By Milica Yaksich

  As with everything else we must approach our faith one step at a time and we cannot jump to the fifth, tenth or twentieth step without first climbing the lower steps leading up to the higher ones. To jump ahead without mastering or understanding the steps that come before one cannot succeed, one cannot understand. Therefore, it is very important that you understand that though this is a very simple, superficial explanation of the Ladder of Divine Ascent, those who truly wish to climb must take care to understand and master each step before attempting to rise to the next.

  Having reviewed the first five steps: Renunciation, Detachment, Exile, Obedience, Penitence, and Remembrance of Death in the previous issue of Istocnik we are now ready to consider:

Step 7: Mourning

  So often when I read about the lives of saints they are described as having a tinge of sadness about them, a quiet sorrow evident in their manner or expression. St. John Climacus states, "Mourning which is according to God is a melancholy of the soul, a disposition of an anguished heart that passionately seeks what it thirsts for, and when it fails to attain it, pursues it diligently and follows behind it lamenting bitterly." The mourning St. John speaks of here is not the same as that of repentance over our sins (though that is necessary). No, this mourning is the result of seeing this life and the moral state of the world all too clearly, and also recognizing how we ourselves contribute to that pain and sadness. It is understanding that human suffering and even death and the short finite nature of human life are all a result of sin. We cannot look at the violence and abuse around us with judgmental condemnation because we are part of it, because we too are sinners and as such have been taken in and deceived by the devil along with the rest of humanity. It is when we can see this tragedy and understand our role in it that we can mourn. There are benefits to mourning: "Those who make progress in blessed mourning are usually temperate and untalkative. Those who have succeeded in making real progress do not become angry and do not bear grudges. As for the perfect - these are humble, they long for dishonour, they look out for involuntary sufferings, they do not condemn sinners and they are inordinately compassionate."

  I believe there is another aspect to mourning that St. John alludes to when he speaks of "an anguished heart that passionately seeks what it thirsts for..." and that is the sorrow felt by those who live in this world and thirst for virtue, for spiritual peace, for the Heavenly Kingdom and union with God. I believe that deep in the heart there is a silent memory of the divine serenity of heaven, of innocence, and the pure uncorrupted love of God. It is ingrained in our souls before we are born and as every creature intuitively knows its purpose, it is our purpose to seek a true path back to our Father's house. The sorrow is in that the path is treacherous, plagued by the traps and obstacles and distractions of one who wishes to prevent us from reaching our destination. Sin is separation from God. The more we sin the greater the distance between our Heavenly Father and us. If our goal is to draw closer to God and His Heavenly Kingdom then we must resist those things that lead us to sin. The greatest enemy of man (other than the devil) is man's pleasure-loving disposition. To mourn is to attain sobriety and to renounce the lusts and carnal pleasures that are the focus of a life that has no purpose higher or wiser than to "have a good time". How shallow and immature that lifestyle seems when we see it in a parody. It's easy to laugh at ridiculous characters in a movie whose only desire is "to party!" But how funny will it be when one day we must look back and see that we have been no less shallow, no less ridiculous, and no less frivolous with our own lives!

  "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world" (Ephes. 6:11,12) Nicephorus the solitary counsels us: If present existence is but darkness, let us flee from it, let us flee by retuning our mind and our heart. Let us have nothing in common with the enemy of God, for "whosoever... will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God"(James 4:4).

  The Holy Fathers wrote much about sobriety because they understood how difficult it is to master. When we achieve it we will have learned to mourn and the gift of tears will adorn our souls. Turning your back on worldly pleasure opens your eyes to the needs and sufferings of others. I'm not suggesting that you crawl into a dark closet and cry your life away in senseless misery or wallow in self-pity or waste away in depression that leads to despair. The tears I speak of are cleansing, strengthening and enlightening. Consider: When was the last time you prayed for someone who you know is ill and who is not a relative or friend? When is the last time you gave of your time to help someone when it was not convenient for you; and your job, social standing, or a friendship was not in the balance? Is everything about you? Do you listen to others, or do you do all the talking? Do you practice moderation or is the sky the limit? Do you notice when those around you are in difficulty and reach out to them or do you spend more time worrying about how you look, the impression you make on others with your appearance, car, home, etc. When someone else succeeds or achieves are you happy for them or envious. When someone's having problems or needs help or guidance, do you help or do you criticize and place blame? When was the last time you prayed for someone who insulted or hurt you? When you pray, what is it that you ask for? Do you remember to give thanks for all the gifts God has given you?

  St. John suggests: "Think of your lying in bed as an image of the lying in your grave; then you will not sleep so much. When you eat at table, remember the food of worms; then you will not live so highly. When you drink water, remember the thirst of the flames; then you will certainly do violence to your nature...Let the thought of eternal fire lie down with you in the evening and get up with you in the morning. Then indolence will never overwhelm you when it is time to sing the psalms."

  Here it is clear how the earlier steps of renunciation, detachment, exile, obedience, penitence, and remembrance of death are necessary in order to understand mourning. All of this helps us to prepare for that day when we will stand before God and have to answer for what we did or did not do in this life.

  "Such then is the seventh step. May he who has been found worthy of it help me too. He himself has already been helped, for by taking this seventh step he has washed away the stains of the world."

  In the next issue of Istocnik you will be introduced to step 8 "On Meekness" and step 9 "Remembrance of Wrongs" which have to do with anger, malice and the importance of forgiveness. Step 7 "Mourning" is one that is difficult for many people to accept as relevant to anyone other than a monastic because we live in a world where there is so much importance placed on pleasure and on 'self' and on making one's self happy. It is when we understand that our 'self' is in fact our soul and that our soul can only be truly happy when it is with God that we can appreciate how mourning is positive and not negative. Forgive me if I have not been clear and for any errors I have made. May God bless us all with tears and enlighten our minds with understanding and fill our hearts with compassion. Lord have mercy on us and glory be to the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit both now and forever. Amen.