St. John of the Ladder: Guide to the Divine Ascent

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Who is St. John of the Ladder?

On the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent, the Orthodox Church warmly commemorates St. John Climacus, or St. John of the Ladder, as a model of spiritual striving. St. John was a 7th-century monk and later abbot of St. Catherine’s Monastery at Mount Sinai. Renouncing worldly life at age 16, he devoted himself entirely to Christ.​

After decades of prayerful solitude and asceticism in the Sinai desert, he became renowned for his holiness and wisdom. He is honored on this Lenten Sunday because his life and teachings – especially his book The Ladder of Divine Ascent – bear witness to the great effort required for entry into God’s Kingdom.

A Life of Ascent on Mt. Sinai

St. John was born around 525 AD, and at age 16 he left a life of comfort to become a monk on Mount Sinai​.

Under the guidance of Elder Martyrios, the young John learned obedience and humility. After his mentor’s repose, John embraced even deeper stillness – living 40 years as a hermit in a mountain cave​.​

By prayer, fasting, vigil and tears, he sought total purification of soul. Out of humility, he hid his spiritual gifts, but others saw in him a radiant beacon of sanctity​.

Around age 75, this humble hermit was chosen unwillingly as abbot of St. Catherine’s Monastery. Thus, he “who had died to all things” was revealed as a true guide of souls, known for incomparable love for God and unceasing prayer.

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The Ladder of Divine Ascent – A Heavenly Handbook

St. John’s enduring legacy is his book The Ladder of Divine Ascent, written at the request of a fellow abbot as a guide for monastics seeking perfection​.

In it, he uses the image of a ladder reaching from earth to heaven – inspired by Jacob’s vision in Genesis 28 – to describe 30 steps of spiritual growth leading to God​.​

Beginning with renouncing worldly attachments and progressing through battles with various passions, the Ladder’s steps culminate in the highest virtues of dispassion and love.

Though The Ladder was written for monks, it speaks to every Christian’s soul. St. John outlines a path of repentance and sanctification that, in essence, all believers are called to follow. Each rung on the ladder represents progress in virtue: from initial faith and renunciation, through repentance, humility, detachment, purity of heart, prayer, and finally to heavenly love. The journey is indeed an intense spiritual warfare – “not against flesh and blood, but against…wickedness in heavenly places” (Eph 6:12)​.

Yet St. John encourages us that by perseverance and God’s grace, “he who endures to the end will be saved” (Matt 24:13)​.

Ascetic Struggle and Spiritual Effort

St. John’s message is clear: No growth in Christ happens without ascetic effort. He witnessed that great struggle is required to acquire the Kingdom​.

We are called to actively “ascend…eagerly” toward God, fighting against passions that weigh us down. In Lent, we especially practice fasting, increased prayer, and almsgiving – our own ascent in imitation of St. John.​

Such asceticism is not about harshness for its own sake, but about freeing the heart to love God alone. St. John teaches that we must “mortify our self-will” and endure a measure of hardship – hunger, vigils, solitude, tears of repentance – to heal the soul’s passions​.

This is truly a “narrow way” (cf. Matt 7:14), yet it leads to life. He consoles laypeople that even if we cannot emulate monastics exactly, we can “do all the good you can… show compassion… refrain from evil… and you will not be far from the kingdom.”​

In other words, each of us can take one step at a time on the ladder of virtues. St. John’s voice across the centuries urges us on with hope: “Ascend, ascend, brethren, ascend eagerly!” – echoing the prophet, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord.”

“Ascend, Brothers, Ascend Eagerly!”

Though he lived 1400 years ago, St. John of the Ladder is a companion for Christians today, especially during Lent. He understood that the spiritual life is a dynamic journey – a ladder we climb step by step, often stumbling, yet helped by God at every rung. His teachings in The Ladder of Divine Ascent remain a great help on the path to truth and virtue.​

for anyone who sincerely wants to follow Christ. For Orthodox believers, it has become customary to read the Ladder during the 40 days of Lent, letting St. John’s words spur us on in repentance​.

But even newcomers to Orthodoxy can find in him a gentle guide. He does not expect most people to live in a cave or achieve all 30 steps at once! Rather, he encourages us to begin where we are – renounce one sin, cultivate one virtue, make peace with one neighbor, say one prayer of the heart – and thus start climbing. He reminds us that the Christian journey requires effort, but also that we are never alone. In the Ladder icon, Christ Himself awaits at the top, extending His hand to pull us upward​.

The Church commemorates St. John Climacus in Lent to tell us that we too can ascend. In every little act of self-denial, every honest confession, every humble service or heartfelt prayer, we place our feet on the next rung by God’s grace.