Ritual Without Reverence Is Meaningless

by Midnight Freemason Guest Contributor

Mark St. Cyr

Since my invitation from Bro. Johnson earlier this year to contribute a short series of essays here at the Midnight  Freemasons, discussing a succinct topic and application possibilities via my past business acumen, I had wondered if I  should write anything further. After all, I continually pondered,  “Just who am I, from a Masonic perspective, to speak to the  Craft about the Craft?”  

Although the Craft is full of Masons that know the finest details of how to deliver Ritual and more. Personally, like I’m guessing many others, when I return to Lodge my rustiness will be as much on full display as that seen on cars within a junkyard.  

I know, you know, precisely what I’m addressing. 

Many will be fearful if, or more like when, those in the “whispering section” shake their heads in disbelief, if not outright disgust,  that anyone would allow themselves to let the “basics” appear so sloppily applied, if not, forgotten entirely. 

And it is here I’m going to make a statement that might skip that,  more than likely will send a few into the gnashing of teeth.  However, that’s precisely what I’m paid to do when I speak to an audience of businesspeople whose combined sales figures rival most countries GDP. So, this really isn’t something new for me. 

This point is not a slyly slid, self-serving detail. There’s a reason for it as I’ll explain.  In what I know is a broad brush, I’m going to make a factual statement via my own observance: Everyone tries and does the “What” part of Ritual i.e., Do this first, that second, stand here,  walk here, recite this, and so forth. We have “Degree teams” to show the excellence of delivery, we award for ‘Best In Show” type categories. The list goes on and on.  

There’s a good reason for it, and I’m not denigrating any part of it. So, do not misconstrue my argument. What I am speaking directly to, and is of my own opinion, no one else, is that all of it, yes, all of it is meaningless without reverence to:

The WHY we do it. The reason why the fraternity is struggling is because it has lost  the meaning of: “Why.”  

It is now, to the extent of all else, laser-focused on getting more  and more Masons proficient into the “What” aspect of Ritual,  rather, than addressing the ever-present silent screaming  question of “Why?” Masons recite lectures verbatim with no prompting, word for word, from pure memory. A feat that is worthy of praise and accolades.  Personally, I was floored during my own EA degree when it was delivered to me.  However, with that said, I have had that “silent screaming question” reverberating in my head before joining the Craft. It actually was the driving force that made me “Knock…” 

I thought I would hear, read, be lectured, ____________(fill in your own here) with precisely that as I went to meeting after meeting,  visited other Lodges, attended symposiums put on by governing bodies et cetera. 

Hint: The silence on this topic (e.g., The Why) has been deafening. 

Let me try this to provoke your thinking in asking you a very pointed question that I would like you to answer in the privacy of your own mind, regardless of your rank, jurisdiction or affiliation of a concordant body, which is… 

Who would you be more comfortable to put your faith in as a  Brother, that you can count on when the time demands?: 

One that could recite the longest and most complex lecture verbatim, without prompting, and without a mistake. Yet, cares little for Masonic traditions sept for his involvement in seeking a  higher rank or accolade for the sole purpose of title and awards? 

Or… 

One that can’t remember more than two sentences without needing prompting, shakes with frustration in his inability to be able to perform half as well as he tries to prepare. Yet, has complete and utter reverence into why he’s doing what he’s doing and has such respect for it, he is madder at himself for messing up than a pew full of Past Masters full of scorn for his ineptness? 

I’ll take the latter every time, thank you. And so should you. 

And for those that think I’m off base on all this? I’ll ask you to consider the following… 

Every Mason knows (and will tell you without prompting!) that  George Washington was a Mason, some in great detail. 

What very, very, very few can articulate: Is Why?

Think about it.

~Mark St. Cyr - Freemason

Contemplating the Level

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Brian L. Pettice, 33°

Last month Brother R J Budler, posted a Masonic Challenge on the Grand Lodge of Illinois Facebook group page. He challenged all to pick a specific working tool to ponder the meaning of and attempt to apply to our lives for one month and then share our thoughts and results. The Worshipful Master of Olive Branch Lodge No. 38, after learning of this challenge, charged each of us lodge members to do this exercise and report back to the lodge. I chose the level. Here are my reflections on the symbolism of the level and how I attempted to apply it to my life.

