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John was born most likely in Syria, around the year 525, though some scholars place his life a little later. From a young age he was known as “the Scholastic”. At sixteen, however, he rejected any career as a scholar and left for Mount Sinai, where he studied under a wise monk named Martyrius. When Martyrius died, John withdrew to a hermitage at the foot of Mount Sinai, where he lived for many years studying the faith and the lives of the saints. During this time he only ventured forth on Saturdays and Sundays, to assist at the holy liturgy. At the age of seventy-five, John was unanimously chosen as the next abbot of Mount Sinai, which made him the superior of all monks in the region. Pope St. Gregory the Great himself sent donations of money and household items to support the monks and pilgrims. Few of John’s many writings have survived, but among them is the famed Ladder of Divine Ascent, originally written at the request of a fellow abbot. From this work comes John’s surname “Climacus”, meaning “of the Ladder”. John died in the year of Our Lord 605, soon after resigning his office of abbot, having governed Mount Sinai for about four years.
AT Rome, on the Appian way, the martyrdom of blessed Quirinus, tribune, baptized with all his household, by pope St. Alexander, who was imprisoned in his house. Under the emperor Adrian, he was delivered to the judge Aurelian, and, as he persevered in the confession of the faith, his tongue was plucked out, he was stretched on the rack, his hands and feet were cut off, and the sword terminated the course of his martyrdom.
At Thessalonica, the birthday of the holy martyrs Domninus, Victor, and their companions.
At Constantinople, the commemoration of many holy martyrs of the Catholic communion, whom the heresiarch Macedonius, in the time of Constantius, put to death by unheard-of kinds of torments. For among other tortures, he cut off the breasts of Christian women by pressing them between the lids of chests, and seared the wounds with hot iron.
At Senlis, the demise of St. Regulus, bishop of Aries.
At Orleans, in France, St. Pastor, bishop.
At Syracuse, St. Zosimus, bishop and confessor.
On Mount Sinai, St. John Climacus, abbot.
At Aquino, St. Clinius, confessor.
℣. And elsewhere many other holy martyrs, confessors, and holy virgins.
℟. Thanks be to God.