Masonic Funeral Ritual 2.do - web.mit.edu

1 1 Masonic Funeral RitualWorshipful Master: Let us all unite with our Chaplainin : Unto Thee, O God, Father of all, do wecome in this hour of grief and bereavement. Unto Theedo we send up the cry of our sorrowing hearts. Thou,who dost mark the sparrow s fall, and number even thehairs of our heads, look with infinite compassion onour weakness, and, in this hour of need give thestrength which Thou alone can impart. Standing by theopen portals of this house appointed for all the living,we pray for light for light to illuminate the dark pathwhich our brother has trod, for light to drive away allthe shadows of mortality and reveal to our anxioussouls those serene heights of joy and beauty, whither,we trust, our brother has ascended.

2 As we consign hisbody to its resting place may we realize how weak andimpotent is every human arm, and trust in Thy mightalone for deliverance from the dominion of Thy sustaining grace to these mourners andbereaved friends. May all find rest and comfort in Thee,and, relying upon Thine infinite love, wait in patienthope for death to be swallowed up in victory. (by the brethren): So mote it Master: BRETHREN: We mourn today theloss of a brother whose spirit has been summoned tothe land where our fathers have gone before us. Againwe behold the narrow house appointed for all theliving, and our thoughts turn to the silent realm, where,in that peace which the world can neither give nor takeaway, lie the unnumbered dead.

3 The sunshine and thestorm pass over them and they are not disturbed. Stonesand lettered monuments symbolize the love of survivingfriends and convey the silent admonition, Seek ye thenarrow path and the straight gate that lead unto eternallife. Again we are called upon to consider the uncer-tainty of human life, the absolute certainty of death, andthe vanity of earthly and decay are written upon every living thingThe cradle and the coffin stand side by side, and it is amelancholy truth that as soon as live begin to live thatmoment also we begin to die. How often the remindersof mortality cross our Funeral bell tolls in our ears, and the mournersgo about the streets; yet how seldom do we seriouslyconsider our approaching end.

4 We go on from designto design, add hope to hope, and layout plans for theemployment of many years. The messenger of deathcomes when least expected, and at a moment which tous seems the meridian of our existence. What are all theexternals of human dignity, the power of wealth, or thecharms of beauty when nature has paid her just debt?View life stripped of its ornaments, and exposed in itsnatural weakness, and we see the vanity of all earthlythings save those which go to the growth and perfectionof individual character. In the grave all fallacies aredetected, all ranks are leveled, all distinctions are doneaway.

5 Here the scepter of the prince and the of thebeggar lie side by side. Happy, indeed, it for us andblessed the agencies which have made it possible thatwhile our eyes may be dim with tears as we think of ourdeparted brother, we may in the sincerity of our hearts,accord to his memory the commendation of having liveda useful and exemplary life and as a just and now, my brethren, let us see to it, and so regu-late our lives by the plumbline of justice, ever squaringour actions by the square of virtue, that when the GrandWarden of Heaven shall call for us we may be foundready.

6 Let us cultivate assiduously the noble tenets ofour profession Brotherly Love, Relief, and Truth. Fromthe square learn morality; from the level, equality; andfrom the plumb, rectitude of life. With the trowel spreadliberally the cement of brotherly love; circumscribed bythe compasses, let us ponder well our words and ac-tions, and let all the energies of our minds and theaffections of our souls be employed in the attainment ofour Supreme Grand Master s approbation. Then, whenour dissolution draws nigh, and the cold winds of deathcome sighing around us and his chill dews alreadyglisten upon our foreheads with joy shall we obey thesummons of the Grand Warden of Heaven, and go fromour labors on earth to eternal refreshment in the para-dise of God, where, by the benefit of the pass of a pureand blameless life, and an unshaken confidence in themerits of the Lion of the tribe of Judah, shall we gainready admission into the celestial lodge where theSupreme Architect of the Universe presides.

7 There,placed at His right hand, He will be pleased to pro-nounce us just and upright LAMBSKIN,or white apron, was the first gift of Freemasonry to ourdeparted brother. It is an emblem of innocence and thebadge of a Freemason. This I now deposit upon thecasket. (Deposits it upon the casket.) We are remindedhere of the universal dominion of death. The arm offriendship cannot interpose to prevent his coming; thewealth of the world cannot purchase exemption; nor2will the innocence of youth or the charms of beautychange his Master, holding the evergreen in his right hand,continues:This evergreen is an emblem of an enduring faith inthe immortality, of the soul.

8 By it we are reminded thatwe have a life within us that shall survive the grave, andwhich can never die. By it we are admonished that wealso. like our brother whose remains lie here before us,shall soon be clothed in the habiliments of our belief in the mercy of God we may confi-dently hope that our souls will bloom in eternal , too, I deposit with our deceased Funeral HONORSBy direction of the Master, the Secretary will read theObituary Master continues the ceremony by saving:Brethren and friends: From time immemorial it hasbeen the custom among the fraternity of Ancient, Free,and Accepted Masons, at the request of a brother, or ofhis family, to perform the last rites with the usual cere-monies of the craft.

9 Conforming to this usage we haveassembled, in the character of Freemasons, to offer tothe memory of our brother, this tribute of passing of our brother from the cares and trou-bles of this transitory existence has removed anotherlink from the fraternal chain which binds us we who survive him be more strongly bound in theties of union and friendship. May we, during the shortspace allotted to us here, wisely and usefully employ ourtime, and in the interchange of kind and friendly actsmutually promote the welfare and happiness of eachother. Unto the earth we consign the body of ourdeceased brother.

10 We trustingly leave his spirit in thehands of Him who doeth all things well. With those hisimmediate relatives and friends, who are most heart-stricken at the loss we have all sustained, we sincerely,deeply, and most affectionately sympathize. He whotempers the wind to the shorn lamb looks with infinitecompassion upon the bereaved and sorrowing in thehour of their desolation. Our Heavenly Father will foldthe arms of His love and protection around those whoput their trust in Master, extending his hands toward the casket,continues:Soft and safe be the earthly bed of our brother;bright and glorious be his rising from it.