JESUS IS
THE LADDER
INTRODUCTION
The title of my homily is, “Jesus Is the Ladder.”
The ladder is an image at the end of today’s gospel for this feast of the 3 Archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
Jesus in this Gospel reading from the first chapter of John tells Nathanael – who represents us – and any true child of Israel – who is listening and who is hoping - that Jesus is the ladder ascending and descending from the heavens. [Cf. John 1: ]
It’s Jacob’s Ladder revisited.
Be a dreamer.
Don’t forget to dream.
JOHN CLIMACUS
We all are very familiar with steps and ladders.
I’m sure we’ve all seen from time to time a painting of a ladder from earth to heaven – with monks climbing upwards – with Jesus at the top receiving them.
John Climacus – a Greek – Eastern Rite – spiritual writer took the image of the ladder and wrote The Ladder of Divine Ascent.
It’s a classic – as popular in Eastern Spirituality – as Thomas A Kempis’ book, The Imitation of Christ, was in the West.
It has 30 rungs - with 30 steps – on how to get to heaven – on Jesus the Ladder.
We’re all aware of the step image for spirituality: whether it’s 12 step, 3 step, 8 step, 6 steps.
The Eastern Church has the image of the 30 steps – from earth to heaven – with all kinds of action not only on the steps – but from down below. Monks are holding onto monks – helping them up the ladder – with devils down below and off to the side shooting arrows and throwing spears at the monks.
Then there are angels in the upper left hand corner praying and cheering the monks onwards and upwards.
The painting is an ikon.
It’s a graphic picturing of the good guys climbing and hanging onto the good guys and guides and avoid the bad angels and temptations – and all that can drag us off the ladder.
One can find many presentations on The Ladder of Divine Ascent on line. Just type "The Ladder of Divine Ascent" into your YouTube search engine.
TODAY’S READINGS
I read up last night about the angels.
Angels have quite a history. They are in all the major religions.
They are much more than those chubby faced tiny baby angels – on banners – the ones whose cheeks you want to pull.
There are good and bad angels out there – and some traditions believe each of us has a good angel and a bad angel within.
Native Americans had sort of the same idea with the good and the bad dog within us all. Woof. Woof. It’s the one we feed that is the one who dominates our spirit.
An obvious message is to rely upon the good angels to guide us.
Today’s feast will stress calling upon Michael to fight off the devil’s temptations. Michael is power. He is featured often with a sword ready to slay our demons and our dragons. Gabriel is around as one who will give us messages – lights – insights - annunciations and Raphael is with us for healing.
We Redemptorists are also familiar with a town in Italy – with the name, “Scala”.
Scala means steps or ladder. It’s on the Amalfi Coast. One can take a winding road up the mountain to Scala which is half way up. Or there are various stone steps. I took one of the sets of steps – that has 2000 steps. And I tripped and sprained my ankle. In the middle ages there were many churches up there – but now the main church is San Lorenzo. And on the floor of St. Lorenzo church there is an image of a ladder with a lion climbing it. It’s the symbol for the village of Scala.
CONCLUSION
Once more the title of my homily is, “Jesus Is the Ladder.”
It’s the feast of 3 Archangels: Michael, Gabriel and Raphael.
One of the main things I heard and read about angels is not to make them God. They are helpers – guides – messengers – and as we see in the scriptures – but God is God – and Jesus is the Ladder to the heavens – and angels help us to find the ladder to God the Father and help us climb to God.
They are a means – not the end.
It seems that people forget this – and rely only on Mary, angels, saints, and forget it’s the Persons of the Trinity who are our destiny and our end.
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