Daily Devotional: Novemebr 14th
Daily Prayer XVIII
Hail, radiant Apollo, sovereign of all essences,
Director of unifying forces, in whom all converges,
Apollo, artisan of harmony, transforms discord's disarray,
With celestial artistry, he weaves unity from chaos' fray.
From your governance flows prudence, a beacon for our souls,
Justice, a virtue adorned with grace, unfolds,
Beauty and health entwine in our mortal frames,
Grant us an eternal thirst for the divine and sublime.
Paian, we hail you, O Lord of heavenly resonance,
In your harmonious embrace, our spirits dance.
Guide us through wisdom's path, illuminate our way,
In your sacred light, we find serenity each day.
Daily Meditation
"For God is not blessed by reason of his possession of gold and silver, nor strong because of thunder and lightning, but through knowledge and intelligence. Of all the things that Homer said about the gods, he has expressed most beautifully this thought:
‘Both, indeed, were in lineage one, and of the same country,
Yet was Jove the earlier born and his knowledge was greater.’
Thereby, the poet plainly declares that the primacy of Jove is nobler since it is elder in knowledge and in wisdom.”
—Plutarch
Isis and Osiris
Jove is the highest in intellect, truth, and wisdom. Of all the gods, he has no equal. This truth was known to all ancient people educated in mysteries, philosophy, and theology. One of the great cover-ups in Western history has been making it seem as though the ancients did not believe in God, who ruled over all his many children, the gods. However, taking the ancients at their own words, it’s clear that they knew God and praised him above all others.
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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