Date of Warrant: November 2, 1921. Meets: On penultimate Saturday Of every month except in December when on Second Saturday. Election: December. Installation: January.

Rituals in Freemasonry

What is a ritual? The Concise Oxford Dictionary states that it is a prescribed order of performing a rite – in our case a Masonic rite contained in a book known as the ritual book. Freemasonry retains its identity by means of rituals. By and large, our rituals have remained more or less unchanged over the years. The only thing that may have changed – and that too marginally – is the presentation. It could be described as the age old ritual in a modern environment.

Different parts of the presentation consists of a narrative which could be legendary or abstract, a ritual which resembles a play, and symbolism. By watching or taking part in the ritual, the Freemason is encouraged to make himself a better man. In this presentation of the ritual in the form of a play, the candidate is not only one of the actors, but more importantly a spectator. And as a spectator , the ceremony of Initiation will remain etched firmly in his heart and mind.

In freemasonry, ritual working consists of a presentation of a prepared text, by a group of masons led by the Worshipful Master. It is this presentation that informs the candidate the teachings of the Craft. The presentation is repeated over and over again and this repetition makes the presentation a ritual.

In our society and in our lives, there are any number of rituals – at the time of birth, at the time of starting school, at the time of death, etc. We use rituals in freemasonry to impart masonic knowledge to our brethren. But it has to be said that our rituals and ceremonies, generally teach us to impose self discipline on ourselves. The teachings made available to us in our rituals, give a freemason a personality which he, probably, never realized existed within him.

Our rituals have been perfected over the years from inputs and contributions of many committed and dedicated Freemasons and from different periods in the history of Freemasonry.

To go through the same ritual again and again and to repeat the same words of the ritual over and over again may appear monotonous and repetitive to the modern man of today. But let us ask ourselves if that is correct. One of the leading Masonic writers of yesteryear had this to say about our rituals and ceremonies : " Familiar though I am with the ritual, it continues ever fresh and ever new. Always it seems to me, as I hear it again and again, that I get a new thought or a new inspiration and a new grip on the eternal truths of life ". I am in complete agreement with these remarks. On a few occasions during my Masonic career, I have experienced a certain excitement, a certain peace and satisfaction immediately after watching a good ceremony.

It is worth mentioning that to a dedicated Mason, properly conducted Masonic rituals and ceremonies can produce a wonderful feeling in his heart and mind. And the candidate witnessing this ceremony will be taken up to a higher level of thought. To achieve a good ceremony, a rehearsal before the actual ceremony becomes essential. This helps to produce a well co-ordinated ceremony, which results in all the participating officers blending with each other. Hopefully this should have the required effect on the candidate's mind.

Going a step further, it has to be said that a ceremony in the Lodge is not performed only for the benefit of the candidate, but for all others who are present at the ceremony. Although the obligations, charges and all other instructions contained in the text of the ritual are directed at the candidate, it also serves as a reminder for all the other Masons present, to the commitment each one of us has made some time earlier, to the tenets of Freemasonry.

Lastly it has to be emphasised that masonry is not just attending lodge meetings followed by attendance at the festive boards. Ideally, our lodge membership should consist of serious masons who consider management of the Lodge, Masonic work and mentoring of younger masons as a primary requirement; and equally serious masons who enjoy a festive board. A good mix of these two categories of masons would help to keep the lodge lively . The old saying : "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy " is relevant even today. With due respect to the sentiments of all masons, this last remark means no offence to any one. This last remark has been made with the specific intention of having a happy lodge and an equally happy District Grand Lodge.

Wor. Bro. Sohni George
Lodge Cochin, No. 4359 E C
The District Grand Secretary,
District Grand Lodge of Madras,
14, Ethiraj Salai, Chennai 600 008

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