From the Worshipful Master

Masons love their ritual. But why? What does it teach us? Why is it important?

Ritual does a number of things. It informs us of history, where we learn about the Masons of old and ancient times, how they lived, and how they worked. Masonic tradition is rooted in those early Stone Mason Guilds and it is important to understand where we come from.

Ritual also teaches us how we should act as Masons. We learn about charity. We learn to give so long as we are able. We learn to do the right things and act with integrity. Masons are taught to deal fairly with their peers, superiors, and subordinates always. Ever remembering that we one day may have to deal with hardships ourselves.

And finally, it is allegory. We learn about infancy, manhood, and old age. But we don’t really mean that we join Masonry as infants and suddenly become old once we reach that Sublime Degree. Of course not. We are talking about being new and unjaded about this organization. We learn the ritual and progress through our degrees and we become more experienced. And finally when we become Master Masons we have an opportunity to teach “younger” brethren what we have learned.

I urge all Master Masons to attend the Lodge of Instruction this month on October 20th. I think that all will be benefited by learning together our ritual and the proper way for it to be conducted. I know that I am looking forward to being there.

Jason Michlowitz
Worshipful Master

From the Senior Warden

Once, all Masonic ritual was passed on orally. From mouth to ear, it was passed from one Freemason to another, a master teaching an apprentice. And this is similar to the way that operative masons taught their students, the master training an apprentice in stone craft and its related pursuits, so that one day, the apprentice became a master, travelling and working his trade, and one day, teaching apprentices of his own.

Nowadays, jurisdictions in the United States allow ritual to be written down, albeit with certain codes to represent such things as ranks and recognitions; these, we still pass on orally and visually.

Learning this ritual is incredibly important for the mason. Obviously, if a man wishes to fulfill a role in lodge, he must know the material so that he can perform his duties as needed. Likewise, if a master mason wishes to train an apprentice, he must know that which he teaches, just as the operative stonemasons did.

But on a deeper level, knowing the ritual allows a Freemason to consider it, and its impact on his own life. He is not restricted to reading the ritual and wondering what it means; when he learns the ritual, its meaning, and the reason for it, he is capable of applying it to his own life in a very real way, on a daily basis… aiding him in walking uprightly, being square and on the level with everyone he encounters, from his brother masons to the public at large. Learning the ritual gives a man insight into our fraternity’s beliefs and history, and in his own beliefs and what is expected of him as a man and mason.

Bryan Bullock
Senior Warden

From the Acting Junior Warden

Later this month our Lodge will be privileged to host a Lodge of Instruction. I would like to say a few words about a Lodge of Instruction and Masonic Ritual in general.

A Lodge of Instruction is conducted to help instruct the Craft and bring more unity to the Ritual that we conduct. A Lodge of Instruction happens a few times a year in Arizona. These special events are hosted at a regular Lodge building and run by the Grand Lodge of Arizona’s Grand Lecturer. Our Grand Lecturer this year is Worshipful Brother John A. Nichols. Lodges of Instruction are held in order to further unify the Craft in their ritual work. While we all may practice the ritual at home and sometimes in our own Lodge practices, the Lodge of Instruction is meant to delve deeper and ensure cohesion with the ritual throughout Arizona. We are also able to further practice and get coaching on floor craft, posture, enunciation, pronunciation, and gestures. It is the closest thing to performing ritual, without performing ritual. Here we are able to ask questions and have on hand very knowledgeable individuals who may be able to give us answers or directions on how to find answers. The lodge of Instruction is open to ALL Master Masons. It will be very helpful for Lodge Officers and perspective Lodge Officers to improve ritual work in particular. However, if you have a intense desire to learn and seek a deeper understanding of the ritual of the Craft, my invitation for you is to come and participate. If you have desires to participate in ritual or to improve ritual in office you hold in Lodge, come and learn more. The more Brothers we have in our Lodge who are proficient in ritual the stronger our Lodge will be. With this in mind, let us always remember the ultimate purpose of conducting high quality ritual. That is to help instill and instruct the most excellent tenets of our institution to the next generation of Brothers.

Our ritual is central to our devolvement as Masons. It is the one thing that every man undergoes while entering the Craft. We have all been initiated, passed, and raised just as all brothers have done who have gone with way before. While we are going through the degrees of Masonry, we have the opportunity to learn the proficiency and catechism pertaining to the lecture of the degree. While this does require some memorization, have we ever stopped to think about what we are doing with our memorization? One answer is that we are internalizing the ritual in to our minds and consciences. While on the surface, just the practice of memorizing something can help strengthen our mental faculties. On a deeper level, when we memorize the overview of the ritual, modes of recognition, and obligations, we are able to more fully take those truths with us when we leave the Lodge. In other words, we are better prepared to practice those moral truths and duties which are inculcated in the Lodge. With a basic outline of the ritual in our minds, we are more fully able to ponder upon and come to discover the mysteries of Masonry. When we are in private company with other Masons, we can engage in and stimulate conversations with informed questions and present insightful understandings. We can also recognize subtle references made to the ritual. When we are in our personal study of Masonic philosophy, we can have many “Ah Ha!!” moments. Many Masonic authors and philosophers such as Mackey, Newton, Pike, Haywood and Pound write to the audience of a Mason with the ritual fresh in his mind. They comment on ritual with very little mention to ritual. I have had many such moments while reading The Symbolism of Freemasonry by Albert Mackey. It happened to come at a time when I was intensely memorizing and pondering on the truths contained with the 1st and 2nd degree ceremonies. In order to discover truth and see light, we must prepare ourselves and seek after them. The work of memorizing the ritual is a method preparing ourselves to receive greater light. How can we truly critically think about or discuss the ritual, if we do not even know it? And while we do this, one may ask “to what purpose?”” What does this all do for us?” I would like to add “what is the purpose of the ritual?” Although many answers can be given, I will state that 2 of the purposes of ritual are to make men Masons, and to teach moral truths. After all, one of objectives many of us have joined Freemasonry is to make ourselves better and to assist in making other men better. The world needs better men, prepared for greater service to God, our country, our neighbors, and ourselves; never forgetting to aid and assist a brother Mason, their widows and orphans.

Brothers, we come from a long and respected tradition. Our brothers from long time past have gone through what we have gone through. Through a succession of ages, the mysteries of Masonry have been passed down and we have become a link in that great prestigious chain.

Chris Huson
Acting Junior Warden