Masonically Inspired Essays

MASONRY'S BASIC PHILOSOPHY

2008-10-28T07:46:00.022+08:00

MASONRY’S BASIC PHILOSOPHY

Readers of the article “A HANDY GUIDE ON THE QUEST FOR MASONIC LIGHT” learned that six topics are involved in the study of the Craft. The first, which is labeled as “Rituals” need no elaboration as it merely involves memory work and nothing else. The second of course is called “philosophy” and will therefore be the subject of this article.

I. Philosophy’s Simplest Definition

Freemasonry has a myriad of philosophies, and no wonder, it involves and entire system of morality. But its basic theme involves man, his soul and his longing to reunite with his Maker. Let this writer now elaborate.

In simplest terms,. philosophy is synonymous to belief, way of life, set of values, or thinking that governs mankind. But Masonry’s philosophy transcends all these because when viewed on the higher plane, it gets straight to the longing of the creature to return to his Creator when his time to “pass his papers” has finally arrived. The final equation therefore is that “man with an immortal soul will at one time finally return to his Maker.

Curiously, this philosophy is not original, meaning, it was already there long before Masonry was established as a brotherhood. It was adopted from the existing philosophies of all religions invented by man which in turn were thought of after Cain slew Abel in envy which resulted why the burnt offering of the latter that consist of animal carcass rose higher than the smoke that consisted of plant harvest that the former offered to the Lord. This event also spelled out for the first time the need for caring for one’s own sibling became pronounced when Cain evasively asked: “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

And if this writer may be allowed to digress for a moment, the reason atheists and agnostics are barred from admission into the Masonic Fraternity is because the said philosophy requires belief that man has an immortal soul who yearns to return to his Creator when time his has come. Which also explains why the petitioner must answer in the affirmative the query “Do you believe in God?” And there are no ifs nor buts here.

II. The Need for Alternative Examples

Oddly, man often fails to comprehend even the simplest of terms. Sages from the ancient times had to invent ways of getting their messages across to their intended listeners. Aesop had to use animals to teach a lesson and called his examples “fables”; “allegories” and “metaphors” were also used to tell stories and even the Greatest Teacher of all time had to use what is called “parables” in order that he may be understood. Masonry, in like manner, had to resort to the use of the builders’ tools as symbols to convey messages that involve separate but clear and understandable meanings which the use of words oftentimes mess up in confusing jargons.

The main reason why Freemasonry has a good number of philosophies to live by is because it is defined as a system of morality and when morality is concerned, there are innumerable ways of achieving them. It has adopted the four cardinal virtues as its own, always to be in the right, know the truth even if it hurts and so on and so forth. But nowhere did it say that all these will in fine take him back to the Lord.

III. How then is Basic Philosophy is Conveyed to its Disciples

The question that most likely will be posed by the reader is: “where in Masonry’s teachings are these words contained?”

Okay then, in the lambskin apron it says:

“and when your trembling soul shall stand naked and alone before the great white throne, there to receive judgment for the deeds while in the body, may it be your pleasure to hear from Him who sitteth as the Judge Supreme the welcome words, ‘well done, my good and faithful servant, enter now into the joys of the Lord.”

Conversely, in the ending paragraph of the third degree lecture it admonishes:

So how important it is to imitate the GMHA in his truly exemplified character and in his unfeigned piety to God that we may welcome death, not as a grim ripper but as a kind messenger sent to translate us from this imperfect world to that perfect world where the Supreme Architect of the Universe forever resides.

And the Last Rites further expound on this when on the elocution for a departing brother it emphatically says somewhere in the middle of the discourse it said::

“then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return to God who gave it

And that is not all for somewhere in the Chaplain’s concluding prayer it said:

“and when our work on earth is done, and our bodies shall have mingled with their kindred dust, may our immortal soul, freed from their cumbrous clay, be received into thy keeping to rest forever into that spiritual house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Amen!

A HANDY GUIDE ON THE QUEST FOR MASONIC LIGHT

2008-10-28T07:46:00.020+08:00

I. INTRODUCTION

A dilemma that undeniably confronts all newly-raised master masons is the admonition which is contained in the third degree “charge” that says:

“As a master mason, you are authorized to correct the irregularities of your less-informed brethren, to fortify their minds with resolution against the snares of the insidious, and to guard them against every allurement to vicious practices.”

Fine, a caution so eloquently phrased, but how is he expected to do it? More so if he became a master mason via the one-day conferral of the three degrees!!

And so, it may be necessary to briefly look back and assess the situation.

Still smarting from the bruises that he acquired while traveling the rough and rugged road (not on the one-day conferral though) but nonetheless feeling the euphoria of recently being elevated to the elite rank of master masons, and most probably also still tipsy at the recently-concluded fellowship that usually follow every raising ceremony, the newly-raised brother begins to wonder what the “charge” was all about. He has now attained the status of being called a peer to many celebrated and immortal men that have graced the rolls of the Craft, men who are listed as heroes, geniuses, statesmen and others in the many countries or nationalities where he may belong, men who have became presidents, kings, men of sciences and even of the cloth whose stature and fame reverberated within all corridors of fame and power, they who have answered to the call of being labeled as “Freemasons”, the newly-raised gentleman begin to wonder that after the completion of the three degrees, what so far, has he achieved?

More importantly, what is expected of him?

II. THE QUEST BEGINS

The question that consequently confronts the newly-raised brother therefore, is “how does one proceed to learn the ways of the Fraternity that he has recently joined?

Sadly, there is no ready answer but the very nature of the Craft’s basic philosophy in part provides a ready clue. Let now this writer mention one of the Fraternity’s simply worded definitions:

“Freemasonry is a system of morality illustrated in symbols.” Or, “it is a system of morality veiled in allegory.”

But how would a novice in the Craft ever understand that gobbledygook?” since the lodge that he has joined, and even the Grand Lodge that exercises supervision and control over its existence generally do not have guidelines that can help him understand the intricacies of this mystic brotherhood!! But learn he must if he aspires to earn the title of ever being called being called “a fellow of the Craft.”

III. A SUGGESTED GUIDE AS ENVISIONED BY BRO. ALLEN E. ROBERTS OF THE MASONIC BROTHERHOOD OF THE BLUE FORGET ME NOT

Scanning the inexhaustible source materials that the world of the Internet offers, this writer was fortunate enough to stumble upon an essay written about Bro. Allen E. Roberts, long time secretary of the Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget me Not, who eloquently pictured the structure or body of Freemasonry in six broad categories as follows:

Ritual= Skeleton (or framework)
Philosophy= Bloodstream
Symbolism= Heart and brains
Benevolence+= Soul
Jurisprudence= Muscles
History= Flesh (or binder)

IV. HOW THE STRUCTURE IS DESIGNED TO WORK

Having thus enumerated the six categories of Freemasonry, a Freemason, whether newly-raised or an old timer who desires to study in earnest can thus proceed with the awesome goal of learning the tenets of the Craft by using the above-mentioned guide no different from a receptacles or storage area where he can periodically accumulate in the proper whatever knowledge he has learned which, understandably, should start with “RITUALS” as follows:

IV-A RITUALS

It is often said that “rituals” are what differentiates Masonry from all other fraternal organizations and that without it, Masonry will just be like any other . These rituals, the three most basic of which introduce the candidate to the ways of the Craft via its three degrees are understandably the best starting points. For the purpose of this article however, it will be necessary to include the other basic ritual instructions: These are:

1. The entered apprentice degree
2. The fellowcraft degree
3. The master mason’s degree
4. The installation ceremonies
5. The Last Rites and the Lodge of Remembrance

There are still other rituals but these will no longer be enumerated for the sake of brevity.

Suffice it to say that the newly-raised master mason must be patiently coached by an elder to commit to memory these rituals if he is to progressively advance his knowledge of the Craft, and here is how the time-tested “from mouth to ear method” of instruction is effectively put in play. He should start delivering the lambskin apron, the working tools, learn the role of the marshal, the stewards and the deacons, patiently and progressively committing to memory all the roles that he has performed. As he gains experience, he should also be ready to deliver the lecture of the three degrees until the time he is deemed ready by the lodge to handle more important roles and is therefore consequently chosen to perform the role of a “light” by being elected to any of the fixed stations of the lodge.

And these stored knowledge will come handy in scrutinizing and analyzing the myriad of data that he will later classify and sort in the five other categories mentioned earlier. For example, the novice will be able to clearly sort into their proper categories the following phrases as these are committed to his memory, thus:

*** in it you’ll find the important duties you owe to God, your neighbor or yourself, or
***by refusing to recommend anyone to the participation of our privileges unless you have strong reasons to believe that by similar fidelity he will ultimately reflect honor into our ancient institution, or
*** white balls elect and black cubes reject, or
*** justice is that standard or boundary of right that renders unto every man his just due without distinction,

and so on and so forth.

IV-B. PHILOSOPHY

A philosophy is usually a simple sentence or a “one liner” that best explains a basic belief. Thus, an oft-repeated philosophy of Freemasonry states that:

“it is a brotherhood of men under the fatherhood of God.”

From the above-mentioned phrase, note that three basic ingredients must always be present as follows”, men is in the plural form and that God must be present, the absence of one of which will render the tenet useless. Citing simple examples, hermits believe in God but do not subscribe to the brotherhood of men and therefore do not qualify; atheists, on the other hand may believe in brotherhood of men but do not think that God exists!

Of course, these philosophies can be rephrased differently but in effect, will produce the same result. Like,

“Freemasonry subscribes to the belief in God and in the immortality of the soul”.
In this instance, however, the tenet on brotherhood is implied as it lay hidden in the maxim “love thy neighbor as thyself”, a tenet expounded not only by the Greatest Teacher of all time, but by all known sages of the world. Note also that immortality pertains to the afterlife.

Other tenets, like “brotherly love, relief and truth, make the sentence more thought-provoking and are therefore appealing but in essence the phrase still convey the same message.

Curiously also, both the exoteric and esoteric applications of these philosophies are revealed to the discerning adept as follows:

The obvious meaning of “brotherhood of men under the fatherhood of God” pertains to our relationship with our neighbors in this world that is best measured by the square while the phrase “the immortality of the soul” pertains to a deeper meaning that relates more to the world where the compasses are effectively put in use.

IV-C. SYMBOLISM

Freemasonry, having borrowed its mode of communication from Operative Masonry, uses symbols as its most effective tools of relaying the messages that it seeks to convey. There is no need to itemize these in detail as members are understandably familiar with these already but for the sake of brevity, the reader is nonetheless advised to refresh himself on the symbolisms of the various tools that were used and were explained in the ritual of the Installation Ceremony. In addition, he is also advised to take interest of the various symbolisms that lay hidden but were nonetheless were impliedly explained in the floor works of the three degrees.

In hindsight however, symbols may, to the uninitiated, be tricky. Ever wonder why “hele” means “to conceal” or that a “black ball” actually meant a “black cube?” And has the reader also wondered why the square is the tool used to measure the surface of the earth whereas the compasses are used measure the heavens and those above it?

IV-D. BENEVOLENCE

Charity, the synonym of benevolence is first explained in the lecture of the first degree as the covering of a lodge in the following manner:

“the three principal rounds of which are denominated in faith, hope and charity, which admonishes us to have faith in God, hope for immortality, and charity for all mankind. The greatest of these is charity, for our faith may be lost in sight, hope ends in fruition but charity extends beyond the grave through the boundless realms of eternity.”
and was further amplified the second degree perambulation.

although quite frankly, it is doubtful whether many of the brethren understood it at all. Charity, after all, is not merely taking a paper bill from one’s own pocket when the Almoner pass around with the Almoner’s bag, nor rummaging the attic for used clothes when calamity occurs, bur it means much more than these. Imagine the ineffectiveness of Freemasonry if charity is deleted from its vocabulary!

And how does the reader puts the message of charity to practice??

IV-E. JURISPRUDENCE

Jurisprudence appears to be the most complicated topic of the six categories and indeed this may be so. The reader should however take consolation to the fact that like any citizen of whatever nationality who ideally should know all the rules and regulations of the country where he pays allegiance to, the same situation applies to Freemasonry. Ideally therefore, it is preferable that he is knowledgeable of all the rules and regulations of the Grand Lodge where his own lodge pays allegiance to although how it can be achieved is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It is still desirable however for the member to familiarize himself with the following:

1. The Constitution and by laws of Grand Lodge where he belongs,
2. The ancient charges of Masonry
3. The obligation of the three degrees (he has already committed these to memory, anyway),
4. The periodic edicts that govern the Grand Lodge
and so on and so forth.

IV-F HISTORY

All Grand Lodges that exist have their own unique history that deserves to be learned, and it is important to understand these to appreciate his membership better. Most masons are aware how the United Grand Lodge of England was created in the British Isles and therefore no longer needs further elaboration.

Masonry in the Philippines, on the other hand, was introduced by Jose Malcampo y Monje, a Spaniard who later became Governor General of Spain, when he organized the Primera Luz Filipina in 1856 under the banner of Gran Oriente Luisitano of Portugal to escape the clutches of the marauding Hongkong Masons that were established under the aegis of the British Masons. But let’s not talk about it any further as this paper may turn out to be a boring article.

Suffice it to add however that in addition to what may be called “local Masonic history”, it is also preferable that he should also have a general idea of the Masonic history of the mother grand lodge from where his own Grand Lodge came from. The Grand Lodge of the Philippines for example was a creation of the Grand Lodge of California which explains why the rituals and basic rules that govern both jurisdictions are in many respects, similar. How the Filipino Masons became Americanized despite its roots coming from Gran Oriente Luisitano of Portugal and later nurtured by Gran Oriente Espanol is a topic that deserves more than a page in order to be appreciated and therefore will no longer be touched in this paper.

But one may well wonder; did the masons of Cavite that were organized by Malcampo fraternized with the Masons of Manila where Jocobo Zobel, a Filipino fo a German father who joined in Manila and in like manner, did they fraternize with the Masons that were organized under the aegis of the Gran Oriente Espanol? The most likely answer of course is “probably not” because they were organized under different grand jurisdictions that coexisted during that time..

V. A SHORT TREATISE ON THE “MYSTIC TIE”.

Non masons are naturally baffled whenever they see Masons who are total strangers to each other conversing or helping each other whom they have met for the first time and probably will never meet again. This happens when, accompanied by a friend who is a Mason, would chance upon a total stranger in a foreign land, especially at airports who, upon recognizing each other as fraternal brothers would offer a helping hand in exchange of a mere “handshake”. The non mason will naturally suspect there is something mysterious but will never be able to know what the mystery is all about. Short anecdotes like these are common and none but the initiates can explain how it can ever come about.

VI. SUMMARY

Readers who have reached this page may complain that many topics still deserve mention; for example, why there are clandestine masons, how the relationship of the individual member to his lodge and to the grand lodge interplay with the Grand Lodges of other grand jurisdiction, or why there is a gap between the Prince Hall Masons and mainstream Freemasonry. In like manner, he may also wonder why Grand Orient of France was declared irregular by the others.

But these and many other topics were omitted on purpose. It is now for the reader to take interest, do some researches and consequently prepare a study guide of his own.

Teka, teka, but how shall we classify the fellowship that goes after every stated meeting, especially those that occur after the third-degree conferral of degrees?
Ah, but the answer cannot be divulged in this article and thus readers who may want it must send in their queries direct to the writer by email at jungalarosa@yahoo.com. The same procedure goes to readers who may want to submit their reactions or rejoinders on this article and thus expect a healthy exchange of ideas that will definitely redound to the benefit of the Fraternity that they both love!

So you have reached this line. Congratulations!!

FREEMASONRY AND THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

2008-10-28T07:46:00.019+08:00

Non-masons who attend the Craft’s installation ceremonies are invariably puzzled and attracted at the presence of a Holy Bible at the altar. More so if a Holy Quran is also placed beside it. Which generally strike them in wonderment and awe saying “What kind of religious organization is this?”

Before I tackle that question, allow me first to comment on all the objects atop the altar.. These comprise the “Three Great Lights of Masonry”, although at times the items are not only three but four; namely, the Holy Bible, the Square, the Compasses, and a Holy Quran.

Curiously, this modified phrase has existed for several centuries already but it seemed our ancient brethren did not mind the difference, so the word “Bible” has remained unchanged although it should have been modified long ago.

For the purpose of this article therefore, let me focus on the phrase “The Holy Bible.”, and more specifically, the King James Version to expound on the theme of this article..

THE HOLY BIBLE

The Holy Bible is no doubt the most widely translated and printed book man ever wrote. Consisting of two parts called the Old and New Testaments, the former was written in the “Habiru” or Hebrew language while the latter was in Greek,, both of which were, over a period of time, translated by the Roman Church into Latin and was made the basis for converting the Christians to the faith. In current times, it is said that there is no language on earth that exists does not have a local translation of the Holy Bible and although this claim cannot be verified with a reasonable degree of accuracy considering the magnitude of work that it will entail, it is safe to declare that it may indeed be so. In the Philippines for example, most of the local dialects possess translations that can be called their own; and if by chance the reader thinks this assumption is absurd, he better listen to Ely Soriano over the airwaves as he expounds his commentaries on his “Dating Daan” burgeoning Christian sect..

But whether these printed copies are ever opened and read is an entirely different story; and it is not impolite to ask: “Do you ever touch your own copy at your bookshelf?”

THE KING JAMES (OR THE AUTHORIZED) VERSION

The first thing that immediately comes to mind when the King James Version of the Holy Bible is mentioned is: “Just who the heck is King James?” Is he related to any of the characters mentioned in the Holy Bible during the time of Jesus Christ like Judas, Saul, Simon Peter or Paul?!

Well, this writer declares that King James has a namesake in the New Testament which allegedly is a brother of Jesus who continued the advocacy of the Messiah immediately after the latter’s death, but other than this similarity, no other attachment can be added to it. While this writer was able to trace the renderings or equivalent translations of several Anglo-Saxon names like Moses, John and Jesus to the Castilian Moises, Juan and Jesus, and thereafter to the Jewish Moshe, Yohan and Yeshu, he cannot decipher the English name James that was translated to the Castilian Santiago. But let’s get back to King James before we are accused of electioneering in the 2009 ANCOM.

Seriously now, King James’ real name was James Charles Stuart who was born on June 19, 1566 at Edinburg Castle in Scotland. He was crowned king James VI at the tender age of 13 months after his father’s murder and his mother’s abdicating the throne almost immediately after the murder.

Like many monarchs of the time, James never knew his parents and was thus raised by four tutors in succession, George Buchanan of whom, at 68 years of age, was the most influential. James became fluent in Latin, French, English, and Scots and was also schooled in Italian and Spanish. It was held that he needed no interpreter when entertaining other heads of state as he was found fluent in their respective dialects.

