is St John of the Ladder, 6th century monastic of Mount Sinai.
Our Patron
Why we have a patron
The Scriptures show us that God's promises to those who are faithful to him do not just entail salvation but also participation in His ruling & healing authority.
In Revelation, Jesus proclaims, "He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne" (3:21). Likewise, in the Old Testament Daniel prophesies, "But the saints of the Highest One will receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, for all ages to come" (7:18).
In the Gospels, we read, "And Jesus called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction" (Matt 10:1) and he also tells them, "Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (18:18). We recognize that these promises were not limited to just the twelve disciples but to all faithful believers when we read, "The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, 'Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!'" (Lk 10:17).
In recognition of the authority and gifts God has given his holy ones, Orthodox churches like ours are named after people whom the Holy Spirit has shown to have lived a blessed life and received the promises of God. Through signs and wonders, we know that God has appointed these people to play a special role in His Kingdom.
Just as God guides and supports us in our walk towards salvation through friends and leaders, may he do so through our glorified patron as well.
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St John of the Ladder
St John of the Ladder is honored by the church as a great monk and the author of the renowned spiritual book called The Ladder of Divine Ascent, for which he is named.
Gifted with discernment, and attaining wisdom through spiritual experience, he lovingly received all who came to him and guided them to salvation. Concealing his ascetic deeds from others, St John sometimes withdrew into a cave, but reports of his holiness spread far beyond the vicinity. Visitors from all walks of life came to him, desiring to hear his words of edification and salvation.
Knowing his wisdom and spiritual gifts, the abbot of the Raithu monastery requested St John to write down whatever was necessary for the salvation of those in the monastic life. With the exception of the scriptures themselves and St Athanasius’ Life of Anthony, it is the most copied and influential book in Christian history.
The thirty steps of spiritual perfection correspond to the thirty years of the Lord’s age. The Ladder begins with renunciation of worldliness, and ends with God, who is love (1 Jn 4:8). Although the book was written for monks, any Christian living in the world will find it an unerring guide for ascending to God, and a support in the spiritual life.
St John of the Ladder is commemorated on the 4th Sunday of Great Lent, as well as on March 30th.
