March 30: St. John Climacus

"The Ladder of Divine Ascent"
(St. John Climacus is pictured at the top,
being welcomed to heaven by Christ.)

History

John lived in Palastine in the 7^th century. He became a religious hermit when he was only 16, living on Mt. Sinai, where he studied the lives of the saints. God gave him a great gift for writing, and John wrote “The Ladder of Divine Ascent,” which explains how to use ascetic virtues — like humility, forgiveness, contentment, penance and honesty — to become closer to God. He used Jacob’s Ladder as the framework, and developed 30 steps to correspond with the age of Jesus at His baptism.

Activity

Today, make a Jacob’s Ladder toy out of wood, ribbon and small wire nails (I have also had excellent results with tacky glue instead of nails). Here are the instructions. To remind yourself of St. John Climacus' "Ladder of Divine Ascent," on one side, use a permanent marker to draw a cross. On the other, draw a triangle to represent the Holy Trinity. 

Saint John Climacus, pray for us!

More reading for parents:

EWTN

Catholic Online

"The Ladder of Divine Ascent"