At age nineteen, he began his role as king of Scotland and ruled it well. Robert Lomas, a current Masonic writer and historian claims in one of his bestsellers that King James was made a mason during his reign as king of Scotland; Although he was not able to validly support his claim, this is hardly surprising because the famous Roslyn Chapel that is the crowning glory of the Knights Templar that still exist today was built in Scotland and at the precise era of his reign..

After the death of Queen Elizabeth of England in 1603, King James VI was also crowned King James I of England thereby uniting the two kingdoms and ruled both with superb administrative skills thus avoiding the threat of both internal and external conflicts from within and without his two kingdoms, a feat that was hardly recognized by later historians.
A rabid evangelist and believer of the Christian faith, in addition to the fact that English monarchs automatically also become the spiritual head of their kingdoms, he commissioned fifty four (54) linguists and scholars to translate the two volumes from the original Hebrew and Greek languages that were written in Hebrew and Greek respectively, to the prevailing English language of the time.
It was finally completed in 1611 and despite the opposition of its detractors, notably the Papacy, it was hailed by the English world that the King James Bible of 1611 as the absolute and final word of God. This translated work got further boost when the printing press was later invented and thus paved way for its circulation not only in the British isles but also in Europe and most especially in the northern hemisphere where he was the founding monarch of the United States since it was on his reign that the first successful colonies were planted on the American mainland, notably Virginia, Massachusetts and Nova Scotia (Latin for New Scotland) in Canada.
An unforgettable vignette in American history is George Washington’s use of the King James Version of the Holy Bible when he was installed first president of the United States.
THE USE OF THE HOLY BIBLE BY THE FREEMASONS

Masonic customs and traditions have it that a copy of the Holy Bible should always adorn the altar and that no lodge can be formally opened without it. Understandably, any version of the Holy Bible sufficed, especially because the Old World (this is how Europe was previously called) have different languages but it really did not matter for symbolically it stands for the word of the Deity, and its votaries in fine, did not mind.

The spread of Freemasonry to the believers of other faiths necessitated a modification. The believers of Allah who were the sworn enemies of the Knights Templar in the tug of war to claim the Holy Land mutually admired each other in the practice of their own professional disciplines and somehow adopted to each other’s ways which reasonably were also being run similar to the administration of lodges. In fine, the three religions that were founded in Semitic concepts namely, Christianity, Jewish and Muslims, soon adorned their altars depending on membership and thus paved way for the inclusion of the Torah and the Holy Quran. In addition to the Holy Bible.

During the advent of atheism in Europe, the Frenchmen, having a unique culture of its own, discarded the Holy Scriptures as a mandatory requirement to adorn its altars, not because its brand of Masonry does not profess in the belief of a Deity but to allow admission even to those who do not believe in it. Because of this, mainstream Freemasonry declared their Grand Lodge irregular and forthwith refused their members recognition.

Thus was the word “Bible” modified to read as “Scriptures” in many writings instead.

HOW THE SCRIPTURE IS ACCORDED IN INDIAN LODGES

If there is one country that exemplifies religious tolerance especially as it pertains to Freemasonry, none can match the Indian continent. Strategically located in what is called as the near East, it is religiously dominated by the Hindus and their breakaway groups called the Buddhists and the Jains who use the BHAGAVAD GITA as their Holy Writings. There are also Pharsis (called Pharisees in the New Testament) with an estimated 200,000 population whose Holy book is called ZEND AVESTA, those wearing turbans that are locally called Bombays in the Philippines but who are called Sikhs in their home country whose Holy Book is called GURU GRANTH. And when the Muslims attacked its frontiers sometime in the fifteenth century, it left its Muslim believers in its wake and consequently, the HOLY QURAN.

When the British occupied India in the eighteenth century, the British expeditionary forces took with them not only the King James version of the Holy Bible but the Catholic edition as well. It was not surprising therefore that when the Golden Lodge of Orange No. 304 was established in Nagpur, India in the mid eighteenth century, the King James Version that originally adorned its altar would soon be joined by the books of the other faiths, notably the Bhagavad Gita, the Zend Avesta, the Gura Granth and even the Holy Quran making its altar the conglomeration of all religious beliefs.

With that concluding paragraph, it’s now time to thank you for your attention. This writer hopes you are able to reach this concluding paragraph.

ONE LAST TIME FOR THE ROAD

2008-10-28T07:46:00.018+08:00

It was a role the aging lion earlier thought he would no longer perform. His two cubs were already members of the Craft fondly calling them Bro1 and Bro2 respectively such that he thought the need to do conferral roles again should now be left to the younger generation, whether as Solomon, a deacon or even a fellowcraft who man the gates which the Craft usually calls a ruffian.

But Bro2’s request sounded more than Webster’s definition of the word, it seemed more of an appeal that his patriarch gets down to the floor once more if only to recite the “charge” to Ferdie Garcia and Denver Langaman, another fellowcraft soon to be raised in their mother lodge whose entry to the Fraternity were derailed, one by a dreaded black cube and the other by a compulsory schooling at a police academy. Will the aging cat do it one last time to these candidates who have literally traveled the rough and rugged roads far longer than what were ordinarily required?

Lamely, the limping cat nodded (and you also would if you have but one leg to stand on), not only because of Ferdie whom the aging cat also liked but more so because it would also give the aging puma the chance to exhibit to his youngest cub how to portray roles during conferrals, that whatever part is assigned it should be performed as seriously as one would do, be it the role of Solomon, a ruffian or even menial tasks usually assigned elders like the proverbial “charge” (but not of the Light Brigade, dumdum).

The aging lion, who was as usual accompanied by the lion tamer arrived at the Temple at four in the afternoon at the precise time the lodge was in recess and after the usual pleasantries with the brethren at the Temple’s yard, promptly climbed the stairs and entered the lodge room. There he saw Bro2 examining the two candidates on their proficiency and noted that the trio are doing exactly what were expected of them. “Proficient”, the master and the lodge later chorused in unison!

Soon the conferral started and the aging cat noticed Bro2 performing the role of the senior deacon. So, the lion silently mused, these two roles were the underlying reasons why the young cub who is but five months a master mason wanted his lifetime mentor to be around. Invariably, the small pieces of advice the old cat has been feeding his two cubs ever since both donned their white lapel apron are now being put to the test and what better evaluation test is available other than to have the old lion to witness how he will do it?! Both have decided to be active during conferrals, the eldest at his mother lodge in 181 while the youngest where the old cat was raised a master mason at 122.

The roles of examiner and SD were performed by the young cub satisfactorily, and it turned out he still has another part to perform, that of guarding the third gate where the impostors of Hiram Abif are to pass. And he did it with aplomb, although for the purpose of this article, it could not be narrated as the experiences are only worth retelling during the hours of fellowship that usually last later than midnight and with the recipients enjoying the tales more than the kibitzers and even those of the ruffians. Also, the pivotal roles of the three lights during the first section were satisfactory performed by the lodge’ three lights namely WM Omar Equiza and Bros. Alden Bait and Godo Velarde, while the role of Solomon were alternated by VW Louie Reyes and WB Rogelio “Junjun“ Gevero and in addition the ageless VW Louie completing the task by giving the 3rd degree lecture to complete the task. VW Alan Bontuyan, an honorary member of the lodge was also there tending to the sounds and acting the cameo role of conferral secretary during the Craft’s roll call.

And what the heck happened to the old cat who delivered the “charge?”

Ay sus! But this article is not about the aging lion but about the road wherewith beers are made the scapegoats why the brethren usually get home drunk!

OF DUTIES AND OBLIGATIONS

2008-10-21T07:13:00.001+08:00

(Short talk delivered to the brethren of Laong Laan Lodge No. 185 on October 4, 2008

Worshipful Master Danny Gutierrez, VW Reuben Ganaden, other dignitarties in the East, brethren. First allow me to sit before I deliver this short speech this task that was assigned to me.

Immediately after the start of this stated meeting, our Worshipful Master called my attention requesting me to deliver a short talk on the topic “Obligations” for the benefit of the members and that I can do it after the balloting of a candidate to give me time to think of what I have to say to you.

Quite frankly, I can only nod my head for as we all know, the word of the master is law and that even if it was said in the guise of a request, it is still an order in itself and none but a stubborn brother would dare refuse this kind of assignment..

Which makes this limping cat wonder. What specific topic on obligation would the brethren probably like to hear? I figure it cannot refer to the obligations that are contained in the conferral of the three degrees because everybody has memorized these before they graduated to become master masons. And so I reckon that perhaps the topic that our Worshipful Master desired are the obligations that Freemasonry seeks to inculcate upon its votaries for as any discerning brother will realize “duties” and “obligations” are synonymous. Getting deeper into the matter therefore, I supposed that obligations that each and everyone of you may like to listen to pertain to the obligations that we owe to God, our neighbor and ourselves, especially those that apply to our daily lives, our families and those within our circles of activity. In short, it is those obligations that we owe to ourselves, our loved ones and those around us that we have to perform daily in the meantime we are still able to savor the breath of life.

And so here goes.

Two months ago at our adopted residence in Guindulman, Bohol, your sister and her ailing pet were figuring out how they will balance their budget. Their meager savings were already exhausted and the monthly pension of the aging cat can only buy eighty percent of the maintenance medicines of her ailing cat.. Good that the farm produce can support their subsistence, electrical and water bills but the deficit of his medical budget must be resolved one way or the other.

The lion tamer was understandably distraught. Having worked in a medical clinic, she knows the importance of sustained medical care, else the lack of it could be disastrous. She therefore suggested that we seek bailout from their three children in much the same way the flagging U. S. economy sought relief from the Bush Administration.. She surmised that surely, their three kids will undoubtedly be glad but the idea was vetoed by the aging cat right away. If he must live, he should manage to do it with determined resolve in the same manner he has always insisted that minimal help should be given him every time he moves around. He added that if doing it his way will not suffice, then it may well be his final trip to kingdom come. He also added that despite the difficulty, they should still consider themselves lucky for they are not part of the twenty million Filipinos who live way beyond the poverty line, are not living in the hinterlands playing a suspenseful cat and mouse game with the MILF renegades led by Kumanders Cato and Bravo in faraway Mindanao, nor have migrated to the famed land of milk and honey only to worry whether it is now high time to pack their bags and lead for home because of the recession that now plagues their countryside.

Which made the lion tamer sigh and at the same time shake her head. She knew that when her aging cat has already made up his mind especially when the issue pertains to his own health, then there is no way his decision can be changed.

Two months passed and it was time for his periodic checkup and gamely, he commented that he is still alive. The trip to the metropolis was two-pronged because their daughter sent them their plane ticket and their eldest son promised to meet them at the airport. It will also enable her to undergo her doctoral studies and expects to be back in a month automatically making her parents as “house dogs” or in local parlance, “taong bahay” meantime she is in the land of the Rising Sun. She must, the aging lion mused, complete her doctoral degree in Engineering for it is the most pressing obligation she owe herself and her family especially at this time when the JPEPA has already been ratified.

She is now there three days and at this very moment a transatlantic flight bound for Canada has just jetted off the NAIA runway with our youngest son on board that jetliner. He will be there for about ten days to attend a familiarization tour with the mother company of his employer. Our eldest has likewise just sent a text message saying that a 3rd degree conferral has been performed by his mother lodge and that he is now preparing to memorize the 2nd degree lecture called the 3, 5, 7 to prepare him for more important tasks in the Fraternity. All these tasks done by the three mind you are preparations to hone themselves for later duties and obligations either in the Craft or in their respective places of work..

But let’s get back to the aging lion’s decision to trim his medicines. What will happen next if he erred in omitting those that are more needed than what has been left behind?

But of course! VW “Pong” Lustre will just have to refresh himself in delivering the famous “Last Rites”.

(Note: At the time this is being written, Ivan has just returned from Canada narrating fond memories of his trip as a Mason including the upgrading of his seating arrangement from Economy to Business Class, courtesy of his fraternal brod, Ben Se of his mother lodge and the dinner at Toronto that was hosted by VW Johnny Chua and the other brethren residing there.. Our daughter, on the other hand is still two weeks away before she can head for home. By this email recipients are also requested to signify that they wish to continue receiving articles that the aging cat periodically sends via the Internet. Failure to do so will mean they are not interested and will therefore be automatically omitted from his mailing list.)

NOT JUST BY PRECEPTS, BUT MORE SO BY EXAMPLE

2008-06-19T09:52:00.000+08:00

(Short talk delivered at the raising ceremony held on June 14, 2008 at Quezon City Lodge No. 122)

Indeed, all of us are already hungry but this short discourse will only take a few minutes.

Nineteen years ago this month, in this lodge and on the same second Saturday, well, except that the date was June 10 instead of June 14, a similar raising ceremony involving three fellowcrafts was held on this checkered floor. Let me tell you about it.

The three lights that comprised the conferral team were composed of Bros. Eluderio Salvo, Jose Lustre and Saul Exmundo, sitting in the East, West and South, respectively.

Bro. Salvo was already Junior Warden in 1972 when martial law was declared. Incensed however, at what he believed was a passive attitude of the Fraternity for not taking an adversarial stand against the Marcos dictatorship, he vowed he will not attend lodge meetings until martial law is lifted and made good his word but dutifully paid his dues thereby retaining his membership. After the 1986 EDSA Revolution, he promptly returned to the lodge and was thereafter reelected Junior Warden by December of that year and was therefore reinstalled to that post in 1987, as Senior Warden in 1988 and as master of the lodge in the succeeding year.

Bro. Lustre was a successful rural banker and a second generation mason but did not know about it until after his father’s death several years later. He only learned his father was a member of the Craft in 1998 when he saw his father’s name listed in the roster when the Golden Anniversary’s Souvenir Program was issued in that year. This fact may be an oddity, but in the early postwar years Masonic membership was not a household word as it is now.

Bro. Saul Exmundo is an Ilonggo and province mate of the fiery Mirriam Defensor Santiago. True to his non-conformist attitude, he quarreled with the Dean while studying Engineering at the State University and thereafter saw himself graduating some years later on the same course at downtown’s National University.

The three candidates on the other hand were composed of the following:

Bro. Dennis Gabionza, handsome owner of the blue-colored MCBC bus line that plied the EDSA route. He epitomizes what the ladies would call the homo sapiens’ “makalaglag girdle” specie.

His younger brother “Boy”, a thirty two year old brilliant lawyer and managing partner of a law firm that he co-founded. He graduated SUMMA CUM LAUDE while in college.

This writer. And his credentials? Never mind!!

At the turn of the millennium, let’s see what have become of them.

Bro. Salvo who was installed master in 1989 was chosen one of the Ten Outstanding Masons in the field of Engineering in 1991. He was also adjudged Outstanding in the field of Sanitary Engineering by the Republic of the Philippines and was also listed among the Who’s who in the field of Engineering worldwide.

In 1997, he was appointed District Deputy Grandmaster thereby earning his purple apron.

Bro. Lustre ascended the Oriental Chair in 1990 and in 1992 was appointed District Deputy Grandmaster. During the term of MW Agustin V. Mateo, he was handpicked to become the latter’s Assistant Grand Secretary. Professionally, Bro. Lustre is a rural banker and was elected president of the Rural Bankers Association of the Philippines for a number of years.

Bro. Exmundo was installed master in 1991 and in 1994 was appointed District Grand Lecturer. True to his non-conformist attitude in life, he did not seek employment but earned his keep by being his own boss. He would buy an empty vacant lot within the Quezon City area, build two or three houses on it in about 6 months’ time, sell these within a year’s time and in the meantime would pore over the voluminous Masonic materials that he has compiled at home. This lifestyle enabled him to digest most of the rituals of both Blue Masonry and the Scottish Rite, thus earning for him the undisputed dean of rituals within the Capitol Masonic Temple’s earshot.

And yes, his only boss is Sis. Becky, his wife.

Bro. Dennis became charter member of Catanduanes Island Lodge No. 291 immediately after his raising and during the next year became master of that lodge. A year after that, he was appointed Grand Organist, a position that he would hold for two consecutive years.

Bro. “Boy” was installed master of the lodge in 1996 and in 1999 was appointed District Deputy Grand Master thereby easily entitling him to his purple apron.

This writer sat at the Oriental Chair in 1995, a year ahead of Bro. Boy and would have contented himself being sidelined to mediocrity had it not been for Bro. Boy’s special request that he will accept the appointment as DDGM only if his Bro. Jun is also appointed DGL. That is what may be called collecting his purple apron effortlessly.

So much for what happened nineteen years ago. Let’s now talk about the raising ceremony that was conducted today.

Professionally, WM Omar Equiza, and Bros. Alden Bait and Gudo Velarde are with the construction business, the Immigration bureau and at the power sector respectively. In contrast Bros. Nikko Chua, Mike Pena and Ivan Galarosa are from the construction, at PAGCOR and at the Call Center industry respectively, professions that surely can catapult them to considerable heights in searching for glory in this august Fraternity.

These predictions are not far-fetched for as we can see, WB “Jun jun” Gevero has just been adjudged Most Outstanding Worshipful Master in the last ANCOM and in the process also towed with him the distinct honor of making Quezon City Lodge No. 122 the Most Outstanding Lodge for the same year. In addition VW Boy Gabionza also collected the honor of being selected Most Outstanding Mason in the field of Corporate Law.

Curiously, all these awards and citations, despite the fact that most came from our Grand Lodge, belong to the “external” or what may be called as belonging to the worldly wealth or honors, None relates to the arcane attributes of Masonry, the quality that “recommends a man to be made a mason”.

But this is understandably so, for the realm of the esoteric is not within the gift of any Grand Lodge to bestow.

But whenever we see a grandson retracing the lost Masonic footprints of his deceased grandfather, like in the case of WB Junjun Gevero, or a son being personally raised by his own father, like our Senior Warden Bro. Alden Bait, or another son petitioning at another lodge because his father did not consider his idea of joining the Craft serious enough as experienced by WB Sonny Regala who had to petition at Laong Laan Lodge No. 185, or brothers following the footsteps of their siblings who have enlisted ahead of them as in the cases of Bros. Jerome and Joe Gabionza who followed the footsteps of Bros. Dennis and Boy, or as in the case of the newly-raised Bro. Ivan who followed the footsteps of his elder Bro. Ian who was raised at Sierra Madre Lodge No. 181 last year and who himself was gamely following the limping gait of their own father, then we can visualize the mystic light of Masonry shining in its radiating glory.

For it is not only by precepts did these who subsequently joined were motivated to enlist but more so by the examples set by their forerunners that they were inspired to join. As a popular adage says: “Live the full life of a mason, and sooner than later, those near you will take notice and follow.”

Which reminds this writer of the celebrated author Norman Vincent Peale, a revered elder of the Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget Me Not who eloquently said in one of his articles that: “added together, the years that he, his father and his grandfather have devoted to the cause of Masonry has already totaled more than a hundred and that he is still counting. Definitely a lifetime vocation worth emulating by the future generations that will come later.

And to end this talk, if Bros. Nikko, Mike and Ivan will rise, I’ll extend to them my right hand and execute the strong grip of the lion’s paw in warm congratulations for their becoming members of this ancient and august fraternity.

