Daily Devotional: November 28th
Feast of Jove
The Feast of Jove
On the Feast of Jove, we celebrate the King of the Gods and his role in protecting our nations and people. We give thanks for his blessings and protection throughout the year. The celebration is a feast or banquet with the god. Queen Juno and Minerva are also included in the celebration. Each of these gods has a unique role in protecting and maintaining our prosperity and well-being as a people.
This is a time to be grateful and thank the gods, our family, and our friends. At our evening meal, we place the statues of the gods out, offer them the food first, and say our prayers and thanks to them.
Hymn for the Feast of Jove
May this prayer honor Jove, Juno, and Minerva in the Feast of Jove, a celebration of gratitude, unity, and bountiful harvest, shared with family, friends, and the divine triad.
O Jove, ruler of the celestial sphere,
In the Feast of Jove, your presence we revere.
Dressed in fine robes and adorned with flowers fair,
At the sacred altar, your statues stand with regal glare.
Juno, queen of heavens, in grace and might,
Minerva, goddess of wisdom's light.
The divine triad, in harmonious array,
In the Feast of Jove, we honor your sway.
A great feast prepared, a bountiful delight,
For family and friends, in the soft twilight.
Offerings to the Gods, with gratitude and cheer,
Shared at the altar, the divine feast draws near.
Jove, Juno, and Minerva, divine and grand,
At the special altar, where blessings expand.
May the fragrance of flowers, the richness of wine,
Elevate our spirits in the Feast divine.
After the offering, a sacred blend,
Food mixed back into dishes, a tradition to attend.
Consumed by all, in unity we partake,
With the Gods present, a communion to make.
On this day, as nations give thanks and praise,
The Feast of Jove in harmonious gaze.
A celebration of harvest's yield,
In every nation, across every field.
Oh Jove, in your benevolent grace,
Bless this feast, this sacred space.
With family and friends, in unity,
May the Feast of Jove bring joy and glee.
Daily Prayer IV
Blessed are those who shun the grip of selfish greed,
With a wisdom that forbids harmful deeds.
In emulation of the gods, they seek the good,
Endeavoring to mirror divine brotherhood.
They hold in reverence the common good of the race,
Aware that gods' concern resides in this shared space.
They do not abandon the communal thread,
For in unity, the divine essence is spread.
Blessed are those who, with gratitude, give thanks,
To the gods for every boon, with hearts that flank
Jove, the source whence fair and good first spring,
In all things, a hymn of gratitude we sing.
Daily Meditation
The line above from Virgil reads in Latin as, “Iuppiter omnipotens, audacibus adnue coeptis.” The final two words are the source for the Latin writing on American money that reads, “Annuit Coeptis Novus Ordo Seclorum,” which means '“God bless this new order of the ages.” The founders of America saw themselves as founding a new Rome and returning to its classical republican roots. Today is our day to honor Jove's role in protecting our nation and families. God bless this land and our people.
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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