Saint John Climacus instructing the monks of Sinai, from manuscript Greek 418, folio 248 recto, a manuscript of the twelfth century.
In Step Twenty-six of The Ladder of Divine Ascent we read,
Ὥσπερ διάφορα τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ φῶτα, οὕτως πολλαὶ καὶ διάφοροι τοῦ νοητοῦ ἡλίου αἱ ἐν ψυχῇ γινόμεναι ἐπισκιάσεις· ἄλλη μὲν γὰρ, ἡ διὰ τῶν σωματικῶν δακρύων, καὶ ἄλλη ἡ διὰ τῶν ψυχικῶν· ἑτέρα ἡ διὰ τῶν τοῦ σώματος ὀφθαλμῶν, καὶ ἑτέρα διὰ τῶν νοερῶν· ἄλλη ἡ ἐξ ἀκοῆς λόγου, καὶ ἑτέρα ἡ ἰδιαιρέτως κινουμένη ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ ἀγαλλίασις· ἄλλη ἡ ἐξ ἡσυχίας, καὶ ἑτέρα ἡ ἐξ ὑπακοῆς. Πρὸς τούτοις πᾶσιν ἄλλη ἡ δι᾿ ἐκστάσεως τὸν νοῦν ἐν φωτὶ τῷ Χριστῷ παριστῶσα ἀῤῥήτως καὶ ἀφράστως.
As the lights that reach the eyes differ from one another, so too are the overshadowings of the noetic Sun that occur in the soul many and various. One comes through bodily tears, and one through tears of the soul. Another comes through the eyes of the body, and another through the noetic (spiritual) eyes. One comes from hearing a word, and another the joy welling up spontaneously in the soul. One comes from hesychia (stillness), and another from obedience. Besides all these, there is yet another, one which through ecstasy presents the νοῦς to Christ in light ineffably and inexpressibly.
The νοῦς is the faculty of spiritual perception. The noetic Sun is Christ, bringing divine illumination. ‘Overshadowings’ is a reference to the Transfiguration, when a bright cloud overshadowed the disciples (Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, Luke 9:34). The Hesychast Fathers of the fourteenth century wrote about the experience of the light of the Transfiguration. Here Saint John Climacus anticipates them by some six hundred years.
to have such wisdom written so long ago and so beautifully preserved gives such deep hope and awe to one. thank you Fr Justin. I am thinking of you and deeply appreciate this post. Thank you so much.
Dear Father Justin,
Grateful to you for all the divine illumination you give us through the photo and the luminous words above .
Dear Father Justin,
It is amazing to see how vibrant the colors remain. What materials were used to make the manuscript?
Thank you for sharing the treasures the St Catherine’s holds.
Richard
Icons are coated with varnish to protect the pigments. The varnish may darken over time, and pigments may fade after prolonged exposure to light. Illuminations in a manuscript are more fragile, but since manuscripts remain closed for much of the time, the illuminations are more likely to preserve their original brilliance. This is especially true at Sinai, where humidity levels are generally between twenty and thirty percent. Two of the illuminations of Greek 418 show signs of wear. The rest are bright and fresh, and executed with almost microscopic detail.