Thank you all for your attention!
e wased BrHi

MILESTONE- A priceless gift

2008-03-10T14:40:00.000+08:00

The text message that the aging cat received from his youngest cub reads:

“Fair in the South, clear in the West, and bright in the East.”

Instinctively, he replied:

“Congrats. Pwede ka ng mabugbog ng Kuya. mo”, which when translated loosely means, “Congrats, your elder brother may now beat you black and blue!”

Other exchanges of text messages followed, but these no longer mattered, both knew it was the best gift the youngest cub could ever give to his ailing dad!!

Note: The cub petitioned at Quezon City Lodge No. 122, the aging lion’s mother lodge.

A SHORT TREATISE ON HARMONY

2008-02-08T06:08:00.000+08:00

Some two years ago, MW Hermogenes Ebadane Jr., (or is it another GM?) then the incumbent Grand Master, issued an edict authorizing the creation of a Harmony Officer in every lodge under the jurisdiction of the MW Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of the Philippines. This short talk will not delve on the wisdom, or the lack of it, why the said office was created, as indeed the pros and cons of the said edict was not explained except that when disputes in the lodge arise, he who is elected automatically becomes the arbiter.

On a different note, this short talk will attempt to explain why Harmony is a tenet that is of paramount importance in our Fraternity.

Harmony is a dogma that is often hinted only in cryptic codes in our rituals. To the undiscerning multitude, this very important science is not even there, but to the adepts it stares at him squarely on his face. It’s much like the parables narrated by the Greatest Teacher of all time, to many it is as clear as mud, but to seekers of truth, it’s right in front of him.

The following observations may look intelligible when read at the start after the proper connections as will be explained later, it is hoped that it will be understood at least, by a serious few.. Consider these

I. THE RELEVANCE OF HARMONYAS EMBEDDED IN THE RITUALS

*** In the lecture of the first degree, it said:

“that when the building was completed (referring to King Solomon’s Temple) it had all the appearance of the handiwork the Supreme Architect of the Universe than that of human hands.”

*** In the lecture of the second degree, the seven liberal arts and sciences were made as basis of study for fellowcrafts. Interestingly, music is ranked 6th, a science that is of greater importance to Masons even more than Geometry. And should the listener (or reader) wonder why Music is treated as a science and not as an art as it is being classified today, it is worth mentioning that to the ancients, and that is, even up to the time of Julius Caesar, they have already classified these seven categories into TRIVIUM, composed of Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic, and QUADRIVIUM, grouping Arithmetic, Geometry, Music and Astronomy in this category.

*** In the lecture of the third degree, it eloquently said:

“There were employed in its erection 3 Grand Masters, 3,300 masters or overseers of the work, 80,000 fellowcrafts or hewers in the mountains and in the quarries, and 70,000 entered apprentices or bearers of burden, and those were all so classed and classified by King Solomon that neither envy, discord nor confusion was suffered to interrupt the peace and good fellowship which prevailed among the workmen except on the one occasion etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.”

***And finally, in the explanation of the trowel as the master mason’s working tool it said:

“for the more noble and glorious purpose of spreading the cement of brotherly love and affection which unites us into one sacred bond, or society of friends and brothers, among whom no contention should ever exist, but that noble contention, or rather emulation, of who best work and best agree”

II. BRIEF EXPLANATIONS ON THE RITUALS MENTIONED

In the operative sense, King Solomon’s Temple epitomizes not only the temple’s magnificence but also the wonder of her age. Symbolically, it represents the Temple where the rough ashlars were first perfected in accordance with the Divine Plan confirming to the specifications of “a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.”

Music, on the other hand, emphasizes the need for harmony of God’s children through the wise use of the tenets of brotherhood where charity, filial love and truth reign supreme. This can be amplified by listening to classical music that are harmoniously orchestrated by the musical conductors using their musicao batons that produce the melodious sounds created by musical geniuses like Mozart, Beethoven and modern-day Bach!

And the workmen of King Solomon’s Temple? Imagine 153,303 workers working in unison and their fellowship not disturbed except on that one occasion where all Masons have exemplified as the legendary Hiram Abif!!

III. INVOKNG THE AID OF THE DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Of interesting relevance is the role of the Chaplain of whatever degree when it alternately invokes two opening prayers that says::

*** “Grant that the sublime principles of Freemasonry may so subdue every discordant passions within us, so harmonize and enrich our hearts etcetera. Etcetera, and,

***”Wilt thou be pleased that this meeting, thus begun in order, may be conducted in peace and closed in Harmony.Amen.

III. THE CREATION OF THE HARMONY OFFICER

Curiously now, is the Harmony Officer an innovation or is it a redundant duplication of one that already exist but whose functions nobody knows, hence is often omitted to the chagrin of the installing officer during installation ceremonies because none was appointed? Who then, is it?

But of course, none but the Organist who is symbolically charged by the Installing Officer with the following eloquent phrase:

“It is your duty to preside at the organ at the opening and closing ceremonies, and other ceremonials at the lodge . May the delightful labors of your position impress more deeply upon the minds and hearts of your Brethren that HARMONY is as essential for the strength and beauty of our noble brotherhood as it is for the excellence of the art and science in which you so greatly excel.”

But how many lodges in our jurisdiction have bothered to install their own Organists??

SILVER LININGS

2008-01-20T17:03:00.000+08:00

The year of the pig was both bane and boon to the aging cat. First, he barely escaped being drowned without his body being submerged in water because his lungs were full of mucus-aggravated liquid it hardly allowed his snubbed-shaped nose or in local parlance “pango” to breath, Luckily for him, the community hospital where he was confined on that fateful Holy Wednesday had an available oxygen tank for such an emergency. With steroid injected to help open up his lungs, the lady doctor managed to make him regain his breath and thus enabled him to return home to recuperate two days later and saved him from being unceremoniously dumped into the century-old waiting graveyard.

The second aborted trip to the Great Beyond occurred two weeks later when, shortly after his right leg was amputated, he was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit of St. Luke’s Hospital, that time because his heartbeat already dangerously dropped below normal level it might have stopped beating at all. Bad grass, he jokingly declared later, but then again, to him it was a puzzle why the Grim Ripper dilly-dallied in his assigned task of using his razor-blade scythe and thus granted the aging puma another reprieve at finally taking his one-way ticket to kingdom come.

So after the two aborted tries at knocking at the proverbial door where not one soul has ever returned before, the only recourse was to gather back his scattered wits and try to get back to normalcy. He obviously could no longer stand on his two feet once again because his right leg was no longer where it was supposed to be, but stand he must and what better recourse than to do it with his remaining left leg but this time aided by an artificial contraption that in medical parlance is called “prosthesis” .!

Fortunately for the aging lion, there is an age-old maxim that says “way above the thunderous clouds still exist the sun with its radiant light.”. Which simply means: “hope still springs eternal even to him who has fallen to the ground provided he has the will and a strong desire to stand!”

The road to recovery was Herculean. Fortunately a lot of relatives, fraternal brothers and friends made the awesome task at getting back to normal bearable and worth every sweat of his brow. The three cubs were likewise very supportive thus pondering at hard decisions became manageable, he ultimately slowly regained his composure and realized that life is still too precious on to, never to abandon nor ignore.

I. WELCOME NEWS AFTER THE STORM

Much like the passing of every thunderous storm, flickering lights slowly appeared on the horizon making him realize that despite the debacle, life- even with but a single foot, still deserves to continue. Never mind if medical tests reveal that both his kidney and his heart are already too weak to work unaided, and that unless assisted by maintenance medicines his breathing may just sputter like an overused engine and may conk without the driver knowing whatever the heck happened.

His first glad tidings after his misfortune happened when his eldest cub Ian, of his own free will and accord, became a member of the Craft.. Petitioning at Sierra Madre Lodge No. 181 because the incumbent master of the lodge was close to his wife Vicky, he doggedly endured the conferral of the three degrees until on June 16 when he was finally raised to what masons call the sublime degree.

Some five months later, or on November 17 to be exact, Ian’s younger brother Ivan called the aging cat long distance saying he has finally decided to petition for membership at Quezon City Lodge No. 122, the very lodge where the latter was made a master mason. Not receiving any comment at all at the other end of the phone from his dad, he realized his news will not be answered and so said he will call again later for his mother to learn of the news.

II. AN UNEXPECTED MEMBERSHIP CITATION

On November 21 or barely a week after his youngest son made the call, he received an unexpected mail that came from Ontario Canada. It contained a citation, a letter and a blue lapel pin, the citation of which reads as follows:

“Distinctive award for Outstanding Speculative and
Unselfish Service to Freemasonry and all Mankind”

His reply to the sender was:

The Masonic Brotherhood of
The Blue Forget-me-not
2 Knockbolt Crescent, Toronto, Ontario, Canada MIS 2P6

Attention: Bro. Nelson King, Secretary

It is with profound sense of humility that I accept my election as member of

“The Masonic Brotherhood of
The Blue Forget-me-not”

It is a distinctive honor that our two sons, the elder of whom is already a Mason while the younger has signified he will also join, and our four grandsons may hopefully be reminded and thus learn to emulate when they come of age someday.

Kindest fraternal regards!

Sincerely,

Geminiano V. Galarosa, Jr.

III. A BRIEF BACKGROUNDER ON THE BROTHERHOOD

Suffice it to say that he was surprised to receive the citation. He knew nothing of the “Masonic Brotherhood of the Blue Forget me not” at all, and eager to know what it was all about, he made the search through “Google” and learned it was organized on January 1, 1972 to recognize those Masons “who were devoting their lives and resources to Masonic education and writing.”. Some of the salient points as copied from the Internet include:

1. The recipient (of the citation) is judged by a Team of Masonic writers and educators before he is chosen for membership in the Brotherhood. His dedication to the whole of Freemasonry and his fellowman determines his qualifications. This Award cannot be purchased. His name must be presented by a member of the Brotherhood, then pass a unanimous ballot of the membership commission.

2. There are no fees or dues paid by the recipient. In every sense, membership in the Brotherhood is an Award for unselfish service to Freemasonry and mankind.

3. The blue forget me not (flower) has been chosen as a symbol of Masonic dedication, courage and fidelity. This symbol was born in the face of Nazi persecution of Freemasonry under the Hitler regime. Although the dictator ordered thousands of Freemasons murdered, tortured and incarcerated, those who would not renounce the Craft and its teachings continued to practice Freemasonry in secret. So they might know one another, a little flower was selected as their emblem. Against overwhelming odds these men, a scant handful, kept the light of Freemasonry burning throughout Nazi darkness.

4. It is not a degree; it is not a political award; there will never be a plea for a greater membership. There are no dues and fees to be paid by anyone. It is in every sense an award for service to Freemasonry and thus to our fellow man. Because of its non-political objective, and because its only members are workers in and for the Craft, many consider it the greatest honor one can receive in Freemasonry.

IV. MEMBERSHIP IN THE BROTHERHOOD AS ICING ON THE CAKE

It is worth mentioning that the list of Masonic writers that were elected to its roll include immortal authors like Norman Vincent Peale, William Denslow, Alphonse Cerza, John J. Robinson and MW Raymond Willmarth in the Philippine Masonic jurisdiction.. At the time of his election his name was numbered 481 and is at the tail end of the list thus making him only the second Freemason from the Philippine shore to be included in the roster.

Despite the international relevance of his membership in the brotherhood however, he considers the inclusion of his two sons into the Fraternity as the more valuable. It is true that many members of the Craft have sons in the fold, even the celebrated Norman Vincent Peale is a third generation Freemason and so are many other brethren in the local front have sons who have also joined the Fraternty. But aging cat still considers it a far more valuable honor because unless one has lived the full life of a mason, it would not reasonable to expect that his sons will follow his footsteps when they come of age someday that effectively echoes:

“No greater gift can a Freemason receive from the Craft other than see his son follow his footsteps of his own free will and accord!”

Which also reminds the aging cat of on adage on immortality that eloquently says:
“Plant a tree, write a book, sire a son”, and confidently he knew he has done all three. And gee whiz, isn’t it better that on the last-mentioned word, he has produced not only one but two?!”

MY SON, MY BROTHER

2007-08-14T17:21:00.000+08:00

Compared to his two siblings, Ian is the least exposed to the ways of the Masonic Fraternity. His sister, after all, joined the Job’s Daughters during her teens while his youngest brother fully exhausted seven years of his life in the DeMolay movement until the time he became a Senior DeMolay.

But it was understandable; he was already in his second year at Los Banos when his Dad joined the Craft and to confound matters, he got himself employed, got married and thereafter established residence in his adopted place. Except for some fleeting moments, like attending his father’s installation as Worshipful Master of his mother lodge in 1995 and acting as surrogate brother to the fraternal brod of his kid brother, Ivan, when the DeMolays tangled with a college fraternity, his link with the organization the aging puma has embraced was indeed rare. Suffice it to say that it came as a mild shock to the rest of the family when he said in late 2005 that he wants to knock at the Craft’s proverbial door timing his entry at the time he will reach the age of thirty five.

The aging lion was of course silently pleased at learning of his son’s decision but nonetheless was guarded in his reactions. The only question that he posed was: “Have you discussed this with your wife, Vicky?” and got a nod in reply. It turned out it was her employer at the farm where she works as an animal nutritionist that prodded her to allow her husband to follow the footsteps of his Dad because her boss is a mason in good standing at Sierra Madre Lodge No. 181 and it was from the latter that she consciously noticed the sterling qualities of a member of the Craft.

But knocking at the proverbial door was not easy. The cub’s first obstacle was that he was informed it will cost him some twenty grand to join and admittedly the sum was not peanuts. Another difficult problem to hurdle was that the lodge was forty two kilometers away from their residence and therefore will entail considerable travel time to attend meetings.

The prospects of knocking at the door of other lodges were considered. Nearby stood two other lodges, namely Makiling Lodge No. 77 and Pinagsabitan Lodge No. 26 in neighboring Sta. Cruz, but he knew of no one in these two lodges. He also contemplated submitting his petition form in any of the lodges at the Capitol Masonic Temple where his Dad once used to roam, but the distance was even more problematic than what it would entail him should he decide to join any of the lodges in Laguna. He also broached the idea of joining Jacques DeMolay 305 because he has an acquaintance there, but the same problem on travel time exists. Not only that, its stated meeting was on a Friday at six P.M. and reasonably, getting home after each meeting would pose a problem.

His big break came in January 2007 when he excitedly called his Dad long distance in Bohol saying he has already submitted his duly-accomplished petition form at Sierra Madre Lodge No. 181 and was asking what to do next. He received a reply saying: “Well, all you do is wait until your name is circularized by the Grand Lodge in what is called as “Circular No. 12. What he did not know was that his Dad emailed Elo at the GL office and learned that the his petition for membership was already circulated to the brethren by the end of the month of January.

Still a petitioner, his sponsor gradually exposed him and his wife to the public ceremonies of the Fraternity. They were invited to the installation ceremonies of Sierra Madre Lodge No. 181, Pinagsabitan Lodge No. 26 Malinao Lodge No. 25 and Makiling Lodge No. 77, and attended all of them.

Sierra Madre’s March stated meeting saw him and two other petitioners eagerly awaiting being balloted and at closing time were informed that the results were favorable. This made him send a text message to his Dad saying: “Tay, yelocrap na ako”. His Dad, feigning ignorance shot back: “Just what is that supposed to mean?” and received the epic reply: “yelocrap, the one who distributes ice during the fellowship!”

The three petitioners were initiated on March 30 and the lodge forthwith made plans for their second-degree passing and the third degree raising to the sublime degree. April 14 was tentatively set for the second-degree conferral while the third degree was set for the month of May.

Meanwhile the aging cat formulated plans of his own. He and the lion tamer were already scheduled to visit the kids at the metropolis and it would be a nice idea if he can request that he be the Conferral Master of the third degree, portraying the role of King Solomon, and thus symbolically raise his son to the sublime degree. That idea would indeed, be nice.

But like many dreams, there are some that regretfully vanish in the air, with the amputation of his right leg reducing that dream to wishful thinking. For how could one execute the strong grip of the lion’s paw and the five points of fellowship when the limping and aging lion could not even arise from bed with but one leg to stand on?!

And snags stood in the way. The “passing” was consummated only on May 19 while the “raising” was done on June 16. These two events were partially witnessed by the aging lion although he chose to be outside of the lodge while the second section of the third degree conferral was going on. Once the smoke has vanished he noted that compared with the two others, the cub was roasted “well done” that even showed visible signs of burnt residues on his breast while the two were only broiled medium rare. Which made the aging lion quip: “Well, like the sides of a coin, there are two sides of looking at a given experience, it either turns you into a ferocious lion to get even, or become a judicious sphinx because you believe that the manhandling was despicably wrong. Looking back, it appeared some lodge members did not look with favor his reply on the query why he wanted to join the Craft that “he wanted to follow the Masonic footsteps of his Dad” a dream many old timers wish but never could realize.

As a memento of his joining the Craft, the aging lion gave him the golden ring that he has proudly worn the past eighteen years saying:

“I have worn that ring proudly the past eighteen years and have always reminded me of three things, the Square, the extended Compasses and the letter G at the middle... May it also always remind you that the Square is an emblem of Truth and Morality, that the extended Compasses remind you to circumscribe your desires, and that the letter G means that the GAOTU watches over your actions”.

BROTHERLY LOVE, RELIEF AND TRUTH- A personal experience

2007-08-13T15:58:00.000+08:00

Short talk delivered to Laong Laan Lodge No. 185 on June 2, 2007

You have listened to the Entered Apprentice degree lecture earlier this afternoon where the three principal tenets Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth, three of Masonry’s greatest teachings, were taught. So simply worded, easily understood, yet oftentimes difficult to internalize and apply in our daily lives. Curiously however, without these tenets, this aging lion would not be alive today. So let me tell you this story.

For a start, allow me to apologize for my inability to strictly comply with the rules on proper attire. It is true I am impeccably dressed in white barong and matching black pants but I am not properly shod. Instead, I am wearing a sandal same as what Boaz must have worn in ancient times. Also, my right leg is missing from the knee down. Which reminds me of the answer that I gave to the question “What happened to your right foot?” that was asked by a brother last Saturday, May 26, on the occasion of the passing of our eldest son at Sierra Madre Lodge No. 181 to which I replied: “I accidentally entered a first degree conferral and inadvertently advanced my right foot first instead of my left as required!”

But seriously, the loss of my shoe is not without reason. In the ensuing confusion when we boarded the plane bound for Manila last April 11, I inadvertently left it at home at our den in Guindulman, Bohol. I was then already seriously ill such that when we saw Kuya Billy at St. Luke’s Hospital the next day, he said, “Kuya Jun, we need to amputate your right leg soonest possible. Gangrene has already seriously affected it and any delay and can easily cause your death!”

