Daily Devotional: Januray 9th

Daily Prayer V

Blessed are those who shun the allure of speakers' vain,

With independent thought, virtue's path they gain.

Straight intelligence guides their discerning mind,

In pursuit of ordained virtue, wisdom they find.

They eschew the folly of endless possessions' chase,

Defining limits by the body's rightful space.

Measured pursuit aligns with well-determined needs,

Guardians of balance, their action succeeds.

Blessed are they who maintain a godly bound,

In pleasures that don't in virtue confound.

No invitation to harm, for soul or body,

Harmonious pleasure, in accord with virtue's decree.

Daily Meditation

"It is better to converse more with yourself than others.”

—Demophilus

Sentence 12

Speaking to yourself is not only healthy but essential for philosophy. In order to think, we must be able to split the mind in two, pitting one idea against another. Only through this dialectic does thinking begin to produce truth.

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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