The Ladder of Divine Ascent - Chapter XXV: On Humility, Part IV

It is impossible to capture in words the joy that sweeps over the heart when one comes to understand what St. John Climacus is revealing to us about the nature of humility. In this step, he strips away all of our limited, false, or distorted perceptions of humility and reveals it for what it is: a gift of God‘s own self. 

After reading Step 25 our understanding of humility is forever changed. We are shown that God reveals the nature of humility by revealing himself to us in his Son. “Humility is Christ’s spiritual doctrine,” St. John tells us.  “It is introduced into the inner chamber of the soul by those who are counted worthy of it. It cannot be defined by perceptible words.”  Rather, by the grace of God, the heart is purified of the passions and all impediments are removed to our receiving God’s gifts. One of the greatest of those gifts is humility. 

This virtue is a participation in the life of God. Whatever we might lose of honor or dignity in the world is nothing in comparison to the joy that Christ offers us through this virtue.  “He who humbles himself will be exalted”.  We may feel that we are falling into an abyss and losing our identity as we let go of our attachment to the things of this world. However, what we are falling into is actually the abyss of God‘s love. We are letting go of the false self in order that we might be immersed in He who is meaning, He who is truth, He who is reality! 

What joy should be ours, St. John tells us: “By this shall all men know that we are God’s disciples, not because the devils are subject to us, but because our names are written in the Heaven of Humility.”

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Text of chat during the group:

00:08:00 FrDavid Abernethy: page 185 number 32

 

00:12:50 Anthony Rago: Fr Christopher Zugger 2 Vol History of Byzantine Catholic Church published by Byzantine Seminary Press

 

00:34:18 Anthony Rago: This is where nietzche's emphasis of will is important for us

 

00:35:31 Louise: I resonate with this definition of humility - we owe everything to God. I resonate see less to humility as defined in the Evergetinos as a self-deprecation. The former focuses about God, while the latter focuses on self.

 

00:40:39 Daniel Allen: How does this conversation about self a basement and not hatred factor in with John talking about the prison

earlier?

 

00:50:50 Anthony Rago: Oh, so to grasp at humility - to be avaricious for it - is masochism?  For all good things are actually gifts,  not seized upon like a miser?

 

00:53:37 Jacqulyn: Amen!

 

00:57:22 Suzanne: According to this understanding, humility, like contemplation, requires that we wait for God. “Expect the Lord, do manfully, let thy heart take courage, and wait thou for the Lord.”

 

01:00:09 Sean: Are views, the like button and thumbs up the modern methods of mass vainglory?

 

01:03:27 mflory: I think the story about Symeon is from the Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers. In the translation that I have, he is called Simon.

 

01:03:44 Suzanne: Replying to "Are views, the like ..."

 

Yes!

 

01:03:58 Cindy Moran: I studied 3 yrs with Fr Van Kaam &  Dr susan Muto

 

01:05:40 Nypaver Clan: Is it open to the public now?

 

01:06:51 Cindy Moran: This is so exciting!!

 

01:07:04 Jeff O.: Reacted to "I think the story ab..." with 👍

 

01:13:18 Rebecca Thérèse: Thank you🙂

 

01:13:30 Maureen Cunningham: Thank You Father

 

01:13:31 Lorraine Green: God bless you, thank you Father

 

01:13:31 Louise: Thanks, Fr.!

 

01:13:38 Suzanne: Thank you

 

01:13:54 Kevin Burke: Thank you Father!

 

01:14:03 Victor Haburchak: Thanks

 

01:14:07 Cindy Moran: Great session!! Thank you Father!

 

01:14:11 Leilani Nemeroff: Thanks!

 

01:14:13 mflory: Thank you, Father

 

01:14:15 Jeff O.: Thank you!!