Daily Devotional: November 24th
Daily Prayer VIII
O gods, restrain my taste for excess delight,
Impose limits on pleasures, in wisdom's light.
Lest harm befall my body or soul,
Guide me towards temperance, make me whole.
May I not crave boundless material gain,
In measured abundance, let my needs attain.
Moderation in all, the body's requisite,
Grant me independence, a balanced fit.
Shield me from the chains of empty words,
Grant discernment, where true wisdom girds.
May I deem useful only words divine,
That lead to genuine excellence, a path benign.
Daily Meditation
"Now since we know, dear, what duties have been assigned to each of us by God, we must endeavour, each of us, to do the duties allotted to us as well as possible.”
—Xenophon
Economicus 29
We all have different roles assigned to us by God, and it is our duty to fulfill them as well as possible. If we are blessed with children, we should be good parents. If we are students, we should learn well and seek virtue. If we are philosophers, we should shun possessions and seek liberation. Our roles are not the same, and they are not interchangeable. Whatever they are, we should do them to the best of our ability, and by doing so, we find our own highest good.
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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