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Dear Parish Faithful,
There is a glory that comes from the Lord, for he says: Those who honor me, I will honor (1 Samuel 2.30). And there is a glory that follows us through diabolic intrigue, for it is said: Woe when all men shall speak well of you (Lk 6.26). You may be sure that it is the first kind of glory when you regard it as harmful and avoid it in every possible way, and hide your manner of life wherever you go. But the other you will know when you do something, however trifling, hoping that you will be observed by men.
—St John Climacus, Ladder of Divine Ascent, as found in The Bible and the Holy Fathers for Orthodox
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We commemorated St. John Climacus this past Sunday on the Fourth Sunday of Great Lent. That, in turn, brings to mind his great classic, The Ladder of Divine Ascent. Based on the Scriptures, St. John challenges not only conventional wisdom, but what may lie at the very core of our (fallen?) being: the need for praise, recognition, or the "glory that follows us through diabolic intrigue." That is why we pray for humility on a daily basis in Great Lent, through the Lenten Prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian. What a hard gift to acquire!
