Thursday, June 05, 2008
Masonic Funerals
How doubly sad it is to have a Masonic Funeral when only a half-dozen brothers care enough to come out to bid our fallen brother farewell. How sad it is that a man might be Past Master of his Lodge, active in the Fraternity and its appendant and concordant bodies for years, but be forgotten because, in his twilight years, his health prevented him from attending. How sad it is that too many of our brethren, whether or not they went through the chairs, loved our fraternity, but were neglected at the time when their bodies were committed to the earth.
I've stood in lines of two hundred Master Masons and I've stood in lines where there were barely enough to perform the ceremony. Always, it's a blessing, but the blessing is intended for the "nearest relatives" and friends.
I know we can't make it to every funeral no more than we can make it to every Lodge meeting. Still, we should make an extra effort to be there when at all possible.
A Masonic Funeral is the last thing our brother says about his love for our order. It is also the last chance we have to bid him farewell. It is our last chance to "perform the last Masonic Rites over his mortal remains." It is the "last tribute of our affection."
Remember, where he is, we one day will be. If we truly desire our brothers to come to our funeral, shouldn't we set the example for them? Do we really want the brethren to whom we are pledged to be as ambivalent about us as we can sometimes be about them?
I've stood in lines of two hundred Master Masons and I've stood in lines where there were barely enough to perform the ceremony. Always, it's a blessing, but the blessing is intended for the "nearest relatives" and friends.
I know we can't make it to every funeral no more than we can make it to every Lodge meeting. Still, we should make an extra effort to be there when at all possible.
A Masonic Funeral is the last thing our brother says about his love for our order. It is also the last chance we have to bid him farewell. It is our last chance to "perform the last Masonic Rites over his mortal remains." It is the "last tribute of our affection."
Remember, where he is, we one day will be. If we truly desire our brothers to come to our funeral, shouldn't we set the example for them? Do we really want the brethren to whom we are pledged to be as ambivalent about us as we can sometimes be about them?
Labels: funerals
