'On Prayer' is the 28th chapter of St John Climacus' 'Ladder of Divine Ascent', a treatise comprised of 30 chapters (steps) concerning the spiritual life. St John urges his readers to "pray in all simplicity" and to forget over-complicated words in prayer. The "simple and unadorned lisping" of children is enough to win the heart of the Lord. St John reminds us that the tax collector and the prodigal son both received forgiveness by a single phrase. Our prayer should therefore contain more heart than intellect. The reader is warned that our minds can be distracted in searching for words. [...]

St John Climacus – On Fasting “Eat, drink, and be merry”, these are the words of the rich man in the parable recorded in Luke 12:16-21, but God replies saying: “Fool! This night your soul is required of you”. So what is wrong with enjoying the good things in life, after all, the rich man worked hard to fill his barns didn’t he? In The Ladder of Divine Ascent, Saint John Climacus explains that it is not food but rather finding comfort in food or over-eating which is evil. That is gluttony, “the prince of passions”, which enters a person [...]