According to the Masonic Manual of the Grand Lodge of
Georgia, “The labors and duties of the lodge must begin and end with prayer.
The brethren cannot be too often reminded of their dependence on the Grand
Architect of the Universe for every blessing they enjoy.” This reminds us that
the Lodge Room is a sacred place and should be respected as such. When we enter
the Lodge while it is at Labor, we are symbolically entering the Holy of
Holies, the Sanctum Sanctorum, of Solomon’s Temple. That space was built to be
the residence of God on earth. If you cannot internalize and understand this
symbol, I wonder if you can truly understand any of the symbols of Freemasonry.
In the Masonic Manual, there are two versions of
opening and closing prayers. Most Lodges use the shorter of the two for each, I
find this disheartening. We are so interested in shortening our time in Lodge
that we use the shorter version that is not nearly as rich in praise and
supplications to our Creator.
The opening prayer which should be used is this:
Most holy and glorious Lord God, the great
Architect of the Universe, the giver of all good gifts and graces, in Thy name
we have assembled and in Thy name we desire to proceed in all our doings. Grant
that the sublime principles of Freemasonry may so subdue every discordant
passion within us, so harmonize and enrich our hearts with Thine own love and
goodness, that the Lodge at this time may humbly reflect that order and beauty
which reign forever before Thy throne! Amen! Response: So mote it be!
In this prayer we acknowledge that God is the
Creator and the giver of all that is good; we state that we are meeting in His
name. Think a minute about what that means, everything we do or say while in
lodge assembled is done or said in His name and should be uplifting to each
other, society and should glorify Him. Do we live up to this? Do we even try?
We pray that the “sublime principles of Freemasonry”
should soften our hearts and minds and allow us to be in complete harmony with
our Brethren. When we say the sublime principles of Freemasonry, when we call
the Master Mason Degree the sublime degree, we are saying that Freemasonry is
of outstanding spiritual, intellectual, or moral worth. Our Lodge is to be a
reflection of Heaven itself. Although this is a corporate prayer, we make it
personal and accept it as our own when we respond, “So Mote It Be” we are
agreeing and declaring it our personal prayer.
Note that the alternate version does not do nearly
as well at putting us in the mood of reverence as the longer prayer:
Supreme Ruler of the Universe, we
would reverently invoke Thy blessing at this time. Wilt Thou be pleased to
grant that this meeting, thus begun in order, may be conducted in peace and
closed in harmony! Amen! Response: So mote it be!
Consider well the atmosphere that you want to create
as you open the Lodge as a sacred place of worship.
The closing prayer is equally reverent as the
opening prayer; it addresses our interactions while in lodge and our
obligations to each other and the world while outside of the lodge.
Supreme Architect of the
Universe, accept our humble praises for the many mercies and blessings which
Thy bounty has conferred upon us, and especially for this friendly and social
intercourse. Pardon, we beseech Thee, whatever Thou hast seen amiss in us since
we have been together, and continue unto us Thy presence, protection and
blessing. Make us sensible of the renewed obligations we are under: to love
Thee supremely and to be friendly to each other. May all our irregular passions
be subdued and may we daily increase in Faith, Hope and Charity, but more
especially in that charity which is the bond of peace and the perfection of
every virtue. Wilt thou be pleased so to influence our hearts and minds that we
may so practice. Amen! Response: So mote it be!
We start out thanking Him that for his mercy and for
the blessings he has bestowed on us. We then thank him for allowing us to meet
together as Masons and friends. We should remember to always acknowledge what
He has allowed us to do and what we do through Him. We should thank him for
each other; our Brethren are a blessing to us. We ask for forgiveness for
anything we may have said or done that does not lift each other up nor glorify
Him. Our prayer is that we remain under His care and protection.
We are reminded that we renew our obligations to Him
and to each other every time we open and close the Lodge. We pray for help in
subduing our irregular passions and
increasing in Faith, Hope and Charity. We hope to demonstrate virtue with the
aid of the Supreme Architect of the Universe, to put aside the imperfections
that are inherent in Man. We are not trying to suppress all of our passions,
just our irregular passions. Some passions are to be desired: bravery; study;
music; faith, etc. Irregular passions are when we let our passions (anger,
lust, envy, greed, etc.) overcome us and we act outside of laws rules or
customs of our Craft or society in general. We need Him to influence our hearts
and minds to meet this goal. We should take the sacredness of the Lodge room to
the world so that they can get a glimpse of the Divine.
The shorter version also calls on Him to help us to
practