March 30translatedThis page has been translated from Serbian to English. It may contain minor phrasing or syntactic issues.

Author of the celebrated Ladder of Divine Ascent. He came from somewhere to Mount Sinai as a sixteen-year-old boy and remained there — first as a novice, then as a hermit, and finally as abbot of Sinai until his eightieth year, when he died around the year 563. His biographer, the monk Daniel, says of him: "He was borne in body to Mount Sinai and in spirit to the Heavenly Mountain." He spent nineteen years in obedience to his spiritual father Martyrios. Anastasius of Sinai, seeing the young John on one occasion, prophesied of him that he would become the abbot of Sinai. After the death of his spiritual father, John withdrew to a cave where he lived in severe asceticism for twenty years. His disciple Moses fell asleep one day in the shade of a great stone. John, at prayer in his cell, saw that his disciple was in danger, and began to pray to God for him. When Moses came to him later, he fell on his knees and gave thanks to his spiritual father for saving him from certain death. And he recounted how in a dream he heard John calling to him, and he leapt up, and at that moment the stone fell. Had he not leapt, the stone would have killed him. At the insistence of the brotherhood, John accepted the abbacy and guided the salvation of human souls with zeal and love. One time he heard a rebuke from some, as if he were too talkative. Not angered in the slightest, John fell silent and for a whole year spoke not a word, until the brethren besought him to speak and continue teaching them with his God-given wisdom.

One time six hundred pilgrims came to the Sinai monastery. At table they all saw a nimble young man in Jewish garb who was serving, commanding the other servants, and directing them. Suddenly the young man vanished. And when all looked about and inquired, John said: do not seek him — it was the prophet Moses who served in his own place.

During the time of his silence in the cave, John wrote many useful books, of which the most celebrated — and to this day widely read — is the Ladder, which describes the method of the soul's ascent to God as up a ladder. Before his death John appointed as abbot his brother by blood, George. But George was much grieved at parting from John. Then John told him that if he were found worthy of God's nearness in the other world, he would pray that George also might be taken to heaven that same year. And so it came to pass. After ten months George also fell asleep in the Lord and settled among the citizens of heaven, as had his great brother John.

Truly this was the Son of God (Matt. 27:54)

Those words were spoken by a captain who was carrying out his duty conscientiously as a soldier. By the order of his superiors he was tasked with guarding the body of Christ on Golgotha. Outwardly like a machine, inwardly a man with a wakeful soul. He, a Roman soldier, a pagan, an idolater, saw all that occurred at the death of Christ the Lord, and cried out: Truly this was the Son of God! Not knowing the one God, nor knowing the law and the prophets, he suddenly understood what the priests of the one God and those well versed in the law and the prophets could in no wise understand. And so on this occasion as well the word of the Lord was fulfilled: I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind (John 9:39). Truly, he who had been blind in spirit gained sight, while those who thought they could see became entirely blind!

It is impossible that the Jewish elders did not see the darkening of the sun, did not feel the earthquake, did not observe how the stones were rent, did not behold how the veil of the Temple was torn, did not recognize many of the saints who came forth from the opened graves and appeared in Jerusalem. They saw all these things and were thoroughly convinced of them all, and yet their spirit remained blind and their heart of stone. All these phenomena, dreadful and extraordinary, they likely explained — as unbelievers would do even today — as chance and illusion. The godless of all ages explain everything as chance and self-deception whenever the finger of God appears to rebuke, guide, or inform men.

But the Roman captain Longinus — such was his name — looked without prejudice on all that happened and confessed beneath the Cross his faith in the Son of God. His cry did not escape inadvertently from his terrified heart; it was his profession of faith, for which he later laid down his life as well, that he might receive a better life in the Kingdom of Christ.

O brethren, how great is this Roman captain, who beholding the dead Lord, crucified amid robbers on the refuse heap of Golgotha, recognized Him as God and confessed Him as God! And how small, O brethren, are all those Christians who recognized the Lord as Risen, as glorified, as Conqueror and Victor through thousands of His saints — and yet hold doubt in their hearts like a venomous serpent, which poisons all their days and buries their life in eternal darkness.

O Lord Crucified and Risen, have mercy on us and save us! To Thee be glory and praise forever. Amen.