But before he can do that, a number of medical tests were needed. There was the CBC, to the Echo, Doffler, fasting blood sugar and many others. And the combined cost of these preparatory tests already exceeded P10,000 and soon drained our pockets.When the tests were over my niece who was an expert Endocrinologist and Diabetes specialist estimated that the total cost of the amputation will be in the vicinity of about P300,000. Whew!.

Naturally, it worried me greatly. Where will we get that money? I reckon, wrestling with the Grim Reaper may even prove a more viable alternative! As a result, I even considered having the amputation done in Cebu under Dr. Felix Vicuna, Jr. who said over the phone that the under the circumstances, it will only cost us some P50,000 as a charity patient! But the danger of my soul separating from the body because of the thin atmosphere while the plane is airborne was ominous. My weak heart and lungs may not withstand the rigors of air travel even the trip from Tagbilaran to Manila that was done previously was considered a wonder I escaped death unscathed.

I therefore reluctantly agreed to have my leg amputated at St. Luke’s with Doc Billy orchestrating the event and so checked-in at the hospital on Monday, April 16. But the amputation was done only on Thursday evening as the cardiologist was adamant in giving her go-signal because my lungs were full of water any miscue could trigger my weak heart to collapse. To lessen the risk, the anesthesiologist arranged that the operation be conducted while I was in sitting position so that I don’t drown while Doc Billy was ceremoniously separating my right leg from the rest of my body.

I was then returned to my room the next day, Friday, but no more than twelve hours later, was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit or ICU gasping for precious breath. Doc Billy and the cardiologist were giving medical instructions to the point, the life of the aging lion was at stake. Doc Billy even overruled the form signed by the lion tamer that the various attachments usually attached to patients during extreme emergencies and thus precluded the Grim Reaper from claiming the old cat for his prize.

And wonder of wonders, I stayed at the ICU for no more than a day which made the attending male nurse quip: “You are an exceptional patient. In my stay here at the hospital, I have not seen a patient get out of this room in less than twenty four hours alive! Bad grass, one might say, but I was given another chance to stay alive.

To sum it all up, the amputation was performed on Thursday, April 19, and exactly a week later the patient was discharged from the hospital The lion tamer who was accompanied by her daughter settled the bills but would not her pet to even have a look. He will surely wonder how the heck they managed to foot their bills to pay the foot that Doc Billy amputated!

This incident is being narrated because clearly, “brotherly love and relief” are divine attributes that motivated Kuya Billy to render his services for free and also goaded him to organize the medical team and thus enabled him to perform the amputation. In addition, he cajoled the brethren to take notice of the aging lion’s dire need for financial help by posting via the Internet my miserable plight, and in addition also sent text messages to brethren who knew me.

In so doing a good number answered the call, among them, WBs Benjie de los Santos, Bong Fajardo, Ka Albert, our Worshipful Master who was accompanied by Bro. Danny Gutierrez and VW John Teng. From out of the lodge those who responded include VW Pong Lustre who was accompanied by Sis. Del and their triplets, VW Nanding Pascua accompanied by Sis Shiela, the four Gabionza ladies of Quezon City Lodge No. 122, two of whom were accompanied by their respective hubbies VWs Jerome and Joe, VW Alex Fabian who hand-carried the contribution of Quezon City Bodies and VW Mike Maraan who gave the contribution of Juan Sumulong Lodge No. 169. and VW Rommel Corra.l. In all, their financial assistance totaled no less than P50, 000.

For her part the lion tamer called up relatives and friends and from the family of the late Bro. Eduardo Palac (he is the subject of a previous article titled “Requiem for a Departing Brother) accumulated about P170,000 cash. The children of the nonagenarian Bro. Antonio Maputol, her cousins, also sent P50,000. So did the aging lion’s youngest sister who also sent through the wire an equal amount. And many other relatives and friends who contributed in varying sums.

These are not all, even those who were unable to send money sent in word that they do care. The families of fishermen at our backyard and our neighbors called saying they hope for the aging lion’s early recovery.

But while the love and concern of those who helped clearly demonstrated the sterling values of both brotherly love and relief, the third tenet called “truth” at first glance, seems unconnected. On critical analysis however, truth was found to have buried itself in another virtue called “Charity” for in the second degree parambulation that was copied verbatim in the Book of Corinthians where it wisely said:

“Charity suffereth long and is kind
charity envieth not
charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up
doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own
doth not rejoice in inequity but rejoiceth in the TRUTH.

I guess this is how this short talk should now end. These three principal tenets are intertwined, after all.

Thank you for your attention!

(Note: This article was originally delivered in Taglish but was rehashed to conform to standard English presentation.)

LIFE, DEATH, THE SOUL AND THE BODY

2007-03-02T06:07:00.000+08:00

Death be not proud though you ultimately will succeed in separating the soul from its body,
But let it not be on piecemeal basis,
Like the throat being torn out of its roots and buried in the rough sands of the seas.
Or the heart given as prey to the beasts of the fields or the vultures of the air,
Or more especially its bowels taken thence and burned to ashes and the ashes cast to the four winds of heavens that no more remembrance may be had among men or Masons forever.

So let the soul soar up to the heavens, there to receive judgment for its deeds while in the body.

But let the decomposed particles merge the earth from whence it came, pulverized like dust to dust, earth to earth, or ashes to ashes, there to serve another soul and repeated into innumerable cycles till time shall be no more.

So in what manner shall decomposition be?
Will it follow that of Hiram Abif whose body was laid to rest three times, first in the rubbish of the Temple by the ruffians, next at the brow of a hill of Mount Moriah by the same, and lastly at the Sanctus Sancturum or the Holy of Holies where a marble monument, etcetera, etcetera, was said to immortalize his name?

Or would it undergo the process of cremation like the Indians, both of the near East and those of the Americans, who dutifully perform to the bodies of their departed as they soar upwards to that place they have not gone before?

Or simply be contained in a coffin and thereafter placed in a tomb to rot, but how the dust will recombine with the rest of the earth is a puzzle this chronicler is hard put to analyze and solve!

Note: Serious adherents of the Craft will realize that the above composition is neither novel nor new and is sent via the Internet by the aging lion for lack of anything to do.

Comments are welcome. The writer also will appreciate if you can pass this to other readers.

REQUIEM FOR A DEPARTING BROTHER

2007-02-26T06:43:00.000+08:00

REQUIEM FOR A DEPARTING BROTHER

It was, no doubt, the most unforgettable wake and burial the town of Guindulman ever witnessed. But let the aging lion narrate the events that transpired from the start..

Last Sunday, February 18, the lioness arose early at four in the morning and after applying mascara on her face and donning on her Sunday wear, left for the church but not after saying she will be home late in the afternoon as she, Baby and Arlene Palac, the last-named of whom just arrived from the States, are bound for Tagbilaran to do some grocery shopping. They will also be accompanied by Manny, Arlene’s husband and therefore may return home late as ladies’ talk will surely occupy their time. The aging lion can only meekly nod his head.

By seven, however, she was back teary-eyed, saying Tio Dadong Palac has just died and that while they will still proceed to Tagbilaran, it will be for another purpose- they will attend to all matters that will prepare the old man’s wake and burial after the four other daughters of the deceased and their respective husbands would have arrived from the States. Again, her aging pet could but nod his salt-and-peppery head.

Wires burned. Calling the four sisters overseas, they were informed they can only return home Thursday evening at the latest as Monday was President’s day at the other side of the hemisphere. It was fortunate Tante has a friend who owned a travel bureau and so the needed tickets were secured without difficulty. The two sisters and the lion tamer for their part, attended to the needs of the wake that will last the whole week that will culminate at two in the afternoon of Saturday.

Knowing that the deceased was a Mason, the lion tamer asked her pet what the aging lion’s plans are for the old man and received a curt one-word reply: “Nothing!” When asked why, he simply said “Unless of course the spokesperson of the family manifests that a Masonic Last Rite should be performed in this deeply parochial community as holding one would surely stir the hornet’s nest. “And what about the brethren of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84?” she barked back, and received this reply: “The old man’s death was already announced via the Internet and three lodge officers were furnished copies. As the three are second or third generation Masons of the lodge, that data sent via the Internet should suffice, and should there be no reaction on their part, then the death of the old man should be as good as the passing of the wind.

Relatives, friends and town-mates trove to the town’s most beautiful and definitely imposing house especially during the evening when the traditional prayers for the dead are regularly held. When one asked whether gambling should be held especially during the night as is the custom during wakes, the sisters curtly said no as the percentage of the pot (in local parlance, tong) is not needed. An announcement that flower offerings be omitted and in its stead money intended be given as donation for the ongoing church improvement be made instead But a few still could not help it, they wanted their names seen beside the coffin and ignored the announcement and sent in their condolences through wreaths of flowers anyway.

The folks from the States arrived Thursday evening with Tante, the eldest son-in-law, leading the pack in two sleek vans from Tagbilaran. Tante for his part, narrated their 36 hour arduous trip home but not after saying he again brought with him two books titled “The Gnostic Gospels” and “Inside Secret Societies”, the former with an eye-catching phrase that says The Complete Idiot’s Guide to, and the latter with the mystic skull and crossbones drawn inside a triangle that can easily mislead Freemasons that the book is about the Masonic Fraternity.

Then Saturday came. The well-attended mass at the at the church was held at one o’clock in the afternoon with the town’s parish priest officiating and with three other priests playing supporting roles as singers (The grapevine says the former was given P10,000 for his stipend and the three priests P500 each for their efforts.). During the homily, the priest extolled the virtues of the old man’s family and mentioned the valuable assistance that the family did in renovating the church (the roof, the attic, and now the sacristy) the last-mentioned of which is still ongoing. Four melodious, albeit sentimental songs were sang by the three men of the cloth before the coffin was brought to the funeral car to the cemetery and was followed by a motor caravan that saw for the first time the largest number of vehicles that trooped to the town’s cemetery atop the hill in living memory.

The final burial rites were likewise as imposing. The old man, being a war veteran during World War II with the rank of captain, was accorded the 21 gun salute and more than a hundred white balloons were let loose in the mid-afternoon air when the coffin was placed inside the tomb as if as if to signify that these balloons are to accompany the soul as it soars up the heavens. The family also saw to it that the accompanying mourners are well-cared for what with the abundant supply of sandwiches and tetra packed soft drinks that were distributed to quench their hunger and thirst.

For his part, the aging lion can just silently watch the entire proceedings at the sidelines. Never mind if he was unable to find a sprig of acacia to place atop the coffin, and never mind if no Last Rite was held; he fully knew that although in the end no one extolled his Masonic virtues during his wake and burial, he well knew that deep inside he was a good man the Craft has made better!

Note: This article is the final sequel to the article “Qoheleth at the Edge of the Earth!” Reactions from readers are welcome!

REPLY TO A 2007 ANCOM INVITATION

2007-01-26T03:09:00.000+08:00

Brethren:

Here is a reply to an invitation to join the 2007 ANCOM worth reading, but to achieve anonymity of the one who made it, his email was deleted and so was his name on the salutary portion of the lion’s email.
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Dear Brother:

That makes you the fourth brother who openly declared (all three are also out of the country and are timing the ANCOM for their homecoming) they hope to see the aging lion at the 2007 ANCOM and have extended similar invitations.

Curiously, those who wish the aging lion set forth his two feet in Luzon are not limited to brethren, his niece to whom he acted as a godfather thirty five years ago is getting married in May wish he play the same role as godfather during her wedding, his daughter is again sojourning to Japan in April and has already convinced her mother to serve as amah for her grandchildren and therefore wished the old cat tags along, to no avail. All things considered the pros of staying still outweigh the cons of leaving, and there’s no need to enumerate the reasons, it may just confuse the issue further.

But who knows? His eldest cub has just submitted his petition form to join one of our lodges in Laguna and if the date of his joining (whether initiation, passing or raising) coincides with the date of the ANCOM and other gatherings, then the balance may just tilt in favor of going. So far as the present is concerned, he has already instructed the lion tamer to take along with her the symbolic ring that he has proudly worn the past seventeen years and give it to their son, not on the time the aging lion is dead but on the occasion the first of his two sons joins the Fraternity. Using the local parlance “kung di ko man siya mabugbog sa bahay, baka pwede sa lohiya!”

In so far as the present is concerned however, fraternizing with the brethren through this 17 inch square contraption called “monitor” is as acceptable as watching the sun sets daily in the west unmindful of the drudgeries of life as the earth rotates upon its own axis from day to day.

But thanks for you very kind invitation.

With my kindest fraternal regards.

Leon

THE PRUNED MAILNG LIST

2007-01-26T03:05:00.000+08:00

Brethren:

It would not be right if the results of pruning the mailing list is not explained. And so here it is. Incidentally, this will also be the first email on the new mailing list.

Of the eighty two (82) email addresses in the original list, thirty three (33) signified their desire to continue receiving the lion’s articles; this represent 40 percent of the total number. Not a bad score!

Of those who did not reply:

Five were rejected (through Mailer Daemon) by supposed recipients, indicating that they have already discontinued use of their email addresses. For what reason, only they knew.

Most of those who did not reply were carry over from those who were registered two years ago under the Glphils@yahoogroups.com and are not really familiar with the aging lion. No wonder!

A few were, in one way or another, acquainted with the cat but for some reasons failed to communicate. It can be that they are quite busy or have simply lost their interest to read. Should they desire to do so later, they can always submit their confirmation and their email addresses will be added to the list.

The recipients of this email now comprise the 33 respondents and members of laonglaanlodge185@ yahoogroups. com because Kuya Billy insisted that this group where the aging cat holds honorary membership is entitled to receive the articles that he distribute to the brethren. And how the heck can he decline? Without Kuya Billy the pink panther would now be limping but with his right foot no longer planted on the ground as must have already returned ahead of his body as organic fertilizer to the earth where it belongs...

To the magic thirty three (same as the age of Jesus Christ and the number of degrees in the Scottish Rite, eh?!) please accept my sincerest thanks for your perseverance to read and indulgence! Rest assured that the aim to amuse and to please will be his objective. And there will be no ifs nor buts about this!

You may also refer or forward these to friends you knew but they are required to send their desire to receive copies so that they can be registered. Forwarding, of course, is a perfectly good alternative, although the aging lion is not required to answer questions of unregistered senders.

With my kindest fraternal regards!

Leon

THE ENIGMATIC SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST

2007-01-13T01:13:00.000+08:00

So you think you know St. John the Baptist! How about reading a short catechism on this mysterious patron saint, then?

I. SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST AS MENTIONED IN THE FIRST DEGREE LECTURE.

“This circle is supported by two perpendicular parallel lines representing St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist and on its top rests the Holy Writings. In tracing its circumference, we necessarily touch upon the parallel lines and also upon the Holy Bible; and while a Mason keeps himself circumscribed, it is impossible that he can materially err.”

As the reader will note, the paragraph merely likened the two saints to two perpendicular parallel lines and presto, he can live the life of a Mason free from the temptations of the flesh!

II. JOHN THE BAPTIST AS TOLD IN THE HOLY BIBLE

In contrast, the life of St. John the Baptist is ably chronicled in all the four Gospels and if likened to a singing quartet, Luke provided the role of soloist who crooned most of the lyrics while Matthew and Mark offered the echoing refrain by singing the Baptist’s ministry at the river Jordan and the closing hymn that marked his gruesome death. John the Evangelist (also called John the Beloved), for his part, simply reverberated the fading refrain by citing a testimony for the Baptist and for Jesus proclaiming the latter as the Lamb of God, totally ignoring the baptism aspect that the three synoptic gospels succinctly heralded. Which is curiously mysterious because John’s Gospel is supposed to be a first-hand account or direct testimony of his namesake’s Baptist’s ministry. But let us leave that curious puzzle unresolved to enable the writer to expound the gist of his story.

So let’s try to assemble the supposed opera in one whole piece as chronicled in all the Four Gospels.

Luke foretold the birth of John the Baptist when archangel Gabriel announced to Zechariah that the latter’s wife, Elizabeth, will bear him a son and he should name him John. As both Zechariah and his wife were already advanced in years and with the wife already barren, the husband naturally doubted Gabriel’s angelic tidings, and because of this, Zechariah was made speechless until the time John was born and his name ready to be announced. Incidentally, Elizabeth is the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus, and in like manner Gabriel also announced to Mary the glad news that Jesus will also be born to her and should be named Immanuel.

John was next seen at the river Jordan proclaiming baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins as it was written by the prophet Isaiah. Clad in cloth made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist and subsisting in food consisting mainly of locust and honey, he would roundly castigate the Sadducees and the Pharisees who came to be baptized by him. Until later when Jesus, his cousin, came and was thereafter baptized and where John saw the spirit of God descending like a dove coming down upon Jesus of Nazareth.

The next scene narrated John being imprisoned by King Herod and there the former sent messengers to Jesus asking if the latter was already the one they are waiting for or whether they still have to wait for another deliverer. Jesus, in his typical answer of an indirect response simply said to report what the messengers have witnessed, that he “healed the sick and brought the dead back to life”, and the final scene being consummated when John’s head was presented to Salome on a silver platter and with the body later given to his disciples to be buried in a spot that was no longer narrated.

In fine therefore, the life of St. John the Baptist was narrated merely as a forerunner to the ministry of Jesus Christ and nothing more.

III.THE BAPTIST AS TOLD IN THE PAGES OF ALBERT PIKE’S “MORALS AND DOGMA”

Now, how many of the readers are aware that the immortal Albert Pike wrote in page 817 of his monumental book “Morals and Dogma” the following scathing words?

“The Johannites ascribed to St. John (the Baptist) the foundation of their secret church, and the Grand Pontiffs of the Sect assumed the title of Christos, Anointed or Consecrated and claimed to have succeeded one another from Saint John by an interrupted succession of pontifical powers.”

And another sentence on the same page that says:

“For Saint John himself was the Father of the Gnostics, and this current translation of this polemic against the heretical of this sect and the pagans who denied that Christ was the Word, is throughout the misrepresentation, or misunderstanding at least, of the whole spirit of the Evangel.”

And how come these teachings were not incorporated in Blue Masonry?

As Albert Pike later explained, the Blue Degrees are but the outer court or portico of the Temple. The true explanations are reserved to the Adepts and Princes of Masonry. But let the reader (meaning you!) do some research of his own by browsing upon the book Morals and Dogma to understand what Albert Pike is hinting at.

In addition, here’s another intriguing thought ascribed to Albert Pike as shown on page 816 of the same book.

The secret thought of Hugues de Payens in founding his Order (meaning the Knights Templar)was not exactly to serve the ambitions of the Patriarchs of Constantinople. There existed at that period in the East a sect of Johannite Christians, who claimed to be the only true initiates in the true religion of the Saviour.
.
IV. SAINT JOHN THE BAPTIST AS TOLD IN THE BOOK “TEMPLAR REVELATION”

If there is a book that can be considered as having dealt with the life of John the Baptist in considerable depth, the one written by Lynn Pickett and Clive Prince that was published in 1997 would be it. It not only eloquently portrayed in vivid form the Last Supper painting what Muslim traders describe playfully as “a drinking spree of Jesus Christ with his apostles” (in local lingo, ang inyong Ginoo na nakipaghubugan sa iyang mga barkada) but a real dinner that also included a woman which tradition thought was an all male gathering.. Leonardo Da Vinci, who was born in 1452, by the way, is listed as having assumed the post of Grand Master in 1510-19 of the Priory of Sion the acknowledged progenitor of the Knights Templar.

