By W BRO LUIS REYES, LODGE WORONORA No 414
MASONIC RITUAL
Value of the Ritual
Our rituals are our link with the past, a preservation of the essence of the Craft including the unique way of imparting moral lessons by allegory and symbols.
very knock on the lodge portal echoes the knocks of the Israelites on the great doors of King Solomons Temple when going to public worship; every rap of a gavel stirs up the same dust which the ancient masons breathed as they worked the stones for the great edifice, and every step of perambulation recalls the footfalls of our predecessors going about their daily work. Our fraternity is unsurpassed in the use of dramatisation and symbolism in its ritual work. Are we out of date, throwbacks from a time long gone? No, we are not. We are timeless because the principles we believe in and stand for transcend time. There is predictability of work candidates are assured that they are being initiated, passed, raised, and installed in a regular manner. Brethren are assured they are part of regular proceedings. Freemasonry is spread over the four quarters of the globe and though there are variations in the actual rituals, there is none in their meaning or purpose. I suppose we could just make a candidate come in street clothes, recite the obligation, take money off him, and then give him his membership card. He could sit in lodge anywhere he chooses and be told of next months golf day and barbie. This might produce a mason, first made in his heart and embracing the principles of brotherly love, relief, and truth and then again, it might not. We all need to bring back our experiences of going through the degrees from time to time how we felt
when we were prepared for initiation, passed, and then raised to master mason. The experiences are inexplicable to anyone who has not gone through them, even those who have read all about them on the internet. The participating brethren have roles to play which take them on the same journey from a different perspective and they are rewarded if they fully involve themselves. In addition, it binds the participating brethren to the candidate and to each other. The candidate, the brethren, the symbols, and the charges must all be present for the ritual to work. It provides a valuable tool for selfimprovement. Skills of memorisation, research, acting, delivery and concentration are all needed when taking on ritual work. There are charges, instructions, questions, and answers to learn and not just the words but their meanings as well. The rituals have been structured not just
to initiate, pass, or raise a candidate. They are meant to create an environment in which the candidate will be receptive to the lessons which are being taught via allegory and symbolism. There is much wisdom in our rituals and if we understand this fully then we will surely give
our ritual work more effort and attention. This can be assisted by research to understand what is behind the rituals. What is meant by some of the topics in the degree lectures? A good example would be the point within a circle which is discussed in the first tracing board. The lecture says that it is found in all regular, well formed, and properly constituted lodges and from it a mason cannot materially err. Research shows that the point within a circle was one of the earliest symbols used by mans ancient civilisations to depict the Supreme Being, further reinforcing one of the most important masonic landmarks. Another is the VSL which is constantly mentioned. When did it become one of the great lights and why? What can possibly be new to a mason of fifty or sixty years experience as he witnesses his thousandth initiation? The candidate, of course, and all the new experiences he brings. When the obligation is spoken by a candidate, it comes alive again for all in the room, reminding them what they undertook to do on their honour as men, and as emanations of the deity. It becomes fresh for all the brethren because it is new for the candidate and that emotion fills the lodge room. In effect, all the brethren are being initiated and Masonry begins once more for all present. I believe our rituals ought to be a landmark of Masonry for without them, it would not be Masonry. This makes them priceless to masons and it would be better to fully understand them and understand why they have stood the test of time.
1st issue 2013 CLUB 357