By J. Rafisura —Junior Warden
Greetings to all my fraternal brothers. May this holiday season bring warmth and happiness to our respective families despite this ongoing challenges.
As of this writing, your newly-install officers had been planning to hold the Feast of St. John (The Evangelist) on December 26, 2020 at 5 pm. Just like the FOSJ (The Baptist) held last June of this year, this will still be done virtually via Zoom Video Conferencing platform. Thanks to technology, we are still able to carry-out these time-honored tradition of our ancient and honorable fraternity.
The Feast Saint John The Evangelist marks the beginning of Winter Solstice and is the second celebration of the Holy Feast of Saints John, the first being that of Saint John The Baptist in June. The best thing about being part of preparing and organizing for these activities is that you get to do little bit of research, know a little bit more about it and reflect on its meaning. Let me share with you some of my readings:
In one of the articles written by WB John E. Frey posted in The Midnight Freemason’s website, it read in part:
“It we look at the St. John the Evangelist symbolically within the context of the Masonic journey, John is every individual initiate. John is initiated by John the Baptist into the mysteries and purified, similarly how the entered apprentice is given a white apron to represent a new sense of purity. John travels with his Master and it indoctrinated in the parables of truth, similar to the Fellowcraft traveling the different compartments of the Temple being indoctrinated with the spiral staircase leading to truth. Similar to the Master Mason, John is witness to the death and resurrection of his master….”
As we continue our journey into this world, my prayers are for all of us to be able to travel into places that will provide us opportunities to practice the teachings of our craft, honor our obligations and learn from our own experiences and from those that are before us. Let this journey be an adventure towards self-purification, to travel in the smooth, as well as in the rough and rugged roads, guided by the Wisdom of this ancient craft, sustained by the Strength of our time-tested fraternity and still able to find Beauty of this mortal, worldly life.
In welcoming the new year, I look forward to a new beginning. So much to look forward to in 2021. Covid-19 vaccine distribution have started and Tier 1 health care providers are now being vaccinated. However, the situation remain very fluid as cases continue to rise. The Grand Lodge of California is continually assessing the situation and planning how to slowly “normalize” the activities of the craft while adhering to CDPH and CDC guidelines. These are crucial times, but our hopes are high and victory is in sight. I trust that it will not be long for us to meet again in person, gather in groups and break-bread in a banquet (in a tuxedo, top…and bottom!)
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our lodge if you need any assistance. Happy New Year, my worthy brothers!
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