But The Last Supper was not his only artwork that he left for posterity to behold. He also painted Mona Lisa with the enigmatic smile, and also the other masterpieces that showed the young Jesus Christ and John the Baptist but with the latter apparently portraying a superior stance on canvas. Why the great Leonardo painted those themes contrary to traditional views (that the Last Supper is previously thought to be an all male scene, and the young Jesus that was portrayed looked more inferior in stature when compared with his cousin John) was not explained by Leonardo himself. But the authors of Templar Revelation offered several interesting hypothesis. The reader is therefore advised to buy the book and read Item 1- The Secret Code of Leonardo da Vinci to understand what this paragraph is all about.

And to spice the tale of Saint John the Baptist further, Sections 14 and 15 of the same book with sub-titles John Christ and Followers of the King of Light narrates the life of John.

Let this writer now summarize what these two sections are all about.

Chapter 14- John Christ

This section of the book in sum retells the life of John the Baptist basically as told in the Holy Bible. In addition it also narrated additional information made by the Josephus (the 1st century Jewish historian that was mentioned in the third degree monitor) that John already had a sizable following of his own when he was baptizing and preaching at the river Jordan and also explained lengthily John’s complex interaction with Herod Antipas that ultimately led to his death. In this section was coined the phrase “Johannite Christians.

Chapter 15- Followers of the King of Light.

In this chapter the authors narrate that sometime in the 17th century, Jesuit missionaries narrate that somewhere in the heartland of what is now Iraq, are found people who call themselves St. John Christians. Their religious rites centered on baptism and adhered to a unique form of Christianity in which St. John the Baptist is preeminent in their beliefs.

But the authors narrate that the use of the word “Christian” as modern day readers understand it is a misnomer because while it is claimed that they do venerate John the Baptist, in reality they cannot be called Christians at all for they regard Jesus as a false prophet and that their leaders are also called “Christos” the Greek translation of the word Messiah. They have their own sacred book which they call “Ginza”. They are called Mandeans, and in the Holy Koran as Sabeans Sometime in 1978 it is estimated that they count to about 15,000 but the ruthless campaign of Saddam Hussein to eradicate them virtually insured that they are wiped out from the face of the earth. How many are left now, nobody can tell.

Oral tradition says that they left their homeland and moved to the Euphrates sometime in 50 CE at the height of the Roman campaign against the Jews and the Palestinians that lived in Perea in the east and Aeonon in the north two places in Jordan from where St. John was active in his ministry. Coincidentally, these people also claim that oral tradition has it that their rituals that comprise of the breaking of the bread and the baptism of repentance was taught to them by their ancestors and that it came from ancient Egypt. This hypothesis could not however be verified but the 14th degree conferral of the Scottish Rite degree in the Philippine jurisdiction has a striking resemblance.

So let the book “Templar Revelation” tell you more about this enigmatic patron saint of our Fraternity! It will also tell you many more interesting data about the Knights Templar! But you’ll have to get hold of a copy first!

And as a hindsight, this writer can but wonder whether the mysterious life of John the Baptist has been thoroughly discussed by Freenasons in the other Grand Jurisdictions!

Sources:

The Craft’s Monitor
The Holy Bible
Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma
Templar Revelation
Holy Blood Holy Grail

Note:

The second jet pump that was the subject of the article “Water for the Rural Poor” was delivered by Darin Goertzen for installation at the site where it was intended. The third water facility that involved the installation of the connecting pipe from the reservoir was held in abeyance because the weather that has not abated since the aging lion and his tamer left for the big city last December.

Also, the clubfoot patient has temporarily returned home to allow Father time to heal the cemented portion of his legs and arms and will be back in about a month’s time.

A GLIMPSE AT ARCHITECTURE AND ITS IMPACT ON SYMBOLIC MASONRY

2006-11-02T02:11:00.000+08:00

A curious puzzle that confronts a student of the Craft is the alleged transformation of Operative Masonry into Speculative Masonry.. On the one hand he is told that apprentices of actual builders generally undergo seven years work under the direct supervision and guidance of a master (or fellow of the craft, depending on the nomenclature used) before he can graduate to become a journeyman. The entered apprentice of symbolic Masonry, on the other hand, takes only from one to a couple of months depending on his ability to memorize the obligation and a portion of the lecture of the initiatory degree and from there he is promoted to become a fellowcraft, and finally to the degree of master mason. The obvious question therefore is: “why the wide disparity in the length of time” when both practices admittedly involve serious and dedicated concentration before he learns the ropes?

To answer that question, it will be necessary to take a glimpse at the beginnings of both Architecture and Masonry, and their relevance to apprenticeship.

I. A QUICK LOOK AT THE BIRTH OF ARCHITECTURE AND MASONRY

Unlike religion, the birth and creator of architecture cannot be ascertained with absolute certainty. Historical records tell us that the need for food first made man to learn how to plant and since plants require water to survive, it also taught him how to irrigate. This innovation expanded his horizon and started the geometrical growth of civilization. No sooner, it also required him to learn how to build roads and bridges, then to assemble powerful armies designed for conquests that their nations may expand and power and prosperity achieved.. Additionally, he also learned to build houses made of woods and bricks, the former of which triggered the art of Carpentry while the latter, that of Masonry, enabling him to enjoy comfort of his home and even acquire knowledge to build monuments to sing praises to their leaders. Thus was Architecture effectively subdivided into Agricultural, Civil, Geodetic, Carpentry, Masonry, Interior Design and its other allied fields.

Masonic writers are wont to credit the birth of Masonry to the ancient civilizations of Egypt, the Chaldeans, the Hindus and the Greeks. Indeed, for awesome edifices confirm their existence like the pyramids of Egypt, the legendary Tower of Babel and the Hanging Garden of Babylon, the Dravidian temples of India and the Parthenon of the Greeks. In addition, ancient capitals (or chapiters), among them the Egyptian Papyrus, the Persian Animal, the Indian Foliage and the three Greek columns named Doric, Ionic and Corinthian which all Freemasons are familiar with, bring mute testimony that indeed, these ancient peoples were the main source of mankind’s architectural talents.

In its early form, we learn that the first architect to be recorded in the annals of history was named Imhotep who was born circa 2,600 BC, the son of the Royal Architect named Kanofer, the former of whom built Egypt’s first pyramid, and although like Hiram Abif, his name was not directly mentioned as Master Builder because the credit went to his benefactor, posterity later recorded that it was indeed Imhotep who built it instead of the ruling monarch King Joser. Imhotep subsequently left a son named Rahotep and started a long line of descendants beginning with Kanofer spanning twenty five generations and ending with Kumanubra, the Minister of Public Works under the Persian king Darius I who lived around 490 BC. One can then well imagine the wealth of architectural knowledge that must have passed down from one generation to the next and the magnificent and awesome edifices these string of descendants may have built. And how these were done, one could but speculate as no credible records were registered. And how these illustrious experts did it to preserve their knowledge this writer cannot tell. But that lineage must have started the disciplined art of apprenticeship where the novice is patiently taught the science of architecture unimpeded by the hazards of war, religion and pestilence, and consequently must have clearly portrayed the actual transmission of priceless knowledge from one generation to the next. It may also be worth noting that recent writers conjectured that Melchizedek, the priest-king of Salem whom the patriarch Abraham met (remember the Christmas carol that mentioned Abraham?) may have been responsible in building the pyramids but the hypothesis does not have a leg to stand on for it to be seriously believed.

II MASONIC LEGEND AND BIBLICAL HISTORY

Masonic tradition informs us that the number of workers used in the building of King Solomon’s Temple that was built around 950 BC involved the following, and here, the source of information is the monitor which is being quoted verbatim :

“that there were employed in its erection, three Grand Masters, three thousand three hundred masters or overseers of the work, eighty thousand fellowcrafts or hewers on the mountains and in the quarries, seventy thousand Entered Apprentices or bearers of burden, etc. etc.”

In contrast, the words used 1Kings, 5:29 in the New American Bible, New Catholic Translation, are:

“Solomon had seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand stonecutters in addition to the three thousand three hundred overseers answerable to Solomon;”

and in 2Chronicles,2:16-18 of the same book it said:

“Thereupon. Solomon took a census of all the alien men who were in the land of Israel (following the census David, his father, had taken of them) who were found to number one hundred fifty three thousand six hundred. Of these he made seventy thousand carriers and eighty thousand cutters in the mountains and three thousand six hundred (300 more than the figure mentioned in 1Kings, 5:29) overseers to keep the people working.”

III. A QUICK ANALYSIS

Now, while the figures used in the Monitor basically agree with that of sacred history, the titles or designations differ. Consider these:

1. The title Grand Master was not yet used in ancient times. Solomon and Hiram of Tyre are kings, while Hiram Abif was not and therefore a common title for the three could not be framed. That there were three Grand Masters makes the use of the word questionable especially because the ritual made mention of 3 Grand Masters. A logical alternative would have been to rank one as Grand Master and the other two as Grand Wardens.

2. While the term “master or overseers of the work” may be logical, the 3,300 figure can only form 1,100 fellowcraft lodges and an equal number of entered apprentice lodges. This is so because two masters are required to form a lodge of fellowcrafts and one for the apprentices. These figures will therefore have an average of 75 and 65 members per lodge respectively which is rather large. And these averages far exceed the 3, 5, 7 membership that was mentioned in the monitor.

3. The terms “fellowcraft” and “entered apprentices”, like the title “Grand Master”, were appended apparently only to romanticize the hierarchal titles of the workers to project the Hiram Abif legend in accordance with the tenets of the Craft.

4.The fairly large number of entered apprentices or bearers of burden (as called in the Holy Bible) was precipitated by the fact that the cedars and marbles are to be sawed and hewn in the mountains and in the quarries in their exact specifications and therefore required care in transport to the place where the temple is to be built. Note that in the strict sense, the word apprentice cannot possibly be elevated to fellowcrafts because these are two distinct functions.

5.A crucial issue involves the designation of Hiram Abif as Grand Master. Some writers contend that he was merely a worker skilled in brass, etc, thus equating his functions merely to that of an interior decorator since nowhere in the Holy Bible was it mentioned that he was the master of the works. If we are to consider ancient customs where the colossal edifices are credited to rulers (remember King Joser?!) and especially because the workers are Phoenicians as chronicled in 2Chronicles,2:16-18, then the apparent downgrading of the functions of Hiram Abif is not at all unusual. The chroniclers of the Holy Bible, after all, are Hebrews who are exalting the God-given talents and wisdom of Solomon and not of the men of Tyre. In modern-day Philippines, credit is given Imelda Marcos for the building of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) while the architect who actually built it is all but totally forgotten..

IV. THE ANCIENT MASONIC “SCHOOLS”

It appears the most prominent “Masonic school” of ancient times are the mystery schools of Egypt where even the ruling kings participated in the ceremonies. It is in the confines of these mystery schools where the wisest of philosophers from other nations visited Egypt to be initiated in the sacred mysteries at Memphis, Thebes and Hermopolis, that included, ancient philosophers like Solon, Pythagoras and Plato.

India’s role as a seat of learning cannot be downgraded. Elizabeth Clare Prophet in her books “The Lost Years of Jesus” and “The Lost Teachings of Jesus” contends that Jesus spent the 17 lost years of his life to the study of Eastern discipline in the Near East, which although not exactly pinpointed to be architectural studies, their schools of learning conforms basically with Egyptian mysteries. Sadly however, the lack of written materials on architecture in India, like those in Iran and China, were not passed on to subsequent generations and the failure of the geometricians of their time to write did not leave verifiable trails that would support their architectural wizardries.

But the Greeks were blessed. Many of their works were put down to writing and were preserved for posterity and the future generations to behold!

V. HOW ARCHITECTURE THRIVED IN THE ANNO DOMINI

Undoubtedly, the forerunner of architecture that grew side by side with Christianity were propagated by the Romans through its Roman Collegia. This organization was already working full steam when Julius Caesar, the enigmatic figure who not only cavorted with Cleopatra after she was presented as a gift at the age of 22 that was seductively wrapped in an oriental carpet (whether she was in her birthday suit, history did not say), also took with him to Rome no less than 2,000 priceless manuscripts in 48 BC, and later, after the death of Julius Caesar, Marcus Antonius (Marc Anthony to you), also helped himself and took away several thousand volumes more. These twin ransacking of the Alexandrian libraries may have been the reason why Tuscan and Composite increased to five the Orders of Architecture that were previously invented by the Greeks. The Romans, not really good architects but able administrators who are proficient at the building of roads and bridges, compensated their deficiency by simply adopting the talents of the citizens of subjugated countries whose expertise are deemed indispensable to their needs. The architects of the latter willingly worked (a few of course, grudgingly) for their masters to ply their trade following the dictum “if you can’t lick em, then prudence demand that you join em.”.

Emperor Diocletian who ruled the Roman Empire until 312 AD bitterly fought Christianity and as a consequence dealt leniently with the Roman Masons until the time they refused to make a statue for Aesculapius, the demigod of healing and medicine in ancient Greek mythology and consequently, Diocletian tortured to death the four master masons named Claudius, Nicosastrus, Symphorian and Castorius, and one apprentice named Simplicius when they refused to perform the emperor’s bidding.. These martyrs became the patron saints of Masons throughout Europe after their deaths and a poem about them was written called the Regius MS, a clear testimony that apprenticeship already existed during these days. The four crowned martyrs would also provide the name of Quatour Coronati Lodge that was established sometime later.

In fine, Masonry spread far and wide because of Rome’s power and Christianity’s steady growth. What was then the known world that comprise the European mainland benefited from the architectural expertise both of the subjugators and religious propagators. France had its Campomagnes, Italy its Comacine masters, Germany its Steinmetzens and the Druids who were later called Britons organized the tenets of Craft in the form of lodges. Additionally, the Knights Templar was also organized in 1118 by nine knights led by Hugh the Payens, which, after Jacque’s DeMolays death in 1314 triggered the formation of four Masonic lodges, the first at Naples in the East, the second at Edinburgh in the West, the third at Stockholm in the North and the fourth at Paris in the Southern backdoor. All these organizations basically have similar rules and regulations in administering their members which curiously always include a belief in a Supreme Being wherewith they acknowledge worthy of pious devotion and respect. As the monarchs built castles and palaces, so did the ecclesiastical authorities produced magnificent cathedrals that were the wonders of the day. Similarly, they established a general procedure on apprenticeship that generally last seven years before these initiates are declared masters of the trade. Said initiates were formally registered or entered in lodge records before they are formally accepted by the guilds and thus the creation of the phrase “Entered Apprentices.”

The birth of the Grand Lodges, most notably the Grand Lodge of England that was established in 1717, being of more contemporary origin and more so because these were already subjected to so numerous books citing their impact on apprenticeship will no longer be mentioned in detail for reasons that no longer need explanation.

VI. PARALELISM OF THE BUILDER’S APPRENTICE WITH THE MASONS OF THE SYMBOLIC MASONRY

So this article has now reached the crucial stage of comparing the apprentice of the Operative Masonry with that of its symbolic counterpart and therefore since the time frame is obviously different does it follow that the two like words are, in substance, not the same?!

Now, before that question is answered, it is noteworthy to explain that save for the fact that apprenticeship in Operative Masonry existed, how it was done was never committed to writing. This situation is of course normal because mystery schools and guilds are undoubtedly shrouded in secrecy and wee never put to print. How then can we compare the apprenticeship of Operative Masons with that of Speculative Masonry?! Isn’t it a fact that when one becomes a master mason in the symbolic degree he in effect has earned for him the equivalent rank of journeyman in the operative degree who is entitled to travel withersoever he wishes?!

Well, the answer can be both yes and no at the same time. But note the seven years span of time required in the apprenticeship of Operative Masons and the same number of years it will take to take to undergo the progressive line of officers of Speculative Masonry as will be explained below, which for the sake of brevity and to safe-keep certain tenets that do not deserve to be put to print, will be explained in very general terms.

1.The Junior Steward (the 1st year of symbolic apprenticeship.)

The Junior Steward is the lowest-ranking officer of the Lodge. In ancient times he and the Senior Steward serve as the reliable assistants of the Junior Warden during refreshments. Conversely, their jewels is a cornucopia, the symbol of abundance. With the advent of catering and the presence of lower-ranked subordinates like petitioners, fellowcrafts and newly-raised masons during the hour of refreshments, lodge customs now relieve the stewards of this antiquated duty.

During conferrals, however, he is tasked to assist his Senior in preparing the candidate to receive all the three degrees of Masonry. His job is simple, he follows his Senior’s bidding and imitate his moves and actions especially as these pertain to the floorworks and the proper handling of the rods. In the closing and opening of the lodge, he does nothing but watch, watch, watch!

2. The Senior Steward (2nd year)

Having completed his 1st year’s apprenticeship and upon proving his proficiency, he now takes the responsibilities of the Senior Steward who is principally assigned to prepare the candidate and train his successor to his previous job. He now learns by heart the qualifications of the candidate so that questions asked by the Senior Deacon are answered correctly and with dispatch.. He also improves his knowledge on the floorworks and keenly observes the movements not only of the Senior Deacon but also the others inside the lodge to enable him to put these to good use later when the need arise.

3. The Junior Deacon (3rd year)

He is then appointed Junior Deacon, whose job complements that of the Tyler’s, and has the equivalent responsibility of an Inner Guard. He also acts as the messenger of the Senior Warden. During opening and closing ceremonies and teams up with the Senior Deacon to perform the indispensable floorworks needed by the rituals of the Craft.

Except for a cameo role in the conferral of degrees, he does nothing except to keenly observe the Senior Deacon because in the ensuing year he will be expected to perform the latter’s job flawlessly if he can.

4. The Senior Deacon (4th year)

Having honed his knowledge on floorworks and their symbolism, he now is responsible for the arrangements and care of the Three Great Lights of Masonry. He also takes charge escorting the candidate during the conferral of degrees once inside the lodge. In addition, he is also tasked to prepare himself for the winding stairs lecture because he might be required to deliver it should occasion require.

5. The Junior Warden (5th year)

The first of the three lights, he is elected and within three years’ time is expected to govern the lodge. He is responsible during the hour of refreshment (omit the hour of refreshment and attending a lodge meeting will be boring), and more importantly, sits as master during first-degree conferrals. He is examined on his proficiency on the first-degree lecture, although whether he is able to put it to good use later, no one can tell! During opening and closing ceremonies he is like Eddie Garcia playing a small part in the movies starred by one of his best friends in movieland. When the need for it requires, especially when both the Worshipful Master and the Senior Warden are nowhere to be found, it is his indispensable duty to open the lodge otherwise all that they can do is convert the aborted lodge meeting to the hour of refreshment, which is his primary duty in the first place.

