Daily Devotional: September 9th

Daily Prayer V

Blessed are those who shun the allure of speakers' vain,

With independent thought, virtue's path they gain.

Straight intelligence guides their discerning mind,

In pursuit of ordained virtue, wisdom they find.

They eschew the folly of endless possessions' chase,

Defining limits by the body's rightful space.

Measured pursuit aligns with well-determined needs,

Guardians of balance, their action succeeds.

Blessed are they who maintain a godly bound,

In pleasures that don't in virtue confound.

No invitation to harm, for soul or body,

Harmonious pleasure, in accord with virtue's decree.

Daily Meditation

"You will see one according law and assertion in all the earth, that there is one God, the king and father of all things, and many Gods, sons of God, ruling together with him.”

—Maximus Tyrius

Dissertation I

Monotheism and polytheism are a false dichotomy. The ancients knew that there was one God above all the other Gods, who is the creator of the universe, the king and father of all things. Within Him, all the other Gods exist and rule over particular aspects of the cosmos according to the law and will of the supreme God. Thus, when we worship Gods, we worship the supreme God through a particular form.

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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