The Educator

origin unknown; shared by V.W.Bro.Norman McEvoy

Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore . We lived downstairs & rented the upstairs rooms to outpatients at the Clinic.

One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man.

‘Why, he’s hardly taller than my eight-year-old,’  I thought as I stared at the stooped, shriveled body.

But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red & raw. Yet, his voice was pleasant as he said ,’Good evening.

I’ve come to see if you’ve a room for just one night. I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, & there’s no bus ’till morning.’

He told me he’d been hunting for a room since noon but with no success; no one seemed to have a room.

‘I guess it’s my face. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments…’

For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me,
‘I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning.’

I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside & finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us.  “No thank you. I have plenty'” And he held up a brown paper bag.

When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn’t take a long time to see that this old man had an over sized heart crowded into that tiny body.

He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children & her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury.

He didn’t tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was prefaced with thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer.

He was thankful for the strength to keep going.

At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children’s room for him.
When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded, & the little man was out on the porch.

He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favour, he said,

‘Could I please come back & stay the next time I have a treatment? I won’t put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair.’

He paused a moment & then added,

‘Your children made me feel at home. Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don’t seem to mind.’

I told him he was welcome to come again.

On his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish & a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen.

He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they’d be nice & fresh. I knew his bus left at 4 a.m., & I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us.

In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden.

Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish & oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these & knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious.

When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbour made after he left that first morning.

‘Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!’

Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice But, oh if only they could have known him, perhaps their illness would have been easier to bear.

I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint & the good with gratitude.

Recently I was visiting a friend who has a greenhouse. As she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself,

‘If this were my plant, I’d put it in the loveliest container I had!’

My friend changed my mind. ‘I ran short of pots,’ she explained, ‘and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn’t mind starting out in this old pail. It’s just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden.’

She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. There’s an especially beautiful one,’ God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman.

‘He won’t mind starting in this small body.’

All this happened long ago — and now, in God’s garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand..

The LORD does not look at the things man looks at.
Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.’

Friends are very special. They make you smile & encourage you to succeed.  They lend an ear & they share a word of praise. Show your friends how much you care.  Pass this on and brighten someone’s day.
Nothing will happen if you do not decide to pass it along.
The only thing that will happen though, is that someone might smile because of you!

 

Never look down on anybody, unless you are helping them up.
 “Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil –  it has no point.”
 WISHING YOU LOVE IN YOUR HEART…PEACE IN YOUR SOUL..AND JOY IN YOUR LIFE…..ALWAYS…
Norm

By: W. Bro. R.E. Salmon; January, 1987. Grand Lodge of Saskatchewan (Canada)

Albert Mackey discusses the square as “one of the most important and significant symbols in Freemasonry”

The French Masons have almost universally presented it with one leg longer than the other, thus making it a carpenter’s square. The American Masons have, while generally preserving the equality of length in the legs, unnecessarily marked its surface with inches, thus making it an instrument for measuring length and breadth, which it is not. It is simply the ‘trying square’ of a stonemason, and has a plain surface; the sides or legs embracing an angle of ninety degrees, and it is intended only to test the accuracy of the sides of a stone, and to see that its edges subtend the same angle.

In looking around at a few examples, if we see that the symbol of the square and compasses on our monthly summons is correct; the square is plain. However, some lodges are apparently in error in having the square (on the cover) graduated in inches.

The Book of Constitution correctly has a plain un-graduated square. Nevertheless, the symbol on the doors at the Grand Lodge office in Regina has a graduated square.

This is a small point, and one evidently not widely recognized. Nor is it one that will be readily corrected. However, it is desirable that the true form of so important a symbol be preserved, and it doesn’t hurt to be aware of the correct expression of the Masonic Square.

Candidates for the F.C. degree hope to obtain the privileges of the degree by “the assistance of the square”. The Lodge, in the F.C. degree, is duly opened on the square.

Note Candidates are obligated within the square. Masons move on the square in the course of their Masonic duties.

The square has been used symbolically for thousands of years by non-Masons as well as by members of the Craft.

The ancient Egyptians word for “square” was used as meaning “just” and “proper”.

To the non-Masonic public today, a transaction is noted to be “on the square” when it is honest and above board.

As a Masonic symbol, the square is very ancient and was familiar to the operative Masons.

