Daily Devotional: November 13th
Ides
Hymn for Ides
Jove, sovereign of the vast celestial dome,
On Ides' threshold, thy presence does loom.
In the mid-month's embrace, with thunderous might,
Thy benevolence and justice take flight.
On the Ides, when the moon is bright,
Jove, we honor, in the soft moonlight.
With each lunar phase, thy influence clear,
Guiding the months, with celestial cheer.
In the midst of calendars, thy mark profound,
Ides' moments with thy grace are crowned.
Jove, the keeper of cosmic order and sway,
In the month's heart, thy blessings convey.
On this Ides, as time's river flows,
Jove, in gratitude, our reverence shows.
In celestial dance, where planets align,
Thy majesty, eternal and divine.
Daily Meditation
"What now is the honour that belongs also to these beings [the holy sages]? ‘To perform lawful offerings,’ says the text. This means to obey the precepts they have left us, to abide by their words as though they were laws, and to pursue the same path of life…. To obey these and to live accordingly is for them a more genuine honour than if someone were to spend on them the most extravagant libations and expensive funerary offerings.”
—Hierocles of Alexandria
Commentary on the Golden Verses
We honor the holy sages the most when we model our lives off of theirs. If we only offer material things to them but never sacrifice our weaknesses, vices, and shameful actions in the pursuit of virtue, then we have not really honored them at all. They say imitation is the highest form of flattery. To imitate the lives of the sages earnestly, using them as our guide is how we become like them and elevate our souls.
Monthly Ascesis: Simple Rituals
“There is a simple formula to follow to begin making offerings to the gods. Since there are many gods, I recommend beginners direct all prayers to Mercury, who is the messenger of the gods. With this simple prayer, you can begin making offerings to all of divinity and know Mercury will deliver your prayers to the proper place.
Begin with this invocation:
Lord Mercury, messenger of heaven, swift-footed guide of mortals, hear my prayer and deliver it to the proper divinity:
[speak your prayer]
After your prayer, present your offering of food or incense and say:
Lord Mercury, be honored by this offering of [incense, food]
When you are finished, end with
Lord Mercury, be blessed. Fiat.
Fiat is pronounced Fee-aht and means 'Let it be done' in Latin.
If you are unable to make a material offering, that is okay. It is a gesture of honor and respect to the gods but is not necessary. Merely offering your thoughts and prayers is enough. The gods do not need our offerings to hear prayers. We offer these things out of gratitude and respect for them, not as a bribe or exchange of goods between us and the gods.”
-Excerpts from, Ascesis: the Handbook of Platonic Practice
Making simple offerings like this regularly sets our minds on the divine and places us in a giving posture toward the gods. The purpose of our rituals is not to ask for material goods but to give thanks to the gods and allow gratitude to fill our hearts. If we ask for anything from them in our prayers, we should ask for things that are like them such as virtues.
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