Prayer is by nature a dialogue and a union of man with God. Its effect is to hold the world together. It achieves a reconciliation with God
(The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Step 28)
The ladder is an image frequently used to describe spiritual growth. A spiritual classic in the Eastern tradition by St. John Climacus, called The Ladder of Divine Ascent, is well-known for using this imagery. The popularity of The Ladder in the East equals The Imitation of Christ in the West. It has been copied, studied and translated various times over the past fourteen centuries and is read every Lent in Orthodox monasteries. Besides the monasteries, it is widely read by lay people in countries such as Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, Russia and the Orthodox world. Of the author we know very little, except that he most likely lived during the seventh century. Some scholars suggest he was born in 579 and died around 649 CE. At the age of sixteen he came to Sinai and began living a semi-hermetical life for about three years under the guidance of a spiritual father. Later he lived as a hermit and after forty years, despite his reluctance, was elected abbot of the central monastery at Sinai. During this period he wrote the ascetical-mystical classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
Though The Ladder is his most important work, he has another short treatise titled To the Shepherd, where he describes the task of the abbot or spiritual father. Though The Ladder is written for monks, it has something for anyone who desires to progress in spiritual life. Despite the fact that the imagery of the ladder had been used by St. Gregory of Nazianzus, St. John Chrysostom and Theodoret of Cyrrhus, the analogy is best developed by St. John Climacus. The Ladder consists of thirty steps to grow in spiritual life and each rung represents one year in the hidden life of Christ. Though St. John calls himself a second rate architect, it is evident that the thirty steps have been carefully arranged into three parts. The first part speaks of the conversion of a person and a break from the world (1-3). The second part deals with the practice of virtues. It starts by highlighting the practice of fundamental virtues, including obedience (4-7). This is followed by the struggle against physical/material and non-physical passions (8-23). Finally, there is an indication of higher virtues such as simplicity, humility and discernment (24-26). The third part deals with the transition to the contemplative life which consists in union with God (27-30).
An important element in spiritual growth is the centrality of prayer (Step 28) and the above mentioned quote indicates its meaning. Prayer helps establish an abiding relationship with God and the entire world. The sequence of prayer consists in: a) heartfelt thanksgiving, b) genuine contrition and c) the prayer of petition. St. John insists on short and simple prayers and recommends the Psalms and the Jesus Prayer (Steps 15, 21 and 27) in order to experience greater union with God. The imagery of the ladder has been critiqued by modern authors such as Karl Rahner who find it rigid and linear. However, The Ladder takes into account the complexities and nuances of spiritual growth. St. John clarifies that, though by God’s grace a person gradually progresses to higher levels in spiritual life, the lower levels continue to be present all along. A re-reading of the text leads us to say that The Ladder of St. John Climacus could be better interpreted as a spiral staircase where certain graces and vulnerabilities reappear in different forms and at varying levels all through the life of a person.
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