In 1830, workmen rebuilding a bridge near Limerick, Ireland, found and old corroded brass square, inscribed with the words

“I WILL STRIVE TO LIVE WITH LOVE AND CARE UPON THE LEVEL – BY THE SQUARE”, and dated 1517.

I spoke earlier about the true form of the Masonic square. It is an error to give it one leg longer than the other, making it a carpenter’s square. It is also wrong to mark its surface in inches (or even centimeters). This makes it an instrument for measuring length and breadth, which it is not. It is the simple trying square of the stonemason, intended only to test the accuracy of the sides of a stone.

But however drawn, the square remains a symbol of morality, of truthfulness, of honesty, as it has been recognized as such, both within and outside Masonry for many centuries.

 

Comment
I have found it amazing that so many of us simply take the Square for granted and do not
(until now) know its full meaning and correctness.

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

by R. W. Bro. J. H. Young, 1975

From the first moment when the elected candidate enters the ante room and is required to profess his belief in a Supreme Being, and all other subsequent questions as a condition of his being initiated, up to that instant when he is raised to the Sublime Degree of Master Mason, the candidate is marching steadily forward to a greater light and the great secret of Masonry.

Moreover, the candidate is assured that in all that follows in respect to his vows, “there is nothing inconsistent with one’s civil, moral or religious views”.

It is the GREAT secret and yet it is no secret in the sense that it cannot be told. Because the Bible, the Church and Freemasonry the world over herald its message to all men – the truth of immortality and a life beyond.

If the All Seeing Eye is the most ancient in the ritual of Masonry, then the grandest of emblems and symbols of the Master Mason’s Degree, the Sprig of Acacia, holds the greatest of comfort.

As a symbol of hope, this sprig of evergreen marks the temporary resting place of the illustrious dead, for is it not the whole drama of the Master Mason’s degree, one which teaches in most simple terms the immortality of the soul?

The Sprig of Acacia, in its most ordinary signification, presents itself to the Master Mason as a symbol of the immortality of the soul, being intended to remind him by its evergreen and unchanging nature of a better and a spiritual part within us, which is an emanation from the G.A.O.T.U., & can never die.

The acacia tree grows abundantly in many parts of Eastern lands and more especially in the Holy Land. It attains a great height and is among the hardest of wood. It is one of the evergreens and in contrast to other varieties of trees which shed their leaves, the Acacia is a perpetual reminder of life.

Among the Jews it was held in great reverence and was used in building the Tabernacle and its furniture.

Tradition loves to claim Christ’s crown of thorns was from this particular tree.

The Acacia has other peculiar characteristics in that its life seems so tenacious that it is said on authority that if a cut off portion happens to come into contact with the ground it will begin to grow again. From it a very fine species of Arabic gum is secured. The Arabs as well as the Jews hold it in high esteem.

The Acacia has been consecrated from among the trees by virtue of the sacred purposes to which it is used. Masons have appropriated this hallowed and sacred tree to equally sacred purposes of a symbol that teaches this basic truth of the soul.

It is incorporated into the funeral service in such words as “this evergreen is an emblem of our faith by which we are reminded that we have an immortal part which shall survive the grave and which shall never die.”

It is one of the oldest landmarks of Masonry wherein the Sprig of Acacia symbolizes everlastingness of the soul in which is embedded that boundless certainty of spiritual revival, but it also implies and takes for granted a large measure of faith.

It is not only the emblem of a future state but of faith itself.

This, then, is what appears to be the hidden meaning of the symbol of the Sprig of Acacia.

It is the emblem, not only of immortality, but of faith and of a belief in that which cannot be seen; in that which cannot be demonstrated and in that which cannot be shown as evidence.

The Sprig of Acacia is all of a promise but it is far more than that; it is a symbol of that which alone can bring peace and happiness to the human spirit.

 

Comment
This paper has offered me an answer as to WHY at a Masonic Funeral it is very common to see Brethren laying a sprig of Acacia on the altar or other significant table etc.

It proves, once again, that it is never too late for everyone to be made aware of WHY we do what we do.

Have a Wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

by R.W. Bro. Garnet E. Schenk and modified by V.W. Bro. Norman McEvoy

The first symbols that catch the eye of the candidate when he is restored to light are the three great thought emblematic lights of Masonry.  They are the V.O.S.L., the square and the compasses.

