If we listen attentively and observe carefully we will discover something elevating and inspiring in the conferral of the degrees of Masonry, something that will enrich our lives. To grasp the great lessons of Masonry, we should always approach the source of learning in a spirit of humility and reverence. What the Ritual said to us when we were initiated in Masonry, it continues to say, and there is always the likelihood that we will receive that which may have escaped our heart and mind in previous conferrals.
The entire pattern of Masonry, which encompasses virtually every philosophic and moral teaching, is not a thing separated from life. It directs us to the realization of life. Every step in the Ritual has its counterpart in the world about us. The Ritual of Masonry speaks to the individual. It reaches out for the best in man. It tells us that all learning must be used in the service of God and man. It points out that the seeker of truth must be properly prepared.
In many ways the Ritual of Masonry tells us that character is the very substance of being. Without it man has nothing. With it he has that which is immortal.
But why are these teachings communicated through Ritual rather than a lecture or some other means?
Ritual is the oldest, and one of the most effective means of teaching known. The pattern and flow of the ritualized response facilitates learning. Ritual is so fundamental to us that it is one of the few things “wired in” the brain at birth.
Ritual in a sense opens a channel for learning and helps us grasp not only the surface meanings but the deeper meanings of the lessons we see.
Let us study the degrees of Masonry with the consciousness that as we learn the Ritual we learn how to live.
