Ladder of Divine Ascent - Lenten Reading Schedule

Thanks to Archpriest Michael Hayduk and Father Deacon Paul J. Leonarczyk, for the schema to read through St John of Sinai's Ladder of Divine Ascent during the Great Fast. The Ladder (from which St John received the 'nickname" Klimakos - "ladder" in Greek) was written in response to another Abbot's advice on promoting health spirituality in his monastery. St John's reply proved such a thorough and clear exposition that it has become de rigueur Lenten reading in Eastern Christians monasteries all over the world. As St John's writings are also easily accessible to the average reader, it has also become a favorite among the Byzantine Catholic and Orthodox laity as well. It is easily found in several English editions, the two most widely available being John Climacus: The Ladder of Divine Ascent (The Classics of Western Spirituality) and as The Ladder of Divine Ascent, published by Holy Transfiguration Monastery. Both are highly readable, the Holy Transfiguration Monastery edition perhaps presenting a more erudite and nuanced translation.

Below is the arrangement for those who keep the Horologion. For those unacquainted with "the Hours" Third=9:00 am; Sixth=Noon; ninth=3:00 pm (approximately). One could also easily consider a time-table dividing as "on rising", "after work" and "near bedtime"; or even combining selections of the individual daily readings as one chooses. In any event, the Ladder is, after the Scriptures and Divine Services of the Season, the par excellence choice for Lenten reading.




Table for Reading The Ladder of Divine Ascent

during the Great Fast

Week	Day	Third Hour	Sixth Hour	Ninth Hour
First	Monday	1:1-7	1:8-18	1:19-27
	Tuesday	2	3:1-15	3:16-29
	Wednesday	4:1-10	4:11-15	4:16-22
	Thursday	4:23-26	4:27-30	4:31-34
	Friday	4:35-41	4:42-57	4:58-71
Second	Monday	4:72-91	4:92-109	4:110-112
	Tuesday	4:113-126	5:1-12	5:13-18
	Wednesday	5:19-23	5:24-28	5:29-42
	Thursday	6	7:1-16	7:17-31
	Friday	7:32-47	7:48-56	7:57-70
Third	Monday	8:1-18	8:19-29	9
	Tuesday	10	11	12
	Wednesday	13	14:1-23	14:24-36
	Thursday	15:1-16	15:17-29	15:30-41
	Friday	15:42-55	15:56-65	15:66-75
Fourth	Monday	15:76-81	15:82-90	16
	Tuesday	17	18	19
	Wednesday	20	21	22:1-28
	Thursday	22:29-46	23:1-18	23:19-37
	Friday	23:38-52	24:1-19	24:20-34
Fifth	Monday	25:1-9	25:10-29	25:30-51
	Tuesday	25:52-69	26:1:16	26:17-27
	Wednesday	26:28-50	26:51-69	26:70-88
	Thursday	26:89-109	26:110-123	26:124-139
	Friday	26:140-153	26:154-170	26:171-189
Sixth	Monday	26a:1-37	26a:38-65	27:1-16
	Tuesday	27:17-28	27:29-40	27:41-56
	Wednesday	27:57-70	27:71-87	28:1-16
	Thursday	28:17-29	28:30-50	28:51-64
	Friday	29	30:1-19	30:20-end