6 The Senior Warden (6th year)

Next in line to the coveted title called Worshipful Master, he assists the latter in opening and closing the lodge. On the subject of conferrals, he sits in the East and performs the functions of its illustrious tenant. Conversely, it is his indispensable duty to open and close the lodge whenever the Master is not around. He is also examined on his proficiency on the Winding Stairs lecture but it is seldom put to good use during his time as Senior Warden because he cannot sit in the east and do lecture of a fellowcraft degree at the same time.

7. The Worshipful Master(7th year)

His duties require him to be conversant with all the edicts, rules and regulations not only of his lodge which he is called to preside but also of the Constitution and bylaws of the Grand Lodge where it is beholden, that is, in addition to proficiency in the ritual wherein he will be first examined before he can ascend the Oriental Chair. Mastery of the 3rd degree lecture is also a must.

Although the rules require specific duties on both the Senior and Junior Wardens during conferral of degrees and also on the latter during the hours of refreshment, he is never relieved of his overall responsibilities. He may berate his junior when one brother has drank one too many for intemperance and excess, because while lodge rules allow him to delegate, he can never escape from his sworn responsibilities on everything that happened in the lodge. After his term ends, he is awarded the past master’s jewel to symbolize that he indeed has graduated as a “true blue master” capable of governing the lodge wherewith he is called to preside.

And to end this rather long article, it may be worth answering a veiled question that was playfully hidden by the founding fathers of Symbolic Masonry and that is:

If the worth of the builder’s apprentice is not the same as the apprentice of Symbolic Masonry, what then is equivalent worth of the degree of a Master Mason who has not gone through the chairs in the symbolic degree when compared with that of Operative Masonry?

and the answer is:

What else but a mason classified under the acronym KSF, or the knight, spoon and fork degree, for even in ancient times the use of these implements in banquets and merrymaking are indeed indispensable tools in the in the supposedly mysterious realm of Masonry!!

Sources:

Ancient Engineers- L. Sprague de Camp
Freemasons for Dummies- Christopher Hodapp
Freemason, Inside the World’s Oldest
Secret Society- H. Paul Jeffers
Morals and Dogma- Albert Pike
The Secret History of Freemasonry- Paul Naudon
The Secrets of Freemasonry- Robert Lomas
The Holy Bible
The Craft’s Monitor

Note: The writer is indebted to Dr. Constante Pacis for the several books that he graciously gifted the writer and were consequently used as inspirational references in composing this article.

THE POMMELS (OR BALLS) ATOP THE CHAPITERS

2006-01-31T01:43:00.000+08:00

In the second-degree lecture, what the aging lion considers the most beautiful lesson is contained in a semi-coded sentence that says:

“The chapiters wr srmntd b pommls o bls rprsntg glbs.”

that was followed by an un-coded and rather long sentence that says thus:

“Their principal use, besides serving as maps to distinguish the outward parts of the earth, and the situation of the fixed stars, is to illustrate and explain the phenomena arising from the annual revolution of the earth around the sun as well as its diurnal rotation upon its own axis.”

Please note that two phrases that are subtly hidden in the sentence which can be summed up as follows: (1) “the annual revolution of the earth around the sun”, which means the year, and (2) “its diurnal rotation upon its own axis” which simply meant the day.

The greatest puzzle of course that confronts this writer is when was the second- degree lecture composed? Consider these curious facts that are presented in reverse order of occurrence as shown in Item III below. But first, let’s get to the Holy Bible where these phrases were derived:

I. THE PILLARS AND CHAPITERS AS MENTIONED IN THE HOLY BIBLE

2Chronicles 3:15-17 (King James Version) says:

“Also, he (meaning Huram or Hiram Abif) made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the chapiter that was on top of each of them was five cubits. And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made a hundred pomegranates, and put them on the chains. And he reared up the pillars before the temple, and one the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name of that on the right hand Jachin, and the name of that on the left Boaz.”.

that was followed by Chr. 4:11-12, that says:

. . . And Huram finished the work that he was to make for King Solomon for the house of God; to wit, the two pillars , and the pommels and the chapiters which were on the top of the pillars, and the two wreaths to cover the two pommels of the chapiters which were on top of the pillars.:

II. A MATTER OF SEMANTICS

Curiously, of the three key words that were used- namely, pillar, chapiter, and pommel, only “pillar” can be found in Webster’s New Compact Dictionary. The words chapiter and pommel are nowhere to be found. And so the need to consult the other versions of the Holy Bible.

Here are interesting discoveries.

King James New Amer. Bible Berkely Edition
(1) pillar column column
(2) chapiter capital capital
(3) pommel node bowl

The meanings as defined by the authoritative Webster Dictionary follow.

` pillar- a column or shaft standing alone especially as a monument

column- a pillar supporting a roof or gallery

chapiter- probably an archaic word as it is not listed in the dictionary

capital- the top part or piece of an architectural column

pommel- same as chapiter- probably an archaic word as it is also not in the dictionary

node- a thickened, swollen or differentiated area (as of tissue)

bowl- a concave vessel to hold liquids; a drinking vessel; a bowl-shaped part or structure.

On Item 1-

From the definitions listed above, it appears the word pillar is the more appropriate translation since the structures named Boaz and Jachin were built outside King Solomon’s Temple. It thus clearly shows that these are structural monuments and are not part of the building itself. The word “column” of course, may be considered a good synonym although not as accurate as the word “pillar”.

On Item 2-

While the word “chapiter” is not found in the dictionary, it appears to be synonymous to the word “capital” since both comprise the top part of an architectural column. This top part represents the identification mark of the different orders of architecture like the Tuscan, the Doric, the Ionic, the Corinthians and the Composite; architectural orders to which Freemasons are acquainted, and the Egyptian Papyrus, the Egyptian Date-Palm, the Persian Animal, the Indian Foliage and the Indian Plain Capital which even modern architects may not even have heard of.

On Item 3-

Here shows the most controversial renderings of the Hebrew word, whatever it is, from the manner these were translated three as shown above. While this writer cannot be definite in his own interpretation, it appears that pommel is a variant of “pomelo”, a round fruit, and therefore would look like a globe, which planet earth really is. The words “node” and “bowl” certainly have different appearances when differentiated from the word “pommel” and thus, interpretations on what was really atop the chapiters of King Solomon’s Temple will easily result in confusion..

And that is where the difference in the interpretation of planet earth, whether a globe or flat, or whether it is the sun that revolves around the earth or vice-versa are divergently rooted. Consider these.

III. SOME CURIOUS HISTORICAL OR BIBLICAL DATA

1. On 31 October 1992, some 350 years after Galileo's death, Pope John Paul II gave an address as vicar of the Catholic Church in which he admitted that errors had been made by the theological advisors in the case of Galileo. He declared the Galileo case closed, but did not admit that the Church was wrong to convict Galileo on a charge of heresy because of Galileo’s belief that the Earth rotates round the sun. (Source- Internet)

2. On April 12, 1961 Yuri Gagarin, the Soviet cosmonaut became the first human to orbit the earth. (Source- Internet)

Although not explicitly mentioned, this event confirms Galileo’s observation that it is the sun, and not the earth that is at the center of the universe. It also in effect confirmed that the moon is a satellite of the earth as not only did the scientific instruments validated this fact but Gagarin’s eyes in effect also did.

3. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) was convicted of heresy by the Inquisition for advancing his belief on the heliocentric system, that is, that the sun is at the center of the universe and not the earth as propounded by Claudius Ptolemy (see Item 5 below).

4. In 1582 Pope Gregory XIII issued the Gregorian calendar that replaced the Julian Calendar of Julius Caesar that was created in 63 BC. This Gregorian calendar was based on the actual revolution of the earth around the sun consisting of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds, which is 11 minutes and 14 seconds less than the Julian calendar of 365 days every three years and 366 days on the fourth or leap year.

Instead, however, of using the actual number of days and hours as mentioned above, the Georgian calendar that we still use today, Pope Gregory XIII simply deducted the 11 days that had accumulated from the Julian calendar in 1582 and amended it by continuing the 3-year 365 day and 1-year 366 leap year cycle, except that years ending with hundreds were not considered as leap years unless it is divisible by 400. This explains why year 2000 that elapsed five years ago was a leap year. Conversely, it is not certain whether Julius Caesar simply rounded off the 1465 (365 x 3 plus 366) days every four years or 365.25 for reasons of exigency and not for any other reason. Incidentally, the Mayans of ancient America also converted the year as 365.222 although the date of its use and why it was so was not known.

5. In AD 548, Cosmas, who became a monk and wrote his memoirs expounded
the Christian view of the Earth that is similar to the first tabernacle of Moses and is therefore rectangular in form. This belief also places Jerusalem at the center of the earth where “Jacob in his vision saw. . . . reaching from earth to heavens”, etcetera, etcetera. Note also the Masonic ritual that says “lodges were situated due east and west as Moses. . . .”

6. Claudius Ptolemy, a Greek astronomer (90-168) who lived in Alexandria, Egypt during the first century AD propounded the theory of the geocentric system based on mathematical observations that it is the earth that is at the center and that the sun and the other planets moved around it. This treatise, expounded extensively in his works titled “The Almagest” had a very lasting impression on the astronomers and geographers of the time and was ultimately replaced only when Galileo Galilei propounded the theory of the heliocentricity of the sun. This treatise also in effect supports the biblical supposition of the sun rising in the east, setting in the west and with earth being static at the center.

The basic flaw of this theory is that while the 365 days, 5 hours 48 minutes and 46 seconds may also result if the sun indeed rotated around the earth as the time that it will take will be the same because of the same distance, the position of the fixed stars will necessarily be different. Note also that the exact place of the earth also dictate the equinoxes and the solstices, positions that will be altered if it is the sun that rotates around the earth and not vice versa. And consider also that the location of the other planets like Mars, Jupiter, Venus, etc., at a given time will turn haywire if it is the earth that it is at the center of the universe.

7. Julius Ceasar reformed the Egyptian calendar in 63 BC using the traditional 365 days normal year and the 366 days leap year, that in turn, was amended by the Georgian calendar in 1582.

8. King Solomon built his magnificent temple sometime 950 BC where the chapiters and pommels (or bowls, or nodes depending on the translation used) are mentioned in the Holy Bible.

9. Joshua, successor of Moses, is said to have commanded the sun to stand still and the moon to stay so that the Israelites nay defeat the Amorites. This biblical event may have occurred around 1274 BC.

IV SOME RELATED OBSERVATIONS

From the foregoing ancient historical and/or biblical data, the following observations may be gathered.

a). The proponents of the bowl-like or basin-like earth supports the theory that the earth is either round or semi-spherical and that there could not exist antipodes on the lower part of a the earth as unlike the lizards that could walk on ceilings upside down, common sense would dictate that antipodes would fall down from the earth if this is so.

b) The biblical quotation on Item 9 in which Joshua is said to have commanded the sun to stop and the moon to stay at their respective places supports the theory of Claudius Ptolemy that it is the earth that is stationary and that those that move are the sun and the moon wherewith Joshua was able to stop and win his war with the Amorites.

c) Item 6 supports the premise that the earth is in the form of a bowl, a basin (or half a sphere) that contained the land and the seas and all things therein contained.

d) The other facts support the sphericity of the earth that is already known to the ancient civilizations, notably, the Chaldees, the Greeks, the Egyptians and the Romans even before the birth of Jesus Christ.

V. THE ELUSIVE SEARCH FOR TRUTH

Ending this article can be anti-climactic. Having explained the sphericity of the earth and its relationship with the sun has aptly explained the relevance of the pommels (or balls) that the Craft’s second degree lecture. But there is a more important message that lurks behind the curtain and that is the search for “truth”. In this regard, let the aging lion now digress.

Some of the readers may have come across the adage that to learn Islam, one must study the Koran in earnest using the Arabic language for much is lost in its translation. The same case would also appear to the study of the Holy Bible for as one can observe, mis-rendering of the original word is not uncommon.

But this writer wonders, will the truth that already stares at our face, fail to convince our stubborn minds, simply because common sense previously told us it is not so?!

Our hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, for example, may still be considered lucky for after his death at the hands of the ecclesiastical authorities by firing squad, the same Church Fathers concocted a blasphemous act of twisting facts by saying Rizal retracted his Masonic beliefs and therefore has returned to the religious fold. As a consequence, brethren wince whenever this issue is brought to the fore.

But the immortal Galileo Galilei who died at the dungeons after being made to sign a retraction that the sun is not at the center of the universe was undoubtedly vindicated by later events saying he was right. Despite the overwhelming scientific evidence proving that the world is round and that it rotates around the sun in rhythmic cadence from time immemorial and will continue be so until the GAOTU decides to change its course, however, the Roman Church still vehemently rejects the glaring error that was made by the Inquisition some 350 years ago..

Sources:

The Ancient Engineers
The Discoverers
The Holy Bible
Internet files
The World’s Religions

BROTHERLY LOVE-- OUTSIDE THE LODGE

2006-01-18T03:08:00.000+08:00

(Lecture delivered to the brethren of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 on January 14, 2006)

Worshipful Master, brethren.

Today’s Masonic Education lecture is titled “Brotherly Love-- Outside the Lodge”. But before I deliver it to you, allow me to cite an anecdote that happened just a while ago that has relevance to this topic.

Before our lodge was opened a few minutes ago, and while waiting for the hat that VW Manuel Mende has ordered brought from his home to the lodge, Bro. Ryan Tirol, who was to act as master of the lodge due to the inability of both the Worshipful Master and the Senior Warden to sit in the East, with the former being indisposed and is scheduled for an operation, while the latter unduly late for the meeting, asked this writer if the lodge cannot be opened unless a hat is available.

Bro. Tirol, being a very young mason (he was raised less than two years ago), deserved to be given an explanation. And so the reply was: “our Fraternity relies heavily on symbolism, and that the master’s hat is indispensable as it makes him on top of all the other brethren. Without it, he will be just like any other, and therefore, subordination in the lodge cannot be effectively carried out.” He thereafter nodded as a sign that he understood.

So let me now get back to the topic.

Our monitor states that the first two things a master do when opening a lodge of whatever degree is (1)puts on hat, and (2) displays working tools. The first has just been explained and the second will now be done.

Note that we don’t have a working tool around. This inadvertence may be understandable as it may have been mislaid somewhere when we demolished our old lodge a few months ago. And so allow me to give the lodge a simple gift which I will now put below the Worshipful Master’s table to be displayed for all the brethren to see, thus complying with the requirement.

How I acquired the working tools is a story in itself. You see, last October, a few weeks prior to my departure for the metropolis to attend with my family the Christmas holidays, I sent two emails to two brethren.
These emails have more or less similar contents and sentence constructions except for the fact that one pertains to a request for working tools while the second for a set of gavels and columns that adorn the tables of the three lights. The first was addressed to Bro. Albert Encarnacion of Laong Laan Lodge No. 185 while the second was sent to VW Jose Ferlu Sudario of Juan Sumulong Lodge No. 169, lodges where the aging lion hold honorary membership, requesting if and would both lodges favor the aging lion with these Masonic furniture as gifts ?!

Let me now narrate what happened to the first email.

Bro. Albert’s reply was to the point. He simply said: “Approved.”

But before he was able to verbally present the request to the lodge, he accidentally met Bro. Rex Ramos, also of the same lodge, who readily said there is no more need to ask the lodge. He’ll buy it himself, anyway, he just closed an insurance deal and the commission was substantial.

The second email was as lucky. VW Ferlu accidentally narrated my request to WB Romulo Ignacio, past master of Antipolo Lodge No. 334 who assured the former that he will have the items carved somewhere at Taytay, Rizal, and to cut the long story short, the sets of gavel and the columns were immediately carved and given to VW Ferlu. And ultimately to the lion when he arrived in the metropolis the first week of December. When asked how much the furniture cost, the giver simply smiled and said: “since it is for your new lodge, Kuya Jun, that will be for free, or in the Castillan language, gratis et amore.”

Now, what makes the story interesting is that WB “Totoy” as the donor is called, and the aging lion, are not really known to each other, especially because the latter has already migrated to the scenic island of Bohol.

The incident that transpired on the working tools was not the same. Although the intended donee and donor have already met the first Saturday of December, the item was not yet purchased. During the multi-district convention that was held at the Grand Lodge last December 17, the aging lion chanced upon WB John Teng and so explained to him his predicament saying he might end up getting home without the item being brought along. Whereupon WB John, instead of replying directly, just dialed his cell phone and said “Bro. Rex, Kuya Jun is here with me at the Grand Lodge. I’m buying the working tools here at the Masonic Supply Store for him and you’ll just have to reimburse me when next we met. And that’s it!

Another gift that the lion expects to receive, although experiencing a snag in the mails, is a US $400 remittance that WB Dennis Alban of Integrity Lodge No. 997 promised; (in what part of the USA, the lion knows not where). He said he sent it last December 12 and yet by January 14, it hasn’t arrived yet. The aging lion therefore requested WB Moises Millanar, the addressee, to check it up with the post office to find out whatever happened while the lion assured the latter that he will make the corresponding follow-up with WB Dennis via email soonest he reach the lion’s den. This manna, when received, can easily fund the possible replacement of the tables of the three lights and possibly the rickety chairs that was used in the old, old, lodge.

There is yet another cash gift that is given by Bro. Orly Bernales of Leeward Lodge of the Grand Lodge of Hawaii, and at this instance, the lion requested that he stand so that his presence my be officially acknowledged and at the same time personally hand over the US $170 donation, coming as it is from his own lodge in scenic and hula-dancing island of Hawaii.

As you will note, dear brethren, those from other lodges outside our borders are as interested in our efforts to rebuild our own lodge. Time demanded that the old one be demolished as the structure, once mighty and imposing, has outlived its purpose. The founders of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84 surely will not fault us for making this bold move, their souls may even guard the new temple as indeed it is undoubtedly closer to their bones.

Note:

There are other donations received by the aging lion. From American Samoa, he received a total of US$ 80, the proceeds of which were spent mostly on the lion tamer’s harelip project and expenses related to the case of Melvyn Bernaldes who is undergoing treatment at the Vicente Sotto Hospital at Cebu City and to Jonel Lustrado who is taking medicines at home.

Another donor who insisted that he remains unidentified gave the aging lion P5,000 last December with the specific instruction that it be added to the Christmas expenses that the lion and his tamer are expected to incur at their backyard to celebrate Christmas. He said that the amount may not ameliorate or improve their lot, but about five hours merrymaking of these poor folks will already be good enough. He even promised that he will help defray the cost of a new project called “A Mini Park for the Kids” that is now being mulled by the lion tamer and his aging pet at their own backyard by the sea.

