John the Ladder of Sinai

هو يوحنا السينائي نسبة إلى سيناء وسمي السلمي لأنه ألّف كتاب “سلم الفضائل”.  وُلد القدِّيس يوحنا السلمي في فلسطين حوالي سنة 525 ميلادية. حداثته مجهولة سوى أن لقب العلاّمة الذي لقب به وهو على قيد الحياة يفترض تحصيلاً ثقافياً واسعاً، وجل ما يعرف عنه يُقتبس من كتاباته. في السادسة عشرة من عمره تتلمذ لراهب قديس من شيوخ دير جبل سيناء، أي دير القديسة كاترين، يُدعى (مرتيريوس) حيث سلم إليه قيادة أمره، ولم تمض عليه سنوات قليلة حتى كان قد بلغ إلى درجة سامية من الفضيلة لِما اتصف به من الطاعة لمرشده.

وفي سن العشرين وبعد أن تمرَّس في هذه السيرة كان أبوه الشيخ الروحي الذي درَّبه قد ترك الحياة، فأسف لفراقه ثم ترك الدير وانفرد في برية قاحلة تبعد عن الدير حوالي ثمانية كيلو مترات تُدعى “الثولا” في الصحراء متوحداً. قضى أربعين سنةً في خلوته مجاهداً جهاد التوبة والصلاة ومختبراً فنون الحرب اللامنظورة وحلاوة مناجاة الله. وكان في خلوته يستقبل من يأتونه للاسترشاد من رهبان وعلمانيين، ويزور المرضى المتوحدين متفقداً كما نعرف من كتابه. ثم انتخب رئيساً لدير جبل سيناء،  ولا يعرف بالضبط مقدار الزمن الذي تولّى فيه القديس يوحنا رئاسة دير جبل سيناء ولكنه استقال من الرئاسة ليعود إلى خلوته قبل وفاته. عاش حوالي خمس وسبعين سنةً وتوفي سنة 600 أو قبلها بقليل.

طلب إليه الأب يوحنا رئيس دير رايثو أن يكتب إرشادات للرهبان، فوضع كتاباً اسمه “السلم” سمي فيما بعد سلم السماء أو درجات الفضائل أو السلم المقدسة.

The naming of the ladder was inspired by the vision of Jacob (Genesis 28: 12-13). It can be seen from his book that he had a strong, free personality. He had seen and heard many things in his life, so he narrated them and evaluated them personally, not caring about his contradiction with prevailing opinions at times. It seems clear that he was fully informed of conditions. People living in the middle of the world and their opinions, customs, and psychology, and that he knows the human soul in a deep way and analyzes it with a precise analysis worthy of today’s psychologists, and he is always ready to acknowledge his weakness, which makes him one of the most humane spiritual teachers. In his book, Saint John arranged thirty steps in reference to the thirty years of Jesus before his appearance to the world. The staircase generally symbolizes the path of perfection as a spiritual ascent toward God and to the Cross of Christ as the only path that unites earth and heaven. The book of the ladder is also a unique book of its kind due to the character of His powerful authorship, breadth of knowledge, depth of spiritual experience, and method of research are distinguished by both harmony and richness. The book is useful for every Christian who seeks the path of perfection. Saint John of the Ladder included his experience, as he saw and heard many things in his life, which he narrates and evaluates from a personal assessment, not caring that he sometimes contradicts prevailing opinions.
In his book, Saint John of the Ladder arranged thirty levels through which the seeker of perfection can ascend as a jihadist, from asceticism in the world to union with God, through combating the desires and acquiring the virtues: patience, meekness, and humility.

God rewarded the virtues of John by performing miracles. On the day of his inauguration as ruler, the Prophet Moses appeared and began to serve the guests himself. He saved his student Moses from certain death through his prayers. During a time of drought in Palestine, he prayed and it rained heavily. He had many other miracles.

Our Orthodox Church celebrates him on March 30 and on the fourth Sunday of Great Lent.

From the book Peace to God: (Translated into Arabic by the Order of Saint George, Monastery of Al-Harf, and published by Al-Nour Publications)

• عاتب شيخ أحد الاخوة على تكبره معاتبة روحية. فأجاب الأخ: اغفر لي يا أبي فإني لست متكبراً. فقال له الشيخ الكلي الحكمة: يا ولدي، أي برهان تعطينا على تكبرك أوضح من قولك “لست متكبراً”؟
• Do not be haughty when you are from the earth, because many have been brought down from heaven and are saints and incorporeal.
• The arrogant person is a worn-out pomegranate inside that shines brightly on the outside.
• Arrogance arises from forgetting missteps because mentioning them leads to humility.
• In the hearts of the proud arise blasphemous sayings, and in the souls of the humble, heavenly contemplations.
• If we pray, these impure and unspeakable thoughts arise upon us. But she leaves immediately if we continue our prayers, because she does not fight her warriors.
• Meekness is a rock on the shore of the sea of anger. It breaks all the waves that hit it and does not move or be disturbed at all.
• Whoever thinks that he is not attached to something he has and is saddened by its loss is completely deceived.
• Flee from places of fall as you would from whips, because you do not crave the fruit continuously if it is absent from you.
• Let us confess our sins to our righteous judge alone before anyone else. If we are commanded, let us acknowledge it to all people. Because if the surgeries are healed, they will not get worse, but will heal.
• A person knows the sincerity of his love for his brother and his affection for him when he feels sad for his mistakes and rejoices for his progress and the blessings he receives.
• من يطيع الله احيانًا ويعصاه احيانًا اخرى يشبه رجلاً يقطر في عينيه دواء احيانًا، واحيانًا احد الحوامض (اسيد). وقد قيل: “واحد بنى وآخر هدم، فماذا انتفعنا سوى التعب؟”.
• The servant of God is the one who, during prayer, knocks with his mind on the heavens while his body is among the people.
• He who dies for all things comes to the remembrance of death. As for those who still cling to the world, they conspire against themselves.
• Someone said that it is impossible for us to pass through our day with righteousness and piety if we do not consider it the last day of our lives.
• Hatred is the fruit of anger, an accumulation of sins, aversion to righteousness, a decline in virtues, a poison to the soul, a worm to the mind, a disgrace to prayer, a cutting off of supplication, an alienation from love, a nail to the soul, a constant sin, a transgression that never sleeps, and an evil that exists at every hour.
• Whoever acquires love has the utmost hatred.
• I saw some people secretly and secretly committing terrible sins, and because people thought they were pure, they openly despised and harshly attacked those who committed minor sins.
• Lying extinguishes love, and a false oath denies God.
• The beginning of the love of money is the pretext of benevolence to the poor, and its end is hatred of the poor. As long as the lover collects money, he is merciful, and when the money is available, he closes his hand on it.

Troparion on the eighth tune
For the fruitless wilderness, with the streams of your tears, you were gracious, and with the sighs from the depths, you bore fruit with your labors a hundredfold, and you became a star for the inhabited world, shining with wonders, O our righteous father John, so intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

Also a troparia on the eighth tune
إنَّ البريَّة الجدباءَ بهطل دموعكَ أخصبت. وأتعابك الشاقَّة بتصعيد زفَراتك أثمرت إلى مئَة ضعف.  فأصبحت كوكباً للمسكونة يتلألأ بالعجائب يا أبانا البارّ يوحنا. فتشفَّع إلى المسيح الاله في خلاص نفوسنا.

Qandaq with the first tune
From the book of your teachings that bear ever-fresh fruits, O Wise One, they delight the hearts of those who listen to them with vigilance, O Blessed One, because they are a ladder ascending from the earth to firm heavenly glory. Souls of those who honor you, beware of you with faith.