My dear Brethren:

In the second degree charge, the ritual reminds us that our mystic ceremonies are regulary developed and illustrated, in order to make a deep and lasting impression on new Fellow Crafts. At our February Officer's School of Instruction, it finally occurred to me how we "develop and illustrate" the ritual.

We officers joke about how the ritual never changes, and yet, from year to year there are small modifications and adjustments. Sometimes they make perfect sense, and other times, they seem completely arbitrary. I realized, however, that very often I just leave these changes up to a higher power (in this case a Grand Lecturer), and accept them as they come, instead of seriously considering the implications of the details of our ritual.

For example, I find myself so busy trying to get the ritual "correct," that I sometimes don't even take a look at the meaning of the disputed points. At this OSI, we discussed placement of rods when forming a square. For the officers it's a matter of where to stand and where to put their hands, and we were quibbling over a couple of inches of difference. It all seemed so trivial. But, symbolically, those few inches make a huge difference. In one formation, the deacon's sun and moon envelop the candidate within a square, suggesting that his actions are squared by virtue, his behavior guided by a new Masonic code. But, move this formation a couple inches, and suddenly the candidate is no longer surrounded and bound by this symbolism, but rather, the altar is: a place where there is already a square. And, then, it is no longer the person that is the object of attention for the symbols, but the action of making him a Mason, and the work on the altar.

So trivial a difference, and yet, the distinction between who we are as people versus our actions is so vast. And, symbolically framing one over the other with Masonic principles is clearly different. I struggle with this distinction frequently, getting caught up in my day-to-day tasks, and avoiding the bigger picture: who I am, what I'm committed to, and who I'm being in light of (or even despite) my actions.

This is why our ritual is continually reviewed, and demonstrated. Not only is each minute detail symbolically important to Masons, but each time we consider these symbols and the impact they have on our life, the ritual becomes more real, more potent, and more valuable as a tool by which to shape our lives.

Fraternally,

David Sylvester
Master

slyman007@aol.com