THE VAGARIES OF DIVERGING (IR)RELIGIOUS VIEWS

2006-01-04T00:55:00.000+08:00

Freemasonry, although not a religion, expressly prohibits atheists from joining the Craft due to religious considerations. Of course there are others who are barred from joining, like women, young men in their non-age and old men in their dot-age, but their exclusion are due not to religion but to other reasons.

But are atheists the only persons who are barred on account of their religious conviction, or precisely, the lack of it? Let the aging lion now offer two other curious words in addition to atheists as defined Webster’s in Dictionary. This group, for the purpose of this article, will be called unbelievers.

I. THE UNBELEIVERS

Atheist- One who denies the existence of God.

Agnostic- Of or relating to the belief that the existence of any ultimate reality (as God) is unknown and probably unknowable.

Naturalist- One who advocates or practice the doctrine that denies a supernatural explanation of the origin, development, or end of the universe, and holds that scientific laws account for everything in nature.

From the above-mentioned definitions, both the atheist and the naturalist share the same belief that denies the existence of an Omnipotent God whereas the agnostic does not know and will probably end up not knowing till the end of time.

The same premise apparently holds true in so far as the existence of the soul is concerned except that to naturalists, birth, death and resurrection indeed apply in the form of science by observing all living things although nothing is mentioned at all about the soul.

II. THE BELIEVERS

People who believe in the Almighty can be categorized many ways, the most common of which are traceable to the religions that sprouted from two ancient civilizations, namely, that from the ancient Near East in old India, those that were established by the Semites in ancient Mesopotamia and from other sources. Here are eight of them.

A. From the ancient religions of the Near East.

1. The Hindus- this religion has about 330 million Gods, the most famous of whom are Brahma, Visnu and Siva. Their book of the Holy Writings is called Bhagavad-gita and have four social classes called (a) the Brahmins (priests), (b) Katriyas (warriors), (c) Vaisyas and (d) Sudras, the last two of which are underlings who served the first two classes. Its principal tenet revolves around the karmic effect of reincarnation and the eventual cleansing of the soul until it finally soars to the mighty heavens when freed of worldly sins. The large number of Gods may be intelligible and may be incomprehensible to non-Hindus but may probably be understood if the other gods are simply classified as saints as Christians do.

2. The Buddhists- Buddhism is a religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama who was born around 586 BC and grew up amidst luxury. He eventually left the worldly life of comfort and took the life of a wandering recluse. Buddha is not a God but one who has achieved that status after death. Its scriptures, in addition to the Bhagavad-gita, are the compiled teachings of Buddha. Its votaries comprise the inhabitants of the Chinese mainland, Korea, Japan and many of the other Southeast Asian nations notably Burma, Laos and Thailand and accounts for about forty percent of the world’s population and is probably the largest religion in the world. Like the Jains, the Buddhists have deep respect for animal life.

3. The Jains- Like the Hindus, this religion was founded (or re-founded) by Mahavra who was born around 599 B. C and claims its existence from immemorial antiquity. Their beliefs are said to be more strict and terse than Buddhism, they who strains their drinking water, wear masks and so on, to prevent them from accidentally taking life of living creatures since this act, even when not done on purpose, can bring bad karmic effect. Their austere life explains their dwindling members now to only about 3 million and located in India.

This religion has no concept of a Creator and that the Universe is roughly like the shape of a person with the population located somewhere at the waist, with the upper part representing the Heavens and the lower part representing Hell.. When after a series of reincarnations the soul finally is purified from its earthly sins, the soul rises up where it then forever resides free from pain.

B. FROM THE SEMITIC RELIGIONS

1. Judaism- Generally believed to be founded by Moses who was said to be responsible for the compilation of the Pentateuch which is the first five books of the Old Testament, this religion echoed the spiritual cravings of the Israelites and is considered the mother religion of both Christianity and Islam. Its God is either called Yahweh, Jehovah, El Shaddai, etc depending on what version or translation of the Holy Bible one reads..

2. Christianity- a breakaway and revolutionary group from Judaism, this religion sprouted from the face of the earth after the death of Jesus Christ, the perceived Messiah of the Israelites. Curiously, its rapid growth was ignited not by the mainstream Jews but by converts to the faith, especially Saul who was at one time a Roman soldier and who later took the name Paul when he propagated the faith to the Gentiles..

This religion was further strengthened by Emperor Constantine in 325 AD when at the Council of Nicea he made Christianity the official religion of Rome. It then spread like wildfire to Europe during the Middle Ages and then to the Americas and finally reaching even the far-away Philippines.

Christianity, incidentally is the most fragmented religion in the entire world what with its many sects that sprouted like mushrooms everywhere, each one claiming to be the sole repository of religious truth. In the Philippines alone, it has the Iglesia Filipina Independiente or the Aglipayan Church, the Iglesia ni Cristo, the Ang Dating Daan Movementof Eli Soriano, and the many other Protestant denominations that were established in Europe and in the Americas that have also successfully established branches in almost all the corners of the entire world, in addition to the Roman Catholic Church that the conquering Spaniards brought with them at the advent of the age of the Conquistadors. .

3. Islam- this religion was founded by Muhammad who is believed to have been born in AD 570. Its sacred book is called the Koran, the word of God that was revealed in Arabic by archangel Gabriel to the prophet Muhammad. This religion initially started in Mecca and by painstaking effort converted the adjoining towns up to the time of his death. In its teachings, the prophets of the faith include Abraham, Ishmael, Moses, Jesus Christ, and Mohammad being the last prophet in line.

This faith is considered aggressive because it allows its votaries to use the sword if need be in propagating the faith, and it is from religion where the word assassin was derived. Reaching as far as India, it also managed to have devotees in Pakistan and Bangladesh that caused the undue reduction of the Hindus in those places. Like the Roman Catholics it ultimately found its way to the Philippines where the MNLF and the MILF are the source of irritants of the Philippine government This religion, by some estimates, accounts for about 15 percent of the world’s population.

To understand this faith clearly, one is encouraged to learn the Arabic language as adherents claim, much is lost during translation into other languages.

C. FROM OTHER SOURCES

1. Zoroastrianism- One religion that has placed impressive impact during the ancient times and has even profoundly influenced the medieval times is the one founded by Zarathustra, a prophet who live sometime 600 BC in Syria. This religion expounds the belief that there are two Gods; one of good and the other of evil, the former called Ahura Mazda, and the latter Angra Mainyu, who are perpetually battling each other with varied fortunes. This religion is apparently the mother religion of Manichaeism, the Bogomils and the Cathars of Southern France, religions that believed in the dual principal gods, the last adherents of which were wiped out during the Inquisition sometime in the 1330’s. Tailings of this religion may still be found in India in but in significantly reduced number and are called the Pharsees. This group apparently are the same believers that were mentioned in the New Testament and were called the Pharisees during the time of Jesus Christ..

2. Pantheism- Webster’s compact dictionary defines this word as “a doctrine that equates God with the forces and laws of the universe.” Unknown even to many, its tenets, if you may call it that, is expounded in the 18· conferral of Scottish Rite and is succinctly summarized in the acronym INRI, the first word symbolizing the Infinity of God, the second representing Nature, the third meaning Reason, and the last symbolizing the Immortality of the Soul. If you doubt the writer’s word, take or refresh yourself on the said Scottish Rite conferral but don’t dare doze off while the lecture is concisely being explained.

This writer could not say for certain but it appears this doctrine is much similar to Jainism (see A-3) that was explained earlier.

From these eight religions may be classified two groups of people, the first comprising the multitude who are being assisted by the priests and are therefore considered passive believers- those who pray, go to sacred sites like the Benares for the Hindus, Mecca for the Muslims and Rome for the Catholics, and do the biddings of their appointed leaders. The other group comprise the adepts who explore the mysteries of religion on their own. As Francis Bacon, in his treatise “The Advancement of Learning” in 1605 said:

“Nay, Solomon, the king, although he excelled in the glory of the treasure and magnificent buildings, of shipping and navigation, of service and attendance, of fame and renown, and the like, yet he maketh no claim to all those glories, but only to the glory of inquisition of truth, for so he sayeth expressly, “The glory of God is to conceal a thing, but the glory of the king is to find it out”, as if, according to the innocent play of children, the Divine Majesty took delight to hide his work, to the end to have them found out as if kings could not obtain a greater honour than to be God’s playfellows in that game.”

III. THE THORNY SUBJECT OF GOD AND CREATION

Let those believers and progenitors of the faith declare that theirs is the only true religion although these may have been established only in the last century. But to this writer, the question is simply whether to believe in the Almighty or not. If God is non-existent, should it not follow that creation is only a matter of semantics, a word that the irreligious or the nonbelievers insist is the case?!

Let now this writer offer a few fallacious statements of one imminent psychologist who debunks the belief that God is a myth in an article that was posted in the Web, the relevant portions of which will be quoted in this article but without the author being mentioned.

1. When President (George) Bush allegedly said:

“God told me to strike Al Qaeda and I struck them and then, he instructed me to strike Saddam, most Americans were not alarmed to learn that their leader was receiving orders that no one could hear. America is an unusually religious nation the majority of people claim to believe in God.”
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2. Quote from Albert Einstein

“I had deep religiosity, which, however, found an abrupt ending at the age of twelve. Through the reading of popular scientific books I soon reached the conviction that much in the stories of the Bible could not be true. The consequence was a positively fanatic orgy of freethinking coupled with the impression that youth is intentionally being deceived by the state through lies. It was a crushing impression. Suspicion against every kind of authority grew out of this experience, a skeptical attitude which were alive in any specific social environment- an attitude which has never left me.” (Autobiographical notes 1949)

3. Quote on the naturalist, William Paley, who laid the groundwork for the modern notion of intelligent design when he asked us to imagine what we would conclude wee we to come across a watch lying on the ground.

“The inference, we think is inevitable, that the watch must have had a maker- that there must have existed, at some time and at some place or other, an artificer or artificers who formed it for the purpose which we find it actually to answer, who comprehended its construction and designed its use.” (Natural Theology, 1802)

In other words, a watch is not a random assemblage of parts but a structured, ordered, obviously non-random assemblage of parts- and non random assemblage requires explanations. The existence of an intelligent assembler is a tempting explanation if only because it is at once so familiar and so complete. For most people, the material universe, biological life, and human consciousness are the kinds of curious, complex, well ordered phenomena that require explanation, an and intelligent designer provide just that.

But there are at least two problems with this explanation. First, the explanations that rely on the inexplicable are not explanations at all. They have the form of an explanation, but they do not have the content. Yet psychology experiments reveal that people are often satisfied with empty form. For instance, when experimenters approached people who were standing in line at a photo machine and said: “Can I get ahead of you?” the typical answer is No. But when they added at the end of his request the words” because I need to make some copies,” the typical answer was Yes.” The second request used the word “because” and sounded like an explanation, and the fact that this explanation told them nothing that they didn’t already know was oddly irrelevant.

Should the reader desire to read the article adverted to, he is advised to click http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/gilbert05/gilbert05_index.html but the aging lion hereby warns you, you should be able to read, digest, discriminate, otherwise, this article is not for you..

This writer does not claim to be more knowledgeable than the author of the said article where these three quotations were lifted but point by point, here are his comments.

On Item 1- Too bad he accepted the words of President George W. Bush as gospel truth. Tsk,. tsk, tsk. Has it ever dawned on the author that Bush is a politician and an incorrigible liar, much like a lady president of another place.?

On Item 2- Albert Einstein, no doubt, was a genius in the scientific world. But about 70% of the world’s population are not Christians who do not believe in the Bible, and the while the remaining 30% are Christians, a large number doubts its infallibility and many of the remainder have not read that sacred book at all. It is much similar to an uninitiated who, after reading a portion of Albert Pike’s Morals and Dogma, generously supposed that it is Masonry’s sacred book and thus, any statement that counters his own beliefs are presumed by him to be sacrilegious and totally blasphemous.

Simply because Einstein said that there are many untruths (as he said it) in the Bible does not prove that God did not exist at all.

On Item 3- The example on the assumption that the watch probably has an artificer is fine. But the example on the copying machine is horrendous.

The second example using the word “because” won’t work because the natural law of “falling in line” demands that you wait for your turn. Except of course, if you press the nuzzle of a gun at the people ahead of you saying “If you don’t let me get ahead , I’ll use this gun at you.”

The start of creation then is a very tricky question. Naturalists claim that since Creation of the universe could not be proved then ergo, there is no Creator.

Well, oh well, this article has now exceeded the length allowed for an article like this. But now the writer knows why religion (or the lack of it) does not deserve to be discussed at all in a lodge room.

The conclusion is now yours!

RETRACING FOOTPRINTS

2006-01-01T00:24:00.000+08:00

AN OPEN EMAIL FROM THE AGING LION TO HIS ELDEST CUB

My dear son:

Your statement that you will soon petition for membership in Masonry was a pleasant surprise to your Tatay (Dad), for nowhere in time did he ever encourage you to join the Craft. The only occasion he recalls having invited you to a Masonic gathering was during his installation as master of his old lodge; but that was already a good ten years ago. Not that he objects to your intention but any self-respecting Mason will want that anyone, his son included, should join the Fraternity “of his own free will and accord.”

But since you have courageously expressed your desire to join, it may benefit you if you are apprised of the three most basic, yet very important tenets of the Craft before your petition is processed by the lodge where you intend to become a member.

I. BELIEF IN THE ALMIGHTY

You may well remember that your Tatay has dutifully took you, your Nanay and the rest of your siblings to church almost every Sunday from the time you could ever manage to walk. The three of you, that is, including both your sister and your youngest brother, were all enrolled at Angilicum School during your elementary and high school years thus enabling you to get a solid foundation of the faith where he himself was born to and though quite frankly your Dad may not be a deep-rooted Catholic (your Mom certainly is) ever since, we did endeavor to expose you to the Almighty the best way we knew.

But being nurtured to religion, as most Freemasons should be, will now offer a different twist. You should henceforth familiarize yourself to the fact that other members within the Fraternity may share diverging views. God may be called Yahweh, Jehovah, El Shaddai, Lord Krishna, Buddha, and even Allah, and that prudence should now dictate that you allow these members to practice their own respective beliefs they same way you will be allowed to practice your own. In many of his writings your Dad often calls the Almighty by the acronym GAOTU, the meaning of which you will surely learn later. Suffice it to say that these apparently divergent names meant all the same to him.

II THE IMMORTAILITY OF THE SOUL

The word “soul” in this context refers to your own and that it survives the grave, even when time shall be no more.

III THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN

Being a bona-fide graduate of UP Los Banos, the word “brotherhood” should no longer be alien to you, especially because you have been very active in the Eagles Fraternity while still in college. But here are a few words on “Man” as symbolized in the context of the Craft.

“Man” is a generic term that should start with you, then to your wife Vicky and then to your two children on the first ladder of idyllic thought. In descending order of priorities, the ladder next involve your parents- your mother and myself. Then come your sister and your younger brother, their respective spouses and their children grouped together. Then come in lower rung your relatives from us, -your parents, and then to Vicky’s relatives. Next but still in descending order your officemates at San Miguel, and then your drinking buddies that you have accumulated from school and from your workplace all through the years. And then almost all in particular who somehow are interacting with you hence will also be added to the list.

“Brotherhood of Man” can get a little complicated since it is is extremely difficult to uphold harmonious relationship with all of them. But as the saying goes: “if you cannot maintain good relations with one or two, there is still no need to quarrel, simply shun those you don’t like and it will already suffice.” As Freemasons are wont to say: “cultivate relationship with those who can best work and best agree.”

Your Dad recalls with fond memories how he and your mother tried to raise you and your siblings the best way they could.. They spiritedly sent you all to Angelicum School in your formative years and also endeavored to enroll you all at the State University when you were already in the collegiate level. He also still recalls with clarity the time he handed you a bottle of beer after your graduation from high school since you have already qualified to study at UP in Los Banos, and subsequently enrolled you at a karate class that summer, with a terse reminder that since you will henceforth be away from the family, you might as well be ready to fight you own battles. He also cannot help but chuckle every time he remembers the date you were deposited at the Men’s Dorm at Los Banos where your Nanay dutifully presented you with a Catholic Edition of the Holy Bible, not knowing that inside it your Dad inserted a primer on “How Not to Contact Sexual Disease” that was issued by the United States Military Service. Even to this date however, he never had a chance to know which printed material you’ve read more often; you mother and your Dad never found out what the heck ever happened to these two priceless manuals of instruction.

You later graduated and in fine asked permission to get married with nary an objection heard from you father. All is well, he thought, you have aptly prepared yourself to face the world’s myriad of challenges, using your own wings and feathers that is the unseen vehicle of your soul..

And now you desire to join him in this oldest Fraternity.

It’s not a complicated thing really. You will be investigated upon by three members from the lodge where you intend to join and they will submit their evaluation on your strengths and weaknesses, on whether you are bad or good, and if the latter, can be made better. It is possible the record of your two sponsors may help but beyond that, it is your accomplishments that will really count as the basis of your eventual admission..

Your Dad is glad Vicky consented to your plan to join Freemasonry. That will loosen up some misimpressions that Masonry is not God fearing; also the fact that your sponsor is close to her because there might be some events you may not be free to relate to her and thus cause minor problems. But with the wife of your sponsor familiar with the actuations of her husband as a Mason, these possible irritants will considerably be lessened.

Wilfred Philip (Bong) Leano, your school buddy from way back in the upper eighties, is furnished a copy of this email and as such, may wish he is physically around during the time you will be raised. He may even daydream that he is once again a vaquero out to tame a young bull as you did together during your memorable and indeed suspenseful collegiate years..

Good luck on your petition, your Tatay hopes you make it.

THE WIDOWS OF THE HOLY BIBLE

2005-11-26T02:00:00.000+08:00

The Jewish people is a patriarchal society; so for readers who are too lazy to get a dictionary and get the precise meaning of the word patriarchal (this word is not found in the dictionary available in the Internet) it means that if the male rules the house, then it is patriarchal; on the other hand, if a lion tamer exists with a menacing whip on her hand- then it is matriarchal. But let us get back to the topic before the snoring lady in bed awakens and find out what this article is all about..

Readers of the Holy Writings will attest that only the masculine gender are given prominence in the Holy Bible; Adam Noah, Moses, David, Solomon, even Jesus Christ. Of course the female counterparts are also mentioned, like Eve, Mary, and Mary Magdalene. But these names were recognized mainly to exhort male chauvinistic traits, or to chronicle unpleasant events that the matriarchal society never wants.

. Take the case of Eve, for instance. She was mentioned because she goaded Adam to eat the apple, an act that would later be held responsible for the original sin of mankind.. Mary was important only because she is the mother of Jesus Christ. And Mary Magdalene?! She became prominent because she anointed Jesus with the spikenard and even on this aspect, she was made to appear as a prostitute although contemporary biblical scholars claim her role in the Bible was marginalized and that really, the hint of her being made a harlot is mainly to lessen her importance in the life of Jesus Christ. Ever heard that Jesus and Mary Magdalene living as conjugal partners that were bannered by the books “Holy Blood, Holy Grail, The Templar Revelations,” etc., books that claims the Magdalene was the human vessel that carried the blood of Jesus Christ and that they have procreated descendants that live to this day? Heretical and preposterous, to say the least, some would say.