The reference to the V.O.S.L., the square and the compasses as furniture of the lodge has a special meaning; it is intended to remind us that the lodge is not furnished or complete unless those three items are present, in place and treated with the utmost respect.

The heart will not have the necessary understanding without the lessons, the philosophy and the teachings of the three great lights. The three great lights are the central point in a lodge and often are referred to as the point within a circle. The three great lights represent the essential elements of the Masonic system. They involve virtue, moral conduct toward fellowmen and reverence to God.

The V.O.S.L. is God’s gift to man and that within its pages can be found the wisdom and the truth that all Freemasons seek. The V.O.S.L. tracing board on which lines and designs are laid out for the guidance of each member. It is important for all Masons to understand and recognize that the V.O.S.L. proves the Masonic claim that men of all faiths, creeds and races may travel the Masonic road together in harmony.

The candidate is taught that the square symbolizes morality and righteousness. It is intended to keep us in touch with God; morality and righteousness cannot be separated. It is God, morality and righteousness that set the standard for the Order and to regulate our life actions.

The third of the three Great Lights, the compasses symbolizes spirituality. The compasses remind the candidate to
“circumscribe your desires and keep your passions within due bounds”.

The Entered Apprentice is taught that those duties are not reserved for the brethren alone but must be exercised toward all men.

The three lesser lights are represented by the sun, the moon and the Master of the Lodge. Without the sun and the moon there would be no planet called “earth” and without the Worshipful Master there would be no Masonic Lodge.

Symbolically the covering of a Masonic lodge is the “Clouded Canopy or Starry Decked Heavens”

and is symbolically shown in some way in most every lodge. It represents that heavenly abode toward which the visionary ladder of Jacob intends to lead us. The Freemason learns of three principal rounds in the ladder; Faith, Hope and Charity.

Masonic charity is in reality love and extends beyond money to the giving of self in caring for the widow, the orphan and those in need. Masonic charity symbolizes the heart of man.

It is implied that the ladder of Jacob has other rounds and that without them the principal ones would be of little use in the heavenward journey. Among them are; brotherly love, relief and truth the tenets of Masonry. To those rounds we can add
temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice. Taken together these rounds symbolize perfection, something every Mason should strive to reach.

It should be noted that fortitude for a Mason symbolizes more than physical courage; it refers to moral courage. It is the maintaining of high principles at all times. Temperance symbolizes restraint. Prudence symbolizes wisdom and justice as practiced by the Mason symbolizes equality.

The words of the Junior Warden’s lecture contain a hidden Truth for those who wish to seek for it. If it is true that Masonry is a progressive science, there is no better symbol of progress than a ladder. Jacob’s ladder represents the intellectual communication between earth and heaven.

The lesson is that the progress made up and down the ladder is meant to teach everyone to descend to the level of his fellowmen in order to fulfill the duty placed up him in the lecture of the north-east angle.

Success in climbing Jacob’s ladder is not found in reaching a specific destination but a continuous step by step journey until he figuratively reaches the top of the ladder resting against the covering of the lodge which is symbolic of Heaven itself.

The candidate is presented with a pure white apron (lambskin) and informed that it will only be honourable if worn worthily by the the candidate. The mason must continue to prove himself worthy of wearing the lambskin by putting into practice the lessons, teachings and philosophy of the Order.

The apron is a symbol of innocence, purity and honour.

 

Comment
I feel honoured & delighted to be able to share this paper with you
Have a wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

by a Past Grand Master – Masonic Square, Vancouver, Oct. 1921

Permanency and vitality are not necessarily characteristics of the good. Bad institutions have survived the wreck of empires, while the shores of Time are blackened with the ruins of what were once esteemed benevolent and philanthropic enterprises.

Why, then, has Freemasonry outlived almost every other organization contemporaneous with its beginning?

To those who have never crossed the threshold of the Freemasons’ Temple, and who, therefore, are unacquainted with its principles, and the method by which they are taught, this must, indeed, seem a mystery.

They observe that the Order does not go out into the highways and byways of life to gather in converts & swell its numbers;
that its members do not proclaim its principles from the housetops, however zealous and enthusiastic they may be; that it rarely seeks aid outside the mystic circle of its own members; that it looks not for the praise or applause of men, but relies upon its record of good deeds quietly and without fanfare..

