John Climacus > Quotes

“The offspring of virtue is perseverance. The fruit and offspring of perseverance is habit and child of habit is character.”
― St. John Climacus

“Fight to escape from your own cleverness. If you do, then you will find salvation and uprightness through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
― John Climacus, John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“When the soul betrays itself and loses the blessed and longed-for fervor, let it carefully investigate the reason for losing it. And let it arm itself with all its longing and zeal against whatever caused this. For the former fervor can return only through the same door through which it was lost.”
― John Climacus

“The start of freedom from anger is stillness of the mouth when the heart is troubled. The middle is a stillness of the mind when there is a small agitation of the soul. The end is an unchanging calm beneath the breath of polluted winds.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Fasting is a struggle against nature and the removal of all that stimulates the palate, the inhibition of lust, the excision of evil thoughts, liberation from dreams, purity in prayer, the radiance of the soul, the defense of the mind, liberation from blindness, the gateway of remorse, humble sorrow, joyful remorse, a break from speaking, an agent for stillness, a watch for obedience, alleviation of sleep, health of body, a means to dispassion, a clearing of sins, a door to Paradise and its joy.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“[L]et us talk about the unholy vice of self-esteem, the beginning and completion of the passions; and let us talk briefly, for to undertake an exhaustive discussion would be to act like someone who inquires into the weight of the winds.”
― St. John Climacus

“This sea is bound to be stirred up and roused and enraged, so as to cast out of it again on to the dry land the wood, and hay, and all the corruption that was brought down into it by the rivers of the passions. Let us watch nature and we shall find that after a storm at sea there comes a deep calm.”
― John Climacus

“Intelligent silence is the mother of prayer, a recall from captivity, preservation of fire, an overseer of thoughts, a watch against enemies, a prison of mourning, a friend of tears, effective remembrance of death, a depicter of punishment, a delver into judgment, a minister of sorrow, an enemy of freedom of speech, a companion of stillness, an opponent of dogmatism, increase of knowledge, a creator of divine vision, hidden progress, secret ascent.”
― John Climacus, John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Humility is an unchanging character of the soul which continues untouched either by a bad or good report, in disgrace or in honor.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Silence, is the mother of prayer, a return from the captivity of sin, unconscious success in virtue, a continuous ascension to heaven.”
― St. John Climacus

“Do not be surprised if you fall every day and do not surrender. Stand your ground bravely. And you may be sure that your guardian angel will respect your endurance. A fresh, warm wound is easier to heal than those that are old, neglected, and festering, and that need extensive treatment, surgery, bandaging, and cauterization.”
― John Climacus, John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“The one who has achieved the fear of the Lord has given up lying, having inside himself an incorruptible judge, which is his conscience.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“The one who tries, without help, to fight with the spiritual beings is destroyed by them.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Always be struggling with your mind. When it roams about, summon it to return to you. God does not necessarily require from those who are still under the obedience, that their prayer be altogether free from distractions. Be not depressed when your thoughts are taken from you, but stay at peace and constantly bring back your mind. Unceasing remembrance is fitting only for angels.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“There are few who can hold water without a bucket and still fewer who can control an unrestrained tongue.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Those of us who wish to go out of Egypt and to fly from Pharaoh, certainly need some Moses as a mediator with God and from God, who, standing between action and contemplation, will raise hands of prayer for us to God, so that guided by Him we may cross the sea of sin and rout the Amalek of the passions.”
― St. John Climacus

“A firm foundation consists of three levels, three columns. These are innocence, fasting, and self-control. Let all infants in Christ start with these virtues, using them as their infant like examples. For you find in a baby nothing which is cunning or deceitful. They do not have an uncontrollable appetite or stomach. There is no body lit with fire. But as they increase, perhaps as they consume more food, their animal passions increase as well.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“It is not extraordinary for the incorporeal to battle with the incorporeal. But it is extraordinary for one clothed in the material, and struggling with this antagonistic and wily matter, to drive off incorporeal enemies.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“A fish quickly eludes a hook and a carnal soul flees solitude.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“The one who requests less than he deserves from God will surely obtain more than he deserves. This is clearly shown by the tax-collector who requested forgiveness but obtained justification. And the thief merely requested to be remembered in His Kingdom, but he inherited Paradise.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“In the same way that the father has stated that perfect love does not know sin, so I state that a perfect awareness of death is freedom from fear.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“David never said, "I have fasted," or, "I have kept the vigil," or "I have stretched out naked on the ground," but, "I humbled myself, and quickly the Lord saved me.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Where among them was the concern for worldly things, or judging others? Nowhere.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Those who are quick to strictly judge the sins of their neighbor sink into this problem because they have not yet achieved a regular and careful remembrance of their own shortcomings. For if one could perceive his own sins precisely, without the curtain of pride, he would concern himself with nothing else while he lived, seeing that even if he were to live a hundred years, he would not have time enough to grieve over his sins even if he were to see the entire river Jordan pouring forth as tears from his eyes. I have seen that type of grieving, and I did not discover in it even the slightest bit of condemnation.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“Let the desire to leave our place be evidence for us that our mode of life is well-pleasing to God. For being fought against is a sure sign that we are in a war.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“The one who allows himself to lie does so with the excuse that it is out of concern for others and sees the ruin of his soul as charity. The author of lies makes it seem as though he is imitating Rahab, saying that through his own ruin he is saving others.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“The true servant of the Lord is the one who in body is standing before men, but in his mind is knocking at heaven with his prayer.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“After much toiling, when you still cannot take out this thorn, you should make amends with your enemy, even if it is only by word. Then it may be that you will be embarrassed by your persistent hypocrisy towards him, and with your conscience biting at you like a fire, you will perhaps feel a genuine love for him. You will recognize that you have destroyed this vice, not only when you pray on behalf of your enemy, nor when you exchange presents with him, nor when you summon him to dine with you, but only at the point when you learn that he has suffered a spiritual or bodily mishap and you grieve and shed tears for him as if for yourself.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“To respect the toils of these holy ones is good. To imitate them brings salvation. But to desire suddenly to take on their way of life in every detail is not possible or reasonable.”
― John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent

“If some are still dominated by their former bad habits, and yet can teach by mere words, let them teach. . . . For perhaps, by being put to shame by their own words, they will eventually begin to practice what they teach.”
― John Climacus