Sunday of Saint John of the Ladder
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On this Sunday dedicated to the greatest ascetic and spiritual writer, Saint John of the Ladder, the Gospel was read in which, as we heard, a man had a son who was deaf and mute and at times a demon would seize him and throw him into fire and water. The father brought him to the Apostles, but they could not heal him. Then the Lord spoke these fearful words—fearful for them, but everything written in the Gospel is eternal and relevant, thus those words are also addressed to us: “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?”
God created us in His image and likeness, that is, He gave us all His gifts and characteristics so that we may become sons of God and gods by grace. This is a great opportunity, potential, and reality.
This means that God has given us the strength to resist every hostile force, every adversity, especially to resist and defeat demons, because all evil comes from them.
Especially us, Orthodox Christians, whom through the Holy Mystery of Baptism, have these gifts renewed in us. We receive the fullness of the gift of the Holy Spirit and are called to be sons of God.
What does it mean to be a son of God? Imagine a king, and being the king’s son—everything in the kingdom obeys you, everything is yours, and no one can oppose you.
And yet, we see that we do not even have authority over ourselves. We cannot control our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions. We are weak. Falling into fire and water means going from one extreme to another. We lack constancy. We lack even human dignity—let alone divine dignity.
That is why the Lord says, “How long shall I be with you?”
The Lord has given us everything we need to have control—if we are with Him. He has given us the possibility to be united with Him. But because of our unbelief, because of our wrong choice to trust more in the world—power, money, and worldly things—rather than in God, we fail to live a godly life.
Whoever lives a godly life and does not rely on worldly things should know that God is always with them. If we are with Him, He is always with us—but He never forces Himself upon us.
Therefore, we must strive in our spiritual life to progress—not to remain the same, not to be stagnant—but to uncover the hidden sins of our hearts, to confess them, to be freed, and to repent for every mistake and sinful thought. Instead of justifying ourselves and blaming others, we must take responsibility. We often judge others with authority we were never given, while refusing to acknowledge our own weaknesses.
This is the message of the Gospel: that we are weak and must humbly and sincerely confess our sins, and then God will help us.
Without turning toward Him, He cannot help us. Prayer and fasting are the two ways we show our desire for Him. With our whole being we strive to be with Him—with our mind and heart (through prayer), and with our body (through fasting).
Prayer is not just asking without being prepared to receive. We do not receive because we do not give ourselves. When God gives, He first gives spiritual gifts for our eternal salvation. He has already given us psychophysical abilities, health, intelligence, and everything needed for this life—but we must remember that our life ends here. One day it will end, and we will stand before the Lord. Therefore, we must strive more in the spiritual life, which is eternal.
Not only that, but God also allows us to experience the Kingdom of Heaven here and now. To live as sons of God on earth, only if we open our hearts. That is, if we renounce the sinful habits and ways of this world and dedicate ourselves to God, to what is spiritual and eternal.
Prayer is not asking—it is communion with God. Prayer is giving. When we pray, we must give ourselves to God.
Imagine someone constantly knocking on your door asking for help. You give them help and opportunities to improve themselves, but they refuse to make any effort. How would you judge that situation?
That is exactly how we are. We constantly complain, constantly find something wrong, constantly ask from God—but we do not strive to grow in Him.
There is no “status quo” in spiritual life. Standing still is going backward, because everything is moving. That is why Saint John called his book The Ladder of Divine Ascent. The spiritual life is a struggle, an ascent toward God, toward the Kingdom of Heaven—and we must constantly climb this ladder. It is not easy, but it is worth it.
Fasting is also essential—not only for Orthodox Christians, but for everyone. And not only bodily fasting. Those who do not fast properly, according to the rules of the Orthodox Church and with the blessing of their spiritual father, do not have permission to receive Holy Communion. This shows how important fasting is in our life and not as some would like to relativise it.
Fasting has a spiritual dimension. When we fast, we show that we desire to grow in communion with God and rely more on the spiritual than the material.
When we do not fast, our bodies feel strong, and we think we can conquer the world. But even a small illness, a small difficulty, a small wound—and we collapse spiritually, we despair, we lose hope. This shows we are not truly strong.
Fasting strengthens our inner, spiritual strength. It is abstinence not only from food, but from evil thoughts, words, and deeds. When we live this way, nothing can separate us from communion with God, and our life becomes beautiful. We will have peace in our hearts—which is the most important thing. We may gain everything else, but if we lose inner peace, everything is in vain. And peace comes only from the Giver of peace—God.
May God, through the prayers of Saint John Climacus, the Forty Martyrs of Sebaste, and our Forty Martyrs of Bitola, grant us peace and understanding, so that we may grow in Him and continue our ascent on our personal ladder toward communion and knowledge of God. Amen.
Father Gavril Galev
Abbot of the Monastery “St. Clement of Ohrid”,
Kinglake, Melbourne, Australia
22 / 03 / 2026