Freemasonry seeks not the “boast of heraldry or the pomp of power” to gather the fleeting fancy and attract the eye of the multitude. Yet, today, Freemasonry is a strong living body & moral power exercising an influence for good over the whole world, wherever there are intelligent minds to comprehend its beautiful principles. In view of its organization and mode of growth, that it should be so widespread and progressive, almost surpasses human comprehension.

Freemasonry, pursuing the even manner of its way, exists the same today as it did nearly two centuries ago, in all its essential principles. It has witnessed the rise, decay and fall of other institutions, professedly originated for the benefit of men, without a single shock to itself.

Governments, societies, doctrines and isms, have come and gone, and Freemasonry has survived them, still with ess and a youthful vigour, as if yet in the budding manhood of its existence.

This wonderful vitality is the natural result of the moral and national principles which form the underlying base of its magnificent superstructure.

Freemasonry is founded upon the moral law, not upon a morality with a local habitation and a name, but upon principles everywhere self evident-the natural formulas and responses of human nature – so that among all good men of whatever nationality or clime, of whatever political or religious opinion, it may grow and flourish, a beautiful plant in the garden of the human soul.

This moral law, written in the hearts of men, upon which our institution is founded, is even more permanent than human nature itself.

History teaches us that gradually, through the ages, human nature has progressed, through the savage, the barbarous and civilized up to the enlightened state.

But the moral law, which is changeless as eternity itself, is the same for the wild bushman of Australia as for the learned Professor. Not that these men understand it the same way but that does not change the law. The moral law is the immutable & unchangeable in human nature.

It is not a codified law, hut those natural impulses which direct virtuous conduct.

Of this law, Cicero said: “It was not only older than nations and cities, but co-existent with that Divine Being, who sees and rules both Heaven and Earth.”

For the principle or law which impels to right conduct, springs out of the nature of things, and began to be law, not when it was first written, but when it originated.” Right and wrong are as eternal as the Deity”

They are not created existences, but the moral quality of created existences, and Freemasonry is the great interpreter of this law, for upon its immutable and universal basis, she has chosen to lay her corner-stone.

And she exerts her influence by example rather than by talk.

It is a maxim statement that deeds speak louder than words.
The force of example is not open to the charge of hypocrisy.
Words may be false, but deeds speak the truth.

Good deeds need no other praise than the acts themselves. It has been said that no good act should remain unpublished to the world. But it has also been said that every good deed has for itself a golden tongue, a language sweeter and more forcible than the silvery speech of a gifted orator.

Whether mankind be depraved or not!!!!
Freemasonry recognizes enough of a natural goodness in the human ruins upon which to build a noble superstructure.

She finds this remnant, this germ of immortality, in the longing of the human heart for a higher and a nobler existence, leaving the speculative question of depravity to the philosophers.

Freemasonry recognizes the fact that:

There is an unseen battlefield in every human breast,
Where two opposing forces meet, but where they seldom rest

It is this personal desire to be good that invokes virtue in a continual warfare against vice. There is no silence, no position of rest, except in the cowardly surrender of all that is manly, good and true. It is this desire for happiness, this longing for a beautiful life, that plunges human nature into the sea of unrest.

Human nature is ever seeking a higher plane of existence.
Nature itself has made it delightful to man to be good, and not so happy to him who is not wholly so.

It remains, even after the moral life has been wrecked upon the shoals of vice, sometimes to re-assert itself in the stings and pangs of self-accusing conscience.

Who would not rejoice with ineffable joy if he could this moment shake off the infirmities of his nature and rise at once to the true dignity of ideal manhood, erect and proud in the consciousness of perfect purity and uprightness of character?

Ideal manhood is the goal of Freemasonry.

It is the star of our hope, the beacon light upon the shore, to the mariner Mason tossed hither and thither upon the ocean of life.

But while the principles of our Institution are founded upon the immutable moral law, and the aspirations of our natures reach out toward this grand ideality of perfect manhood, our philosophy and history teach us that we have a rough and rugged road to travel, beset with many trials and difficulties, and experience and observation have shown us that many go faint and weary by the way.

Recognizing, as Freemasonry does, the natural infirmities of man and the mutual dependence of one upon the other, through the varying vicissitudes of life, for all the kind offices, which justice and mercy, require its members aid, sustain and uplift each other by their mutual pursuit of this ideal manhood.

In this pursuit by Freemasons, nothing should distract their attention from the common goal.