But the role of women in procreation can never be ignored and they are presented in several categories. They either are shown as (1) barren women (in local parlance, “walang ng katas”), (2) harlots (the real putang inas) (3) virgins (yong di pa nagagalaw) and (4) widows (at biyudas ano pa!). And this brief (no, not the one used as underwears!) article is about the last-mentioned category.

Widows abound in the Holy Bible and this writer has tallied no less than eight, five of whom have Masonic relevance. Let’s take them up one by one, citing them in the reverse order of their appearance. Lifo- the accountants would brag.

I. THE WIDOW MENTIONED BY ELISAH

As backgrounder, Elisah, son of Elijah, is mentioned in 2 Kings 4:1-7 the gist of which are as follows:

“The woman, whose husband is already dead approached Elisha saying that her creditors came to take her two sons as bondsmen (in local lingo, alila or longkatuts). Whereupon Elisha asked her what she has in the house and she replied, ”nothing except the pot of oil”. Elisha then ordered her to borrow similar vessels (or pots) from her neighbors, all she could gather, he said, and after which, Elisha, in the name of God, filled all the vessels with oil. He later ordered the widow: “Go sell the oil, pay your debts, and live thou and thy children with the rest.”

This biblical passage has no Masonic import, but just as wishful thinking: “Wouldn’t it be nice, if Elisha were around to help GMA fill the drained tubs of Petron, Caltex and Shell, sell these, pay the nation’s debts, and live normally ever after with Virgilio Garcillano and Jock-Joke Bolante no longer at her heels?!

II. ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW OF ZAREPATH

Elijah is mentioned in 1 Kings 18: 1-16, and is particularly relevant to members of the Craft. The gist of this biblical passage was already detailed in a previous article titled “Elijah and the Widow of Zarepath” and therefore will no longer be discussed lengthily. Suffice it to say however, that the equivalent of the mariners’ signal of distress that is eloquently expressed by the acronym SOS for “Save Our Souls”, is emphatically depicted, but this writer no longer feels obligated to relate. Readers who would want further explanation are therefore advised to get back at that article and browse over it again.

III. HIRAM ABIF, THE WIDOW’S SON

Undoubtedly the most popular to Freemasons (and understandably so since all have represented Hiram Abif), this widow is neither named nor clearly identified in the Bible. To confound matters, the writer of 1 Kings says she is from the tribe of Napthali while the author of 1 Chronicles claim he is the son of a Danite woman. However, since Naptahali and Dan are sons of Jacob by the same mother named Bilhah, then it should follow that if Hiram Abif was a descendant of Napthali, then he could not be a descendant of Dan, and vice versa!!

On a parallel case, this writer also noticed that even the genealogy of Jesus Christ also suffers the same inconsistency when the Gospels of Matthew and Luke are compared. Matthew traced the genealogy that David’s son from whom Jesus Christ came from was Solomon, while Luke said that it was from his elder brother Nathan..

Talk about the infallibility of the Holy Bible and these two classic examples will easily stir a hornet’s nest. But oh, well!!.

IV. BATHSHEBA, THE MOTHER OF SOLOMON

How a very beautiful woman named Bathsheba became a widow is a unique story in itself.

The Holy Writings (1 Samuel 11: 1-27) says that one evening David walked on the roof of his house and saw a very beautiful woman washing herself. Learning later that she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite who is one of his generals, and secretly coveting her for himself, he ordered that Uriah be sent to the most dangerous part of the battlefield, there to do battle and consequently died. After the required mourning, David took Bathsheba as one of his many wives and on the second pregnancy, Solomon was born.

Bathsheba thus was recorded as a woman who was made widow and wife by imperial might.

V. NAOMI, ORPAH AND RUTH (See Book of Ruth in its entirety)

The widowed life of Naomi, Orpah and Ruth were not as tantalizing as that of Bathsheba. The three became widows as follows: Naomi by her husband Elime-elech; Orpah by Mahlon and Ruth by Chil-on, with the last two mentioned males being sons of Naomi.

After the death of their respective husbands, the three returned to Judah, no! not the name but the place. Since the two daughters-in-law were Moabites, Naomi persuaded them to return to their respective places so that they can return to their own normal lives before they got married. But while Orpah heeded her mother-in-law, Ruth decided to stay. It is while living with Naomi that Boaz, a wealthy land-owner and relative of Elim-elech took notice of Ruth, and in accordance with ancient Israelitish custom claimed her for his wife.

Boaz and Ruth would later sire Obed who is the father of Jesse and Jesse producing a son named David who became the second king of Israel.

The Masonic relevance of this biblical passage traces the part of the lecture in the EAM degree that says:

“You are neither barefoot nor shod, in allusion to an ancient Israelitish custom adopted among Masons. Concerning redeeming, we read in the Book of Ruth. . .”

There you are. You should now pick the continuation of the lecture from there!!

VI. TAMAR, THE WIDOW OF ER (Genesis 38: 1-30)

Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, had three sons named Er, Onan and Shelah. In fine Judah had Er married to Tamar. But Er died without producing a son and so in accordance with tradition, Judah required his second son Onan to cohabit with Tamar. Onan however, knowing that any offspring would not be credited to him but to his elder brother, spills his semen on the ground whenever the make contact and thereafter died likewise without a descendant. Again, in accordance with tradition, Judah convinced Tamar to stay in his house so that he can give Shelah to her for a husband when he fully grows up.

Shelah finally matured without the promise being fulfilled and so Tamar tricked Judah, who by that time had already become a widower, by covering her face with a veil and wrapped herself up so that she will not be recognized. She thereafter disguised herself as a harlot and to whom Judah promised a kid or young goat as payment for carnal relations, and thereafter the sexual act was consummated.

After the event, Judah bid leave but since payment was not yet effected, he was required to leave behind his signet, bracelet and staff as guarantee for payment. Too late did he learn three months later that Tamar was pregnant and that the seed came from his own loins on that epic misadventure at the wayside...

The underlying message of it all is that by tricking Judah to that sexual act, she consigned herself to the role of a lioness who became the matriarchal ascendant of the tribe from whom David, Solomon, Jesus Christ and even Emperor Hail Selassie of Ethiopia lay claim on that immortal phrase “Lion of the Tribe of Judah.”

ELIJAH AND THE WIDOW OF ZAREPATH

2005-11-17T07:42:00.000+08:00

Spoon-feeding is oftentimes not nice. And so for this transmission, what the reader will get is a quotation from the King James Version of the Holy Bible (1 Kings 17: 17-23) but will not tell them what the lion is hinting at as it is being sent in the form of a teaser to arouse your curiousity.

“And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick: and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him. And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, o thou man of God, art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son? And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him up on his own bed. And he cried unto the Lord and said, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son? And he stretch himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord and said; O Lord my God, I pray thee, let this child’s soul come into him again. And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came to him again.”

The aging lion bets no uninitiated will ever comprehend the meaning of this send-out; and any brother who is in the dark is advised that he better get back into the lodge and again attend a third-degree conferral. He surely will need a refresher on what Freemasonry is all about!

Or is it possible, recipients don’t really bother to read the messages that the aging lion periodically send out? And those who would bother to react, please do so, it will make the lion aware you are still alive!!

FREEMASONRY AND RELIGION

2005-11-09T04:47:00.000+08:00

Who says religion cannot be discussed within the confines of the Craft? Then why is it being asked in the petition form to what religion the petitioner belongs? Now, don’t answer that. The aging lion will answer it for you.

The reason is because atheists are barred from joining and therefore it is a mandatory requirement that a prospective brother should have a particular religion; but what it is, is no longer the concern of the Fraternity.

The implied prohibition therefore, is that discussion of a particular religion is taboo, like the ones always hotly being debated upon by Eli Soriano of “Ang Dating Daan” and Pete Buluran (probably of the Iglesia ni Cristo) at the airwaves. But religion, per se, is not at all prohibited. If you doubt it, then take a refresher of the 18th degree lecture assuming you are already a Scottish Rite Mason, or if not better enlist at Quezon City Bodies (how’s that for advertisement?!) or the other Bodies in the Philippine jurisdiction and there you will learn that Right, Truth, and Religion, are one and the same. But a word of warning: Don’t doze off into slumber while the lecture is going on.

So now, let the lion take the bull by the horns.

Are you aware that no less than ninety percent of the world’s population trace their religious roots to two ancient civilizations, namely the Semites of ancient Mesopotamia and the Hindus of the Indian continent? How’s that again? Does it mean that about 5.4 billion of the world’s population trace their religious roots to the Hebrews and the Indians? Oh, no! not the American Indians, but the Hindus of India!

Let us take both one after the other.

The Semitic religion of the patriarch Abraham (remember the Christmas song Father Abraham?!) spawned three of the world’s great religions, namely, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Judaism had its roots from Abraham then to Moses, filtering down to David, then to Solomon and down the line to the time Jesus Christ. But after the death of the world’s greatest teacher, a tender branch sprouted and in less than three centuries grew to a size that relegated the adherents of Judaism to mediocrity. Until finally, during the council of Nicea in AD 325, the congregation voted on the divinity of Jesus Christ. Thus would Christianity blossom mightier than an oak in the woodlands and from there it spread all through Europe and the entire world, namely, the Americas and up to the Far East in the eastern hemisphere that include the Philippines.

In AD 570 Mohammed was born and during his lifetime propagated Islam, the religion that claims to have started its roots also from Abraham. Curiously, its prophets include Ismael- Abraham’s first-born son, Moses, Jesus Christ, and finally Mohammed at the end of the line. These three religions, meaning Judaism, Christianity and Islam when combined, easily accounts for about 45 percent of the world’s population that now is estimated at about 6.1 billion.

For the moment, let the lion digress from the Semites or the Hebrews and let him focus his sight on the Hindus or the real Indians.

Said to be once ruled by the Aryans, ancient India, which previously include Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Ceylon to the south and up to the Himalayas and Afghanistan in the north, accounts for about the same percentage as that of the combined religions of the Semites. Initially it comprise the Vedas or Brahmmins and the Jain religions at the forefront. In 563 BC however, Siddarta Gautama was born and to him was credited the birth of Buddhism. This religion leapt later to China, Korea, Japan, Ceylon, Burma and Thailand to the extent that it is now said to comprise about 40 percent of the total world population. In addition, the Sikhs also trace their roots to the Indian sub-continent although they have a distinct Volume of the Sacred Law of their own..

There are of course other religions that planted their roots somewhere else; like those of the American Indians and the aborigins of Australia, the voodoo religions of the South Americas; and for those who would not want to be excluded, even Apo Kahoy of the Malakas and Maganda mythology if there indeed is any. But these religions no longer account for a sizable percentage of the total religions of the world.

In sum therefore, religion is like a tree that sprouts a stem that subsequently turns into a trunk and rising upwards grows new branches. Take the case of the religion of Abraham. Judaism was its main trunk and after several centuries, a new twig grew in the form of Christianity. This branch thereafter produced several twigs of its own, like Eastern Orthodoxy, Pauline Christianity from where the Roman Church later stood, and even Nestorian Christianity that is obviously unknown to the outside world. Eastern Orthodoxy thrived in the Baltic states of Europe that include Russia, while Pauline Christianity whose base was in Rome propagated the faith simultaneous with the conquests of the Southern Americas and ultimately to the Philippines.

But the growth of Christianity was not without misgivings. The German Martin Luther established Protestantism in Europe and the monarchs of England and Scotland as heads of state (and religion) formed their own so that when at last they made the conquest of North America and Canada, they brought with them their Protestant faith which is, in many respects, different from the faith nurtured by Saint Paul and the Roman Church. In the Philippines, Isabelo de los Reyes formed Iglesia Filipina Independiente and cajoled Gregorio Aglipay to be its first Obispo Maximo. Felix Manalo organized his Iglesia ni Cristo and lately even Eli Soriano joined the fray by establishing his “Dating Daan Movement”, such that nowadays, religious analysts remark that Christianity, with about a third of the world’s total population, is the most fragmented religion on the face of the earth

Other religions experience the same fate. Buddhists have Shinto, Zen and other similar variants that undoubtedly were influenced by their respective philosophies, customs and traditions. The same holds true to Islam, what with the Sunnis, the Shiites and even the Zufis, it would be irrational to say these religions strictly adhere to exactly the same beliefs.

And what have these divergent religions of the world have in common with Freemasonry?! (Now, the lion got you there!!!)

Well, all religions (almost all, anyway because the lion’s readings say that there are variants of religions in India that do not believe in a particular God, like the Jains who do not have the concept of a creator, or the Hindus who believe in the multiplicity of deities the most prominent of whom are Brahma, Visnu and Ziva), believe in the Almighty, in the immortality of the soul, and in the brotherhood of man. These three are among the principal tenets of Freemasonry that are shared commonly by almost all religions. But how these are practiced, is an entirely different story. Freemasonry, it should be remembered, offers no definite name nor form of God and offers no avenue for salvation. Conversely then, how do these three tenets agree or disagree, with both religion and Freemasonry? Let’s take the three one by one.

I.. BELIEF IN GOD

The respective names of God, even in a particular religion, vary. In Christianity for example, the names Adonai, El Shaddai, Yahweh, Jehovah, Lord, and what have you are recorded. They have Allah in Islam, Brahma and his cohorts in Hindu and Buddha in Buddhism, although strictly speaking, Buddha is not literally considered a God, but one who has achieved that status. It goes to show therefore that if there are modifications in calling the Almighty as God, how much more variable is attuning ones’ belief to Him?! And Freemasonry also would not want to meddle into the details of a brother’s particular manner of belief in his own God!

II. THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL

The basic deviation of an atheist over a religious devotee is not only non-belief in the Almighty but also in the non-belief in a soul and that when one dies, only his memory remains.. Agnostics wonder if there is a God and a soul, while atheists believe there is none. But let’s leave the atheists and agnostics to their respective thinking.

Sometimes called “kruwah” by the religious, it is also alternately called spirit or soul of man. Belief in the soul is also divergent- Christians, Catholics especially believe that a soul either goes to heaven or hell after death. Buddhists and Hindus think of reincarnation, that is, getting back to another body after a series of deaths and rebirths until it is fully cleansed of imperfections. Somewhere in the 18th degree conferral, it talks of the soul as a unit and that like all matter, it experience breaking up into components only to regroup again with another matter at a later time but is never extinguished on the face of the universe unless willed by the Almighty.

Despite the variants however, it is evident the soul as created by his Maker, is immortal and will remain so to the ends of the earth.. The 18th degree also mentioned the acronym INRI which stands not for the acronym that was placed atop the cross where Jesus was crucified which meant IESUS NAZARENUS, REX IUDAREUM but as INFINITY (of God), NATURE, REASON and IMMORTALITY (of the soul). But you have to attend the Scottish Rite conferral of degrees as the explanation of that acronym will not be made in this short, albeit perplexing article.

III. THE BROTHERHOOD OF MEN

The 30· conferral of the Scottish Rite degree eloquently expounded the doctrine on “love of neighbor” when it said: “Love God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength; and thy Neighbor as thyself. This do and thou shalt live.” And added: “Humanity is our Neighbor. We are all one kindred, as God breathed unto man the breath of life”.

The question now is: “From where did this creed came from?”

The answer, fortunately, is not hard to find for in Matthew 22: 37-40 it says:

“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Not only that; in Mark 12: 28-31, it also said the same message although with a slight variation in phraseology.

The question now that is at hand is: “Is this creed peculiar to, or the teaching attributable solely to the world’s Greatest Teacher? If not, who are the other sages who did?, Fortunately, Albert Pike in his “Morals and Dogma” narrated the following complementary verses and sentences on the subject:

CONFUCIOUS- the Chinese

“The doctrine consist solely in being upright of heart and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves”

SOCRATES- the Grecian

“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

ZOROASTER- the Persian

“Hold it not meet to do unto others what thou wouldst not desire unto thyself; do that unto the people, which, when done to thyself, is not disagreeable unto thee.

HILEL- the Pharisee

“That which thou liketh not done to thyself, do it not unto thy neighbor.

Which all but sums up that believers of the faiths where these immortal sages belong, and not knowing that the others have said it may be constrained to think that the doctrine is peculiarly theirs. But Masonry, a patient recorder of dogmas and doctrines enunciated by these ancient philosophers simply adapted the lesson as its own and propagated the unwritten thoughts of God through several mediums.

SYNOPSIS

With but a single example on “love of neighbor” this short article can now be ended with the following closing words:

“Religion can be compared to a tree whose seed germinated and grew into a trunk, and thereafter creating branches as it rises upwards, and then twigs and leaves, becoming different both in appearance and substance as it soars above. Freemasonry, on the other hand, is like a brook, initially solitary, and in fine attracting the waters of other brooks along the way, until it becomes a mighty river and its waters finally merging with the crystal-clear pristine sea.

LAMBSKIN APRON POTPOURRI

2005-11-05T15:44:00.000+08:00

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One of the most enduring lessons taught in Freemasonry is the elocution on the lambskin apron where it says and the lion quotes “it is an emblem of innocence and the peculiar badge of a mason, more ancient than the Golden Fleece, or the Roman Eagle, more honorable than the Star and Garter, etc., etc.” But what does this phrase really mean?

Golden Fleece, as most literary buffs will readily say, is easily identified with Greek mythology, specifically with Jason and the Argonauts. The Roman Eagle, on the other hand, can be rewound to the glorious days of the Roman Empire where its centurions proudly emblazon their soldier’s armors with the eagle, the symbol of power. Which but confirm their roots to antiquity as these emblems were already in use even before the time of Jesus Christ..

But what about the Star and Garter? How did these originate? On this question, here is what Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh on their book “The Temple and the Lodge” on page 92 had to say which is being copied verbatim:

“Within a quarter of a century of the Temple’s (meaning, the Knights Templar:) , a spate of neo-Templar orders began to appear- and would continue to do so for centuries afterwards. Thus, for example, in 1348 Edward III of England created the Order of the Garter, consisting of twenty six knights divided into two groups of thirteen each. The Garter, of course continue to the present day, and is the world’s premier order of chivalry. In France in 1352, Jean II created an almost identical institution, the Order of the Star. It was rather more short-lived than the Garter, however, its entire membership being annihilated in 1356 at the Battle of Pointers. In 1430, Philip, Duke of Burgundy, created the Order of the Golden Fleece (but this has no relation to the Golden Fleece of Jason and his Argonauts that was explained earlier- GVG).

So there you are! Next time you hear the lecturer delivers the lambskin apron lecture, you know the definitive relevance of this peculiar Masonic badge. And thanks to the authors of “The Temple and the Lodge!”

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