The other night, Canyon Lodge initiated a brother into our solemn mysteries. It was another run of the mill initiations, everyone knew their parts and executed superbly. We had the pleasure though of having the Worshipful Grand Lecturer of the grand Lodge of utah present adn he presented the Entered Apprentice Lecture to our new brother.
There was a moment during that lecture when Worshipful Brother Allen fell inot his rythm and everything but he and the lecture faded away. Now, I must pre-empt my statements with the fact that I fancy myself a ritualist of some caliber; I have presented both the Fellow-Craft and Master Mason lectures numerous times, I am memorizing the Entered Apprentice lecture currently, I have read and re-read lectures, monitorial passages and degree work countless times. Last night though was if I had heard the lecture anew. True teaching was taking place that evening and our newly obligated brother was not the only student.
Friends, I truly love the ritual work of Freemasonry. The lessons of morality and rectitude of conduct that Masonry inculcates are taught through the edium of the ritual and nothing compares to ritual that is presented by a Master Ritualist. I also belong to another fraternal organization which, due to diminishing numbers, resorted to presenting recorded ritual to the new candidates. The lessons that could have been taught during these rituals were greand, exemplifying morality at its most basic and simple. yet, someting was lost in translation.
If ritual is so important, what makes a Master Ritualist? Memorization is basic, ritual should be presented from memory as accurately as possible. There is nothing more distracting for a candidate than brethren stumbling over their words because they hadn't take the time to study the ritual. But anyone can learn and memorize the ritual if they take the time, or show it on video for that matter.
No, there is something more to ritual. When the ritualist understands the ritual, begins to understand the lessons taught through it, and feels that he is imparting basic truths not only to the candidate but to the whole lodge, he no longer presents the ritual but faciliates it. When presented by the Master Rituatlist it becomes an entity separate from the presenter, the lodge, and the jurisdiction. It is this ritual that has lasted for near 300 years, spread across a whole globe, and has encouraged millions of men of various classes and creeds to knock upon Freemasonry's doors.
I firmly believe that the ritual is one of the most important parts of Freemasonry!
Sincerely, Fraternally, and Faithfully,