The sordid passions of unworthy ambition, hatred and revenge, should find no place for existence or growth in our Order. Masonic soil should afford no fertility for such passions; they are the greatest infirmities of our nature.

Freemasonry, recognizing this fact, has, by most impressive symbolic lessons, taught the Mason to keep his passions within due bounds. This lesson does not mean that the passions are to be destroyed, because they are as essential to human happiness as the nerves, veins and arteries are essential to life.
As has been beautifully said,

“The passions are the gales that swell our mental bark as it sails over the sea of life.
Like the wind itself, they are engines of high importance and mighty power.”

Kept within due bounds, they are the fountains of benevolence, the springs of joy and life,

“left loose and at random, they distract and ruin us.”

It is this injunction concerning the control of the passions and the unity of Masonic aspiration, which keeps discord out of the beautiful Temple of Masonry.

Here, then, is the strength of our Fraternity.

The man who enters the portals of the Masonic Temple, has a right to expect that he is seeking a place where he will be free from the dissentions and the wrangles of life, begotten by uncontrolled passions. Here let him find that freedom, beneath the shelter of an Institution that has been the shadow of rest to many of earth’s noblest minds.
Here let him find a home for the soul free from the factious opposition of the world, where no contention should exist, “but rather a nobler emulation of who best can work and best agree.”
It is thus that men are brought together by Freemasonry, in to the closest and holiest bonds of friendship – a friendship stripped of the false coverings of flattery, disrobed of the cloak of hypocrisy.

Wealth, station and rank yet rule the world.
For this reason, Freemasonry creates a secret, sacred and holy friendship of its own, controlled and directed by the moral law, which is written on the tablets of eternity. In Freemasonry, friendship is world wide. It knows no nationality, no clime, no creed, no profession and no belief, except in God, and the immortality of the soul.

Cicero, in speaking of friendship, said,

“What can be more delightful than to have one to whom you can speak on all subjects, just as to yourself.”

How aptly this language describes Masonic intercourse!

Man naturally longs for a closer union with his fellow than that which could be called ordinary and creates a more permanent identity of interest and a more intense reciprocation of feeling.

Temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice, these principles should ever he kept in view in the daily transactions of life.
They lead to happiness and usefulness, here & now, and to a bright immortality hereafter.

No man can lay up a store of happiness and utility here or hereafter without adhering to these principles. It is for these reasons that Freemasonry has had such an extended influence in the world. It must necessarily have had a wonderful effect upon the organization and reformation of society. Born in the past, when caste and rank marked the divisions among men, its work was to cause them to meet upon the common level of true manhood and to eradicate from their hearts the warring, envy, jealousy and strife of creed and clan.

But we should all have more Masonic education;

Its cardinal principals, in all their bearings, should be better understood and more thoroughly impressed. In order to properly appreciate our noble Institution, and to awaken within ourselves that enthusiasm it deserves, there must be thorough education, not only in its ritual, but in its philosophy and history.
Some one has said that Masonic intelligence is the key to the prosperity and perpetuity of Freemasonry.
It has also been said by another, that,

“the character of the Institution is elevated in the mind of every Mason just in proportion to the amount of his knowledge of its ritual and symbolism, philosophy and history.”

Masonry declares truth to be a Divine attribute, and the foundation of every virtue.

But how find it unless we educate ourselves?
And what a noble pursuit is this search after truth!
There is none greater. It lies just before our vision, awaiting discovery; but it will not reveal itself without an effort on our part.
This effort should be to us our highest pleasure. ‘
Ye are taught to work faithfully in the quarries of truth and knowledge, but this implies that we have the tools whereby we can work.
Education is the skill of the craftsman.

“As our information increases, the sphere of our mental and moral vision enlarges.”

Knowledge furnishes eyes to the understanding, and enables us to comprehend the mystic meaning of Masonic symbolism.
This, understood, points to the life everlasting, and enables the Mason to lift the veil of the future and behold the haven of rest and peace, which lies beyond.
With our minds awakened by a Masonic education to an intelligent appreciation of the great principles on which Freemasonry is founded, we need have no fear of its perpetuity or prosperity.
Then, I say, let in some masonic light!
It will not engender strife or contention, for Freemasonry has no war to make on other institutions.