When the level is introduced to us a working tool, in the second degree, we are told that it is an instrument used by operative masons to prove horizontals and that it reminds us as speculative masons that, “We are traveling upon the level of time, to that undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns.” This is not the first we have heard of it though. If we were paying attention at the close of the first degree we learned that masons should, “meet on the level.” I think the symbolisms of the level in these two instances hints that the level has something significant to teach us about both life and death.

First, anyone familiar with the works of William Shakespeare recognizes the phrase, “that undiscovered country, from whose bourn no traveler returns” from Hamlet where one of its interpretations is that it means death. From this we are reminded that we all are going to die. We all have the same destination. We are equal in this regard. Texts from ritual we use in our public ceremonies further bear this out. In our Funeral ritual we are charged to learn, “from the level, equality.” We also meditate on this passage, “What are all the externals of human dignity, the power of wealth, or the charms of beauty when nature has paid her just debt? View life stripped of its ornaments, and exposed in its natural weakness, and we see the vanity of all earthly things save those which go to the growth and perfection of individual character.

In the grave all fallacies are detected, all ranks are leveled, all distinctions are done away. Here the scepter of the prince and the of the beggar lie side by side.” We also learn when the Senior Warden is invested with the level as the jewel of his office at installation that, “a time will come—and the wisest knows not how soon—when all distinction but that of goodness shall cease, and Death, the grand leveler of human greatness, reduce us to the same state.” We are all, indeed, equal in Death.

But what does the level teach us about life? Again from the Senior Warden’s installation ritual, “The level demonstrates that we are descended from the same stock, partake of the same nature, and share the same hope; and though distinctions among men are necessary to preserve subordination, yet no eminence of station should make us forget that we are brethren; for he who is placed on the lowest spoke of Fortune’s wheel may entitled to our regard.” Recognizing that we are all equal in Death, we should also recognize that we are equal in Life. This recognition should change the way we live. It should change how we treat each other. 

It is intimately connected with Justice, not in the sense of retribution for a wrong done, but in treating each other with that, “just due without distinction.” We are to love each other. We are to serve each other. We are to treat each other better than we deserve—everyone, not just the person you like, not just the person you agree with, not just the person who treats you well, but everyone. For as we are equal in death, we are equal in life. We all are endued with that divine spark; with a soul; with that, “immortal part which survives the grave and bears the nearest affinity to that Supreme Intelligence which pervades and animates all nature, and which can never, no never, die.”

I am reminded of a scene in lecture in the upcoming Feast of the Paschal Lamb portrayed by the Scottish Rite. On the evening of the Last Supper, Christ’s disciples argued about which among them was the greatest. Just as we often are-- as I often am—they were concerned with matters of ego and of passions that have no importance. Jesus responded by giving them a lesson in sacrifice and humility as he washed their feet. It is that kind of humility, that kind of sacrifice, that kind of selflessness that the level challenges us to strive for. These are the things I thought of as I contemplated the level this month. These are the things I tried to remember and apply to my interactions with my fellow human beings.

~BLP

Brian L. Pettice, 33° is a Past Master of Anchor Lodge No. 980 and plural member of Olive Branch Lodge No. 38 in Danville, IL and an Honorary Member of a couple of others. He is also an active member of both the York and Scottish Rites. He cherishes the Brothers that have become Friends over the years and is thankful for the opportunities Freemasonry gives and has given him to examine and improve himself, to meet people he might not otherwise have had chance to meet, and to do things he might not otherwise have had chance to do. He is employed as an electrician at the University of Illinois and lives near Alvin, IL with his wife Janet and their son Aidan. He looks forward to sharing the joy the fraternity brings him with others. His email address is aasrmason@gmail.com.

