During this time after Easter, I thought that I would share some ideas about Eastern spirituality that are derived from our Father among the Saints, St. John Climacus. While his Ladder of Divine Ascent was written for monks, I believe that there is much that people in all walks of life can glean from it.

The Ladder of Divine Ascent is undoubtedly one of the most influential Christian texts ever written and its spiritual insights truly speak to our Eastern spirituality.

One of the aspects of John’s Ladder that is worth considering is the very image of a ladder, of a climb and upward journey. There are thirty steps in John’s Ladder. John intended these to represent the thirty years of the Lord’s life that He spent in preparation for His public ministry.

Our spiritual journey truly requires patience and dogged persistence – taking one step at a time. No one can climb the entire ladder in a single stride. The individual steps of this spiritual ladder do not necessarily come in the same order for all people. Each person’s ladder, while it may contain the same number of steps, is totally unique.

St. John reminds us that we must not be impatient or hasty, for the climb is perilous. There is always a danger in seeking what is beyond our immediate reach. One should never attempt to compare his/her position on their spiritual ladder with that of others.

We do well to also remember that we are not seeking spiritual   perfection. It has not been attained by the saints and cannot be attained during this lifetime by us. The goal is to become engaged in the very process of spiritual growth. God has given all of us an eternal lifetime to climb this ladder. Being aware of the process and desiring to climb the ladder is what is most important. I call you to join me in this journey.