Freemasonry has lived through the ages past, because it is founded upon the moral law, embodying those eternal principles of right and wrong. It lives in the present, because human hearts everywhere enthusiastically respond, as with an electric touch, to its beautiful lessons on human life.
Teaching by example rather than by precept, it has a vital power far greater than any mere professions of creeds and doctrines.
Silent and unseen, the stream of Masonic influence flows down the channels of Time into the great ocean of Eternity.
It flows because friendship is its object, true manhood its goal, mutual assistance its inculcated duty, brotherly love its ruling passion, temperance, fortitude, prudence and justice its cardinal principles.

Thus founded, it will continue to live and grow until the end of earthly existence, when, as a result of its sublime teachings, it is to be hoped it will have done its proportionate share in regenerating humanity, and will present to the Great Architect of the Universe its full measure of fashioned materials, polished and fitted for their appropriate positions in the Eternal Temple.

 

Comment
This paper is a little longer that what I usually share (2200 words), however, I believe the message being shared is excellent, and as applicable today as when it was written.

Have a wonderful Day & God Bless
Norm

One of the main objects of Masonry is to bring together persons who accept certain principles and ideals and are willing to co-operate with one another in a spirit of brotherhood and friendliness.
There maybe other various objects but this one is obvious from the beginning by the very nature of Masonry.

Freemasonry teaches men their duty to Almighty God; to act as becomes the creature of his Creator; to be amenable to HIS dispensations and in all cases of emergency to seek the aid of His wisdom and strength by prayer and supplication.

It instructs men in their duty to their neighbor; to apply the Golden Rule in all their dealings; to act with justice and impartiality; to stifle all enmity, wrath and dissention; to nourish peace, love, friendship and every social virtue; to seek happiness in the bestowment of happiness and to love their neighbors as themselves. It informs men that they are children of our great Father God that man’s earthly life is short and passes away as a shadow; that he is hastening to that goal where the trappings of pride will be no more; where human titles and distinctions have no value and where virtue alone will have pre-eminence.

Freemasonry teaches also that love for humanity is the soul of religion; that Freemasonry instructs men to be true to themselves; to be models of virtue; to set bounds to their desires; to curb their sensual appetites and to walk uprightly; to stretch forth the hand of relief to their neighbor’s necessity and if he be in danger to run to his help and to comfort him when neglected.

Masonry teaches us the wonderful doctrines of Charity which is one of the characteristics of a Mason. In order to exercise this virtue both in the character of Masons and in common life with propriety we must forget every obligation but affection, for otherwise it would confound charity with duty.

The feelings of the heart ought to direct the hand of charity.
To this purpose we should be divested of every idea of superiority and estimate ourselves as being of equality.

In this disposition of mind we may be susceptible to those sentiments which charity delights in; to feel the woes and miseries of others with a true and genuine sympathy of soul. Compassion is of heavenly birth; it is one of the first characteristics of humanity.
He whose bosom is locked up against compassion is a barbarian.

It should be broadcast in all directions that Masonry is ever striving to build men up in virtue, integrity, kindness and fraternal goodness.

The whole of its symbolism though simple, is nevertheless sublime and it teaches men everywhere some of the highest truths of the kingdom of God.

All those who come within the scope of its influence in their quest for truth and satisfaction, acknowledge that they have entered into the experience of a better humanity.

They learn at the Altar of Masonry the fear of God; the sanctity of life; the joy of benevolence and the satisfaction that follows a circumspect and an upright life.

Freemasonry teaches its members to be peaceful and respectable citizens; never to countenance disloyalty nor rebellion; to be true to the Government of their country and cheerfully to conform to it in all things; never to put Masonry before their business and professional duties; to restrain and subordinate their passions to the highest impulses of the soul and never to recommend anyone for initiation into the Craft unless they are convinced that their candidate will bring honour and credit to the fraternity.

Lodges are made up of Brethren who may differ from each other in politics, religion and many other important points. Here, in Masonry, they find a meeting place where all differences are subordinated.

We show the world that there are points of agreement between man and man, more important than the questions about which they quarrel and in times like the present, when the religion and political atmosphere is charged with excitement, we present the world with a very valuable object lesson.

Courage, tolerance, a wide and objective judgment, a concern for new solutions aimed at general progress, a sense of responsibility – these are the things that a Freemason should strive to acquire and develop.

Comment

My only comment is that the standards quoted above are extensive but very worth
aiming at in our daily lives.

Have a wonderful day & God Bless
Norm