Having Been Tried, Never Denied

What That Line Means and Why It Is So Valid In Our Ritual

by Midnight Freemason Contributor

Bro. Michael Arce

"Having been tried, never denied, and ready to be tried again." Those words have fascinated me from when I first studied ritual to earn proficiency. Why do we say them? What do they mean? And how does that phrase make me a Freemason? I asked so many questions. In the examination, the position of that answer comes as part of the supporting evidence of your identity as a Mason. If you trace the steps of our ritual in your mind, you can recall the direction your route took to confirm that you were qualified to enter our fraternity. As a man in your community, you showed an interest in Freemasonry. You contacted a Lodge, maybe came to a few dinners, met the Brothers and at some point, asked to join. It's at that moment that you completed a petition, answered essential questions about your beliefs and values, sought out a Brother to attest for you, and listed some references. What I described is the typical application process that most gentleman experience in joining a Lodge. But that's not really where your Masonic journey begins. We are told that we are first made a Mason in our hearts, then in a Lodge. What does that mean? That you are born with the search for Light impressed in your soul, that you live a life full of experiences, and that a certain point your heart syncs with your mind - directing your steps to a Masonic Lodge.

Having been tried, never denied

Countless songs and stories have been written on the experience we call life. I was shopping for a new winter coat for my girlfriend when The Mighty Mighty Bosstones song, "The Impression That I Get" played on the speakers overhead. I recognized it instantly because it was one of my favorite "SKA" songs from the '90s. I laughed to myself when the song hit the first line in the chorus. I'll let you listen to it, see if you get the inside joke. "The Impression That I Get" covers a wide range of daunting experiences in life. Tests, you might say. The song starts with a series of situations; odds stacked up high, needing strength you didn't possess, rising above the rest. As each challenge is presented, the singer poses the question, "it makes me wonder if I could?" By the time we hit the song's bridge, the lyrics change from wondering if one could pass the test to believing that, "If I was, I would pass." Why the change? As the song goes, "'Cause I know someone who has." The debate has continued since 1997 on the meaning behind the song. Did Dickie Barrett (songwriter/lead singer) write it for a friend who's brother died of leukemia? Was it a statement about the AIDS testing that was happening at the end of the 90s epidemic? Perhaps he wrote it after going through some unthinkable tragedy? In the 22 years following the song's release, it is safe to bet that we will never really know the story behind the song. We know this; the questions posed in "The Impression That I Get," reinforce the lesson of persistence through life's challenges stemming from a belief in ourselves and something larger than yourself.

Ready to be tried again

We understand that you were born a Mason in your heart. That your experiences in life shape your perspectives, your values, your beliefs. Our ritual evolved from ancient methods of worship that now provide learning opportunities with each degree building upon the preceding lesson. As you work on completing the three degrees of Freemasonry, you submit to situations, mentally and physically, that test your knowledge of what you have learned. You must pass these tests to advance. By participating in each degree, men acknowledge this trial as they prepare to obligate themselves to something much larger than himself. Throughout our degrees and study of the lessons found in the ritual, we are paired with a faithful friend, a fellow Brother who guides us with his words and steps. We don't have to know how to navigate through each situation or lesson - we must trust "someone who has." Having been tried, never denied, and ready to be tried again prepares one for the lifetime of learning as a Freemason. As Master Masons, we are presented Working Tools to use in our everyday lives, each with its own specific purpose for the unique daily challenges we face. PM Bill Hosler reminds us of the explanation of the ashlars in Lodge rooms, how that lesson encompasses the repetitious cycle of life. "Masonry takes that Ashland and helps shape it for the builders use. You continue through life, raking everything it tries to hand you, and the whole time your Ashland continues to get smoother and not cracking from defects of the constant work from life’s working tools. You made it through being never denied. You continue to become a better man, one who is 'willing to be tried again.'"

~MA

Brother Michael Arce is the Junior Warden of St. George’s #6, Schenectady and a member of Mt. Zion #311, Troy New York. When not in Lodge, Bro. Arce is the Marketing Manager for Capital Cardiology Associates in Albany, New York. He enjoys meeting new Brothers and hearing how the Craft has enriched their lives. He can be reached at: michael.arce@me.com