Our "Working Tools"
Media
Part of The Cabletow
- Title
- Our "Working Tools"
- Creator
- Guillermo, Esteban
- Language
- English
- Year
- 1960
- Rights
-
- Fulltext
- Our “Working Tools” By Bro. ESTEBAN GUILLERMO Memorial Lodge No. 90 Masonry, unlike other fraternities, has working tools. This is why it has withstood all viscissitudes and the ravages of inhuman and barbarous assaults from its birth since lime immemorial, it being founded upon a rock. But unlike the farmer, the carpenter or the mechanic who actually work will) their tools, the tools of Masonry arc symbols of noble virtues for exemplary moral and spiritual conduct. They are lhe constant reminders to every Mason of his commitments to the fraternity. For lhe benefit of the brethren and others who mav be curious, I am sure there arc main-, I have tried to make a transcription of what the working tools signify. TWENTY-FOUR INCH GAUGE This is an instrument for measurement. As the name indicates. i( is divided into twentv-four equal pans, It reminds us of the twentv-four hours of the dav. Because oT its equal division, it caches us to divide our time into twentv-four equal parts. Masons are taught to divide their time into three ways, namely: First, they must have a time for the service of God and man, particularly the distressed, worthy brethren. Second, they must have a time for their own work so as to provide themselves and families the necessities of life. Third, they must base a time for leisure and rest. It must be noticed that the fir*' thing that occupies our time is God and man. The writer recalls that before he entered Masonry, he heard people sav that this is a Godless fraternity. But when he first attended the ceremony of Masonry, he saw the Holy Bible at the center of the Lodge. He proved the falsity of what he heard. A Godless fraternity docs not use the Holy Bible, much less place it on (he altar of the Ixxlge to guide its deliberations. A Godless fraternity docs not pray. Masons do pray. They believe that "Real prayer is the release of lhe Divine Power, not an endeavor io alter lhe purpose of God, bi?' that the will of God be done through us". Masonry, although not a religion, is very religious. It believes in the fatherhood of God and (he brotherhood of men, hence Masonry is trying to draw peoples of various religious groups, social and educational levels to witness its public ceremonies so as to erase from their minds the impression and belief that Masonry is Godless. THE COMMON GAVEL This instrument of Masonry is a svmbol of great moral significance. Masons who construct structures of stones and hollow blocks use this instrument to break the unnecessary parts of stones and hollow blocks so as to fit them for the building. The noble and glorious lesson it imparts to us is that we have to do away with vices, divest our hearts and consciences of all unnecessary things — works of lhe flesh, which are "adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, hatred, variance, wrath, strife and heresies." These things 56 THE CABLE TOW October, 1960 will make us unfit for that “spiritual building, that house not made with hands, eternal in heaven.” THE PLUMB This instrument symbolizes a divine, moral and spiritual virtue — Righteousness before God and men. This is lhe emphasis of Jesus’ preaching. knowing that men have gone astray from the Father, followed their own desires, their whims and caprices which will lead them into "the outer darkness where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth". Masons are required to live righteous lives. When righteousness is the dominant spirit of men and practice it, we have no need of police forces and big armies for which our government appropriates huge amounts every year. If righteousness is the dominant spirit of those in the employ of the government, especially those in the higher echelons, graft and corruption are unknown. If Masons are given chances to occupy positions of trust in the government, because of the proven righteousness of Masons, they surelv will do honor to the government and to their fraternity and most of all, to their God. The only hope of erasing or eradicating graft and corruption and all sorts of crookedness in the government or elsewhere, is the employment of men who arc highly motivated by honesty and devotion to duly, men who arc God-conscious like Joseph of old who preferred to be imprisoned lather than soil the purity of his conscience, the dignity of the trust reposed in him and his loyally to His God. THE SQUARE This instrument teaches that all Masons, and all people for that matter, must act and live upon the square. It symbolizes truth and morality. What is TRUTH and MORALITY? Truth, according to Webster is the “quality or state of being true, hence, fidelity, constancy, or conformity to fact or reality, or rule.” And morality, according to the same source is. “that which conveys moral lessons or sentiments, rectitude of life or ethics ". The Golden Rule may be appropriate to illustrate the lesson of truth and morality. First, lhe golden rule of Christianity states, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them”. "Thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself". The golden Rule of Buddhism: "One should seek for others lhe happiness one desires for one s self. Hurt no other in ways that von yourself would find hurtful”. The golden rules of Confucius, Jewish, Hindu. Brahmanism. Taoism, and the rest, at e identical with these golden rules of Christianity and Buddhism. As all know, the font sides of a square are all equal. This is whv Masons treat men equally irrespective of their social, economic and educational levels, irrespective of race and religious affiliations. A true Mason is onlv aristocratic in his moral and spiritual conduct and behaviour, but democratic in his dealings with his fellowmen. This is the reason whv not all persons who want to enter Masonry are admitted. Those who want to enter must come horn longues of good report and well recommended, who have proven their righteousness and integrity of character and with lhe high and noble motive of service and ate willing to make sacrifices. THE LEV'LL I bis instrument is used to prove horizontals. T he important lesson it imparls is that, as we travel upon (he level of time to the eternal abode OUR “WORKING TOOLS’’ 57 above, we must always show’ our fidelity and loyalty in the observance of the high moral and spiritual virtues of Masonry. These high moral and spiritual virtues are not proved in the proficiency in reciting the obligations, nor in writing nice articles and making good advices and speeches. They are rather proved in lite daily conduct in lhe discharge of our work and the dealings and associations with our fellowmen. We must prove to God and men that we are worthy members of this noble fraternity. Then at the end of our journey, we shall hear the benevolent soft words, ‘‘Gome, vc blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world”. This is the ideal place which Masons arc striving to enter. THE TROWEL The lesson we get from this instrument is to spread the cement of brotherly love and affection. Love is the greatest thing in the world. When people all over the world understand the meaning of love and apply it, then there will be no more wars or rumors of wars. Harmony and peace will reign. This is a great mission of Masonry — disseminate and propagate love, charily. NATIONAL SOJOURNERS.... Among the organizations in our midst predicating its membership on Master Masons is ifhe National So* journers. This is an organization "pledged to the ideals of patriotism and to the security of lhe nation." Its membership is open to Master Masons who were former or present officers of the uniformed services of the United States. The local organization admits those Master Masons who have served honorably as commissioned officers of lhe former USAFFE, including recognized guerrillas. According to the May issue of the New Age Magazine, a group of commissioned officers met together at Manila as early as 1900, organized informally as a club and gave it the name Sojourners; out of which group arose in 1901 the formation of an American Masonic Lodge in lhe Philippines. This became lhe nucleus of our present Grand Lodge in the Philippine Islands. Anyone interested in becoming a Sojourner should contact Bro. J. J. de Guzman who is lhe present Secretary, whose address is P. O. Box 577, Manila, or Tel. 3-95-96. Masonry’s mission, therefore, to the individual is io uplift his character and establish a nobler manhood. —Owen Scott. If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and success conies unexpected in common hours ... If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. —Henry David Thoreau 58 THE CABLE TOW October, 1960