What a better way to celebrate St. John the Baptist Day on Friday, June 24th, than with a 1st degree conferral for one of our candidates.
We were also joined by 2 visiting brethren from Hesperia Lodge #411 along with their Bro. Secretary (also a member of our Lodge).
St. John the Baptist
The first Grand Lodge was formed in England on 24 June the feast day of John the Baptist in 1717. Modern Freemasonry historically acknowledges St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist as its patron saints. John the Baptist was a zealous man while John the Evangelist was a learned one. The first holds a rod in his hand while the other one the book of Holy Scriptures. By picking both of them as patron saints, Masons symbolically unite both passion and reason.
The symbol we are taught in the 1st degree also shows the Volume of Sacred Law at the top. In Masonry, the point represents the individual, and the circle is the boundary of his actions. Taken as a whole, the symbol implies that a Mason should consult the sacred texts of his own religion to achieve the proper balance between passion and intensity on one side, and knowledge and education on the other. In other words, he should balance education, excitement and faith to effectively subdue his passions. In a way, it is a graphic representation of the conscience.