TODAY'S SAINT (John Climacus)

www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=3957

 

JOHN CLIMACUS

(ca. 570-ca. 6649)

Abbot of Sinai,mystic, Father of the Church

Also known as: John the Scholastic, the Sinaita

 

 

Little is known about the detail of John Climacus's life, and the estimated dates of his life vary considerably. The prevailing view is that he was born in or shortly before 579 and died around 649. Some scholars have placed his  life at ca. 525-600 or 605. Others have fixed his date of death as late as 670-680.

       John was born in Syria sometime around 525, and had at least one brother, named George. At the time, Mouunt Sinai was famous for its hermits, and at age 16 John decided to witthdraw from the world and study under Abba Martyrius. He received his tonsure at age 19 or 20.

     Soon thereafter Martyrius died, and John withdrew to a hermitage called Tholas at the foot of the mountain. There he lived in near isolation in a cave for about 20 years, studying the lives of the saints. He practiced stringent mortific-ations and austerities, reducing sleep to an absolute minimum. He received the grace of continuual prayer and the gift of tears, a sign of the presence of God and the purification of  body and soul. His spiritual depth gained him recognition as a spiritual father among his fellow  monks.

     At some point during his stay at Tholas, John visited monks in Egypt, staying at a large monastery outside of Alexandria. He was impressed by the unity he witnessed there. He even spent time in "the Prison," a place about a mile from the monastery where erring monks were sent to do penance.

     In 600 he was persuaded to become abbot of the central monastery at Sinai. On the day of his instalation, a larg group of 600 pilgrrims arived and had to be fed. During the meal, John saw what he described as "a man with short hair, dressed like a Jew in a white tunic, going round with an air of authority and giving orders to the cooks, cellarers, stewards and other servants." As soon as the meal was finished, the man mysteriously disappe-ared. John said the stranger was Mose, and his monks took this as a sign that they had found in him another Moses.

     John attracted many disciples. Pope  St. Gregory the Great (r. 590-604) wrote to him asking for his recommendation in prayers, and sent him money for the hospital at Sinai that took care of pilgrims. Toward the end of his years, he turned his responsibilities over to his brother, George,  and retired again to  solitude. He died at Mount Sinai, probably around 649.

      John is best-known for his imporrtant work, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, from which he later earned his surname. Klimakis is "ladder," and John Climacus means "John of the Ladder." He composed the book during his years as abbot.

     The Ladder of Divine Ascent is composed in 30 chapters, intended to  correspond to the age of Jesus at the time of his baptism by st. John the Baptism. The 30 chapters are 30 steps, or logoi, of the spiritual life. Each step describes a certain virtue or passion, and the path that can lead from it. The book offers no formulae, but instructs that "the life you have is hidden with Christ in God." The stages of the spiritual life set forth in the book are the break with the world; the practice of asceticism; the struggle against  passions; the practice of simplicity, humility and  discernment; and union with God.

     The union with God is achieved through heyschia, an Eastern Orthodox method of mystical prayer in which one arrives at a deep interior peace and stillness "at the very center of the mysteries" through the constant  remembr-ance of God. Hesychast prayer featured breathing techniques and constant repetition of a prayer, especially the "Jesus Prayer"; "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."

     Other ways to achieve union with God are apatheia or detachment, in which the soul stretches out toward God; and charity.

     Ladder became one of the most important texts in the Eastern Orthodox Church. Through his years of intense study, John was able to synthesize the traditional teachings of the Fathers of the Churrch, including the Desert Fathers. It  was written at a significant time of transition. Arab invaders were destroying the monasteries of Egypt and Palestine, and monasticism withdrew to Mounnt Athos. John's work served as a significant bridge.

     Because of his stature, John is celebrated in feasts twice a year in the  Eastern church. His book continues to inspire monastics and people interested in the spiritual life. The Trappist monk Thomas Merton was inspired by it and wrote a review of it.

     The monastery where John lived, first dedicated to Our Lord's Holy Trans-figuration, is now dedicated to St. Catherine.

 

 

PRAYER

Lord, amid the things of this world, let us be wholeheartedly committed to heavenly things in imitation of the example of evangelical perfection You have given us in St. John the Abbot. Amen.

 

     Feast: March 30 and the fouth Sunday of the Great Lent

 

     FURTHER READING

     Climacus, John. The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Mahwah, N.J.: 

           Paulist Press, 1982.  

TODAY'S SAINT (Joseph of Arimathea)

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JOSEPH OF ARIMATHEA

 

 

Joseph of Aarimathea was a just and devout man who was looking for the Kingdom of God. Although during our  Lord's public life he was afraid to show himself openly as His disciple, after the crucifixion he had the courage to seek out Pilate and ask for the Body of Jesus.Aided by Nicodemus, he took the the Body of the Savior frrom the Cross, bound it up in wrappings of cloth with with perfumed oil, and laid it in his own new tomb which had been hewn from a formation of rocck (Jn. 19, 38-42).

           

PRAYER

God, You alone are holy and without You no one is good. Through the interces-sion of  St. Joseph, grant that we may so live as not to be deprived of Your glory. Amen. 

TODAY'S SAINT (Sixtus III)

SIXTUS III

(d. 440)

Pope

Also known as: Xystus III

 

 

Not much is known about Sixtus III. He was prominent in the Roman church when he was elevated to the Chair of  St. Peter, succeeding St.  Celestine I (r. 422- 432)  on July 31, 432.

     Sixtus III was falsely accused of sympathy toward Nestorianism and Pela-gianism, against both of wich heresies he acted. He also defended the pope's right of supremacy over  the ecclesiastical province of Iyricumm against Proclus of Constantinople.

     In Rome, he restored the basilica of Liberius (now St. Mary Major) and enlarged the basilica of St. Lawrence-Outside-the-Walls. He received precious gifts from Emperor Valentinian III for St. Peter's and the Lateran basilica.

     Sixtus III died 440.

 

     Feast: March 28   

TODAY'S SAINT (Rupert of Salzburg)

RUPERT OF SALZBURG

Bishop

 

 

Rupert, a Frank by nationality, was Bishop of Worms until the last years  of the 7th century (697) when he became a missionary to Regensburg  in Bavaria. After  converting and baptizing Duke Theodo, without whose permission nothing could take place in the territory, St. Rupert and his followers converted many of the nobles and encountered no serious opposition to their work of evangelization among the people.

     Meeting with conspicuous success at Regensburg, the zealous Bishop went on to Altotting and then extended his activities over a  wide area along the Danube--always with singular success. As his center, he took the old ruined town of Juvavum, which he  renamed Salzburg, and rebuilt. 

     In addition to  Christianizing the people and building churches and   monasteries for them,  this holy man also civilized his converts and promoted the development of the salt mines of Salzburg. He thus contribbbuted to the bodies and souls of his flock. The Lord called this devoted servant to his reward on Easter Sunday about the year 710.

 

PRRAYER

God, You built up Your Church by means of the religious zeal and apostolic care of St. Rupert. Grant by his intercession that she may ever experience a new increase of Faith and holiness. Amen. 

 

     Feast: March 27 

TODAY'S SAINT (Margaret Clitherow)

MARGARET CLITHEROW

Martyr

 

 

Bless Margaret Clitherow was born at Middleton, England in 1555, of Protestant parents. Possessed of good looks and full of wit and merriment, she was a charminng personality. In 1571, she married John Clitherow, a well-to-do grazier  and butcher (to whom she bore two children), and a few years later she entered the Catholic Church. Her zeal led he to harbor fugitive priests, for which she was arrested and imprissoned by the hostile authorities.

     Recourse was had to every means in an attempt to make her deny her Faith, but the holy woman stood firm. Finally, she was condemned to be pressed to death on March 25, 1586. She was stretched out on the ground with a sharp rock on her back and crushed under a door overladen with unbearable weights. Her bones were broken and she died within fifteen minutes.

     The humanity and  holiness of this servant of God can be readily glimpsed in her words to a friend when she learned of her   condemnation: "The sheriffs have said that I am going to die this coming Friday; and I feel the weakness of my flesh which is troubled at this news, but my spirit rejoices greatly. For the love of God, pray for me and ask all good people to do likewise."

 

PRAYER

God, by Your gift virtue is perfected in weakness. Grant to all who recall the glory of St. Margaret that she who obtained strength from You the grace to enable us to triumph. Amen.

 

     Feast: March 26