Daily Devotional: December 17th
Saturnalia Begins
Saturnalia
Before the bells of Christmas rang and carols filled the winter air, there was Saturnalia — a joyous festival honoring Saturn, the god of abundance, time, and renewal. This beloved holiday looked back to the Golden Age under Saturn's rule, a time of peace, virtue, and boundless prosperity. In this age, all were free, no labor divided the people, and the earth gave its bounty without toil. Saturnalia sought to recreate this idyllic past, offering a fleeting return to harmony and unity in the midst of winter's chill.
During Saturnalia, roles were reversed — masters served their servants, social hierarchies dissolved, and the streets filled with revelry. Homes overflowed with feasting, gift-giving, and evergreen decorations, symbols of life persisting through the cold. In those days, laughter and goodwill knew no rank or boundary, reminding all that the spirit of joy and equality is timeless.
Many of our cherished yuletide traditions — from gift exchanges to festive feasts and communal merrymaking — have their roots in these ancient celebrations. Saturnalia’s message endures: that even in the darkest days, we can honor the values of the Golden Age — peace, generosity, and virtue.
Io Saturnalia! — a festival of light, joy, and remembrance, uniting past and present in the warmth of shared humanity.
Saturnalia runs from today until the 24th.
Hymn for Saturnalia
May this prayer capture the spirit of joy, celebration, and abundance associated with the holiday of Saturnalia, dedicated to Saturn, the god of plenty.
O Saturn, god of plenty and mirth,
In the joyous season of Saturnalia, we find rebirth.
As the days grow short and the nights long,
In the festive spirit, we join the song.
Saturnalia, a time of revelry and cheer,
In your honor, oh Saturn, we draw near.
As the world turns in a dance so divine,
May the warmth of joy in our hearts entwine.
God of agriculture, in the bountiful yield,
In the fields and orchards, your blessings are revealed.
As we gather in celebration and feast,
May abundance and prosperity never cease.
Saturn, master of time's eternal wheel,
In this holiday season, our hearts you heal.
As we exchange gifts and laughter rings,
May the spirit of generosity take wings.
In the festival of lights, where candles glow,
Saturn, your blessings on us bestow.
In the warmth of friendships, both old and new,
May the bonds of kinship forever renew.
O Saturn, in this season of delight,
Guide us through the joyous night.
As we celebrate in Saturnalia's embrace,
May your blessings fill every space.
Daily Prayer XVI
Hail, Magna Mater, healer and bestower of life,
Thy touch brings both ailment's end and peace from strife.
Goddess of fertility, from thy sacred womb life springs,
In thy nurturing embrace, all creation sings.
Amidst the battlefield, thy shield provides defense,
Protector of the faithful, a guardian immense.
Thy bountiful gifts, a testament to nature's grace,
Magna Mater, in thee, all find a sacred space.
Thou art the arbiter of health and soothing cure,
Yet, in thy hands, the power to afflict and obscure.
To those who seek, thou offer immortality's gleam,
In devotion to thee, a timeless, eternal dream.
Daily Meditation
"The Golden Age was first, a time that cherished
Of its own will, justice and right; no law.
No punishment, was called for; fearfulness
Was quite unknown, and the bronze tablets held
No legal threatening; no suppliant throng
Studied a judge’s face; there were no judges,
There did not need to be. Trees had not yet
Been cut and hollowed, to visit other shores.
Men were content at home, and had no towns
With moats and walls around them; and no trumpets
Blared out alarms; things like swords and helmets
Had not been heard of. No one needed soldiers.
People were unaggressive, and unanxious;
The years went by in peace. And Earth, untroubled,
Unharried by hoe or plowshare, brought forth all
That men had need for, and those men were happy,
Gathering berries from the mountain sides,
Cherries, or blackcaps, and the edible acorns.
Spring was forever, with a west wind blowing
Softly across the flowers no man had planted,
And Earth, unplowed, brought forth rich grain; the field,
Unfallowed, whitened with wheat, and there were rivers
Of milk, and rivers of honey, and golden nectar
Dripped from the dark-green oak-trees.”
—Ovid
Metamorphoses, Book I
Monthly Ascesis: Repentance
"Repentance is the beginning of philosophy"
—Hierocles
“Repentance is often seen as a particularly Christian idea, but philosophers were quite fond of reminding people to repent. Pythagoras, in particular, suggests two ways that we can begin to repent and take a better inventory of who we are. The word ‘repent’ is related to the Latin word for regret. The idea is that we should look over our actions and judge them if they are unworthy. However, the Greek word for repentance is metanoia, which means the transformation of the mind. Platonic repentance is about creating an inner change that leads us back to a life of holiness in harmony with the divine.
Pythagoras says we should “do nothing shameful, neither in the presence of others nor privately; Thus, above all things, sit as a judge over [ourself].” This suggests we should watch our actions, and when we do something wrong or shameful, we should repent, that is, regret that action. If we never do this or shun it as a practice, we effectively say we have no reason to regret our actions. However, regretting an action is recognizing an area where we fell short of our ideals. If we never regret or repent, we make any spiritual or ethical growth impossible. This is why Hierocles, commenting on Pythagoras, says, “repentance is the beginning of philosophy.””
Excerpt from Ascesis: The Handbook of Platonic Practice
If you would like to subscribe to the Daily Romanist Devotional, please follow the instructions here.
