-century monk who was known as “the Scholar” until people referred to him after his famous written work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, a handbook on the ascetical and mystical life that has become a Christian spiritual classic.

John came from Palestine and when he was 16, he joined a community of monks living on Mount Sinai in Egypt. He was placed under the direction of an older monk, who helped him master his desires and behavior.

When John was 35, his mentor died, and he went to live in a hermitage. He spent the next 40 years seeking perfection in solitude and prayer and study — it is said that he was one of the most learned of the desert fathers.

Many people sought John out for spiritual direction because of his wisdom. He had a gift for helping people find healing for their troubled and disordered souls. Over time, he collected his insights into his work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, which described 30 degrees towards attaining spiritual perfection — the first being renunciation and the last being full incorporation of the theological virtues of faith, hope and love. The work had a profound effect on the development of Christian spirituality.

When John was 70, the abbot of a nearby monastery passed away and John was selected to replace him. When a severe drought devastated the region, the people asked him to pray for relief and rain came. John was so well-known at the time that Saint Pope Gregory the Great wrote to him to ask for his prayers and to send resources to assist the monastery in hosting the many pilgrims who traveled there to be in the presence of the holy man. John died in 649 of old age.