Daily Devotional: November 19th
Daily Prayer XIII
Justice, noble virtue, thy scales held high,
In fairness' name, beneath the open sky.
With blindfold on, impartial and true,
Guiding the hand to what is just and due.
In the heart of the city or a quiet glade,
Thy presence lingers in the choices made.
Equity's guardian, in the court's embrace,
Upholding truth and granting every case.
Oh, Justice, cultivate thy virtuous seed,
In the fertile soil of every noble deed.
Let righteousness bloom in each mindful choice,
In the harmonious symphony of Justice' voice.
Daily Meditation
"But there’s one I’m obligated to please, one I must submit to, one I must obey. That one is God and those who are close to Him. He has entrusted me with myself. He has made my will subject only to me and given me rules so I will do so correctly.”
—Epictetus
Disc. IV. 12, 11-12
God gave us reason so we could judge and control ourselves accordingly. From our reason, the sages, and traditions, we know the laws of God. From those who are closest to Him, the gods, we are guided back toward the good. If we look upon this great wealth of wisdom and cast it aside, we fall into impiety and disobedience. From there, the myriad evils that will haunt us are infinite.
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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