Daily Devotional: October 9th

Daily Prayer

O gods, shield me from accidents that may befall,

My mortal frame fragile, but my soul stands tall.

Immortal, divine, separate from earthly plight,

Let not misfortunes dim my inner light.

Grant me serenity in the exercise of my will,

Troubles that befall, let them not instill

Disruption in my pursuit of liberty,

Nor bind my soul to base necessity.

When the call for goodness resonates within,

Let not my mortal self shy away from the din.

Guide me to prioritize my immortal soul's quest,

In caring for it, may I truly be blessed.

Daily Meditation

"In any community, there are levels of duties, from which we can discern the following gradations: first, to the immortal gods; second, to our country; third, to our parents; and lastly, to those remaining as they out to be rendered. ”

—Cicero

On Duties, Book I.XLIII

A community cannot survive without setting its priorities straight regarding duties. It must first exist to serve the immortal gods. Next, the welfare of the country must be safeguarded. Then our parents deserve what is owed to them. In practice, what this means is if your parents ask you to do something that damages your country or countrymen, you should refuse as you owe them the higher duty. But most of all, we owe the most significant duty to the gods. If our parents or country ask us to go against the gods, we must refuse.

Monthly Ascesis: Breath and the Pneuma

“In the Western classical tradition, the words for spirit and soul - pneuma, psyche, anima, and spiritus hold profound significance. Interestingly, each of these words also carries the meaning of breath or to breathe. This linguistic connection underscores the belief that breath is the essence of life. In the myth of Prometheus, for instance, it was Minerva’s breath that animated the clay figures of man, giving them life.”

The breath is one of our most powerful tools for spiritual practice and is directly linked to our souls. When we speed up our breathing, our mind speeds up. When we slow it down, our mind slows. Controlling our breath is a leap forward for control of the self and our passions.

“Once you have fixed your breath, you can start to focus on it and use it as an instrument to still the mind. With each breath, there will be a slight pause at the top of the breath and a slight pause at the end of each exhalation. To increase stillness, we will let our minds come to rest in the pause following the exhalation. Breathe out and rest in that moment between breaths. When you feel the need to breathe in again, then do so and come back around to the rest point of the next exhalation.”

-Excerpts from, Ascesis: the Handbook of Platonic Practice

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