Saint Nicholas
Greek Orthodox
Church
San Jose, California
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©
1999-2006 St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of
San Jose, CA
Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
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"WE HONOR YOU AS
TEACHER, O JOHN, FOR THROUGH YOU, WE HAVE LEARNED TO JOURNEY ON A
STRAIGHT PATH." Attempting To Reach The Heights Of Heaven The 4th Sunday of the Great Fast is dedicated annually to a saint about whom we know very little. St. John Climacus, or as he is also know, St. John of the Ladder. It is thought that he lived most of his life as a monk on Mount Sinai, rising in the monastic ranks to the position of "abbot" of a monastery there. This mysterious 7th century saint, however, will be forever memorialized by his famous literary work: "THE LADDER OF DIVINE ASCENT." Although written specifically for his fellow monastics, the book offers timeless spiritual advice for all who strive to follow Christ along the road to salvation. |
Icon of The Ladder of Divine Ascent |
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"The Ladder of Divine Ascent" is divided into 30 chapters, or "steps," symbolically corresponding to the relatively unknown 30 years of our Lord's life prior to the beginning of His public ministry. Each "step" provides instruction for perfecting our lives and progressing upward on our "climb" to the Kingdom of Heaven. The icon shown on the right clearly illustrates the difficulty of this "climb." The closer we come to our goal, the greater the temptations become. Still, we are encouraged by the thought that we will, one day, be rewarded if we can keep our footing on the "divine ladder." The emphasis that St. John Climacus placed on the virtues of prayer, fasting and almsgiving in his spiritual writing make it a perfect guide for us during the season of Great Lent, where the Church places much emphasis on the same things. As we sing during Vespers on this day: "WE HONOR YOU AS A TEACHER, O JOHN, FOR THROUGH YOU, WE HAVE LEARNED TO JOURNEY ON A STRAIGHT PATH." Bible Readings for Sunday,
March 25th, 2001: [Click
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St. Nicholas Greek
Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street, San Jose,
California 95126