Daily Devotional: September 1st

Hymn of the Calends

Juno, guardian of the fleeting days,

In each month's dawn, thy presence arrays.

At the threshold of time, where moments unfold,

In thy grace, Juno, the tale is told.

With each new moon, thy scepter in hand,

Juno, we honor, as the days expand.

In the dance of months, thy sovereignty clear,

Crowning the year, in each premiere.

At the inception of the calendar's page,

Juno, thou art the guiding sage.

Blessing the weeks with thy regal decree,

In the rhythmic cadence of eternity.

Month by month, thy influence profound,

In Juno's name, our reverence resounds.

As the sun rises on each new morn,

Juno, in thy honor, our spirits are reborn.

Daily Meditation

"The best way for the soul to grow wings is to practice gradually a detachment from earthly things, to become accustomed to the immaterial, and to get rid of the defilements with which it has been filled by being yoked together with the material body. Through these purifications, it will in a fashion come to life again, collect itself, be filled with divine intensity, and keep pace with the intellectual perfection of the soul.”

—Hierocles

Commentary on the Golden Verses P.313

Statements like these may seem to be hateful toward the physical body, but in truth, they are encouraging us to identify with our soul over our body. Hierocles says we must be good stewards of the body, but we should never be its servants or sacrifice the soul for the good of the body. As we become accustomed to the immaterial divine life, which is to say, identifying with our soul, then the body easily becomes a secondary concern.

Monthly Ascesis

Developing a practice of watchfulness is a powerful and effective way to create stillness in our souls, allowing us to behold God's presence in our lives.

This month, add this meditation practice to your morning prayers. This is particularly effective following a chanting session.

“The most basic and fundamental meditation practice is watchfulness or Nepsis in Greek. Watchfulness is the act of observing the mind while not chasing any thoughts or emotions that arise. You only need to sit down, close your eyes, and relax to do this practice. Then, watch your thoughts as they arise and fall away. Thoughts will continue to pop into your mind, and that’s ok. The key is not to follow them. For example, if your mind starts thinking about a project at work, don’t follow that idea and start working on the project in your mind. Just acknowledge that thought and watch it. Don’t feed that idea with more ideas; just leave it alone. Eventually, it will pass by, or a new thought will take its place. If that happens, just watch that thought without following it or allowing it to disturb you.”

-Excerpt from our new book, Ascesis: the Handbook of Platonic Practice

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