Daily Devotional: January 13th

Nones

Hymn for Nones

Bacchus, Liberator, on Nones day,

In thy revelry, our spirits pray.

With the grape's nectar, and the dance's trance,

Thy joyous influence, in every glance.

On Nones, when the moon's glow is bright,

Bacchus, we honor in the soft moonlight.

In the vineyard's bounty, thy blessings flow,

Liberator of souls, in thy ecstatic glow.

Thy presence unbinds the chains of the soul,

In Nones' celebration, where passion unfolds.

Bacchus, on this day, with a festive cheer,

Liberate our hearts, draw us near.

As the month unfurls, in Bacchus' embrace,

In the sacred dance, we find our place.

Bacchus, Liberator, thy spirit we invoke,

In the revelry of life, in each Nones stroke.

Daily Meditation

"Does not the starting-point of generation in all States lie in the union and partnership of marriage?”

—Plato

Laws 721a

The most foundational unit of the state is not the individual but the family. A state is made of families. Individuals outside of the family framework are weak and easily led toward tyranny. A state that cannot ensure the strength and flourishing of the family is doomed to failure and collapse.

Monthly Ascesis: Praying for Virtue

“Ask from God those things that you cannot receive from man.”

-Sextus

“In the Pythagorean sentences, we are also advised not to pray for things that we can do for ourselves. For example, we should not pray for money or material goods because these are things we can work to gain by ourselves. Rather, the things we should ask the gods for are things that are, like them, immaterial and perfect. The best things for us to ask the gods for are virtues.

When we pray, we should ask the gods to show us the way to immaterial things that are aligned with their perfect nature. Cardinal virtues like prudence, courage, justice, and temperance are great starting points. But any virtue is worthy of our prayers of petition.”

Excerpt from Ascesis: The Handbook of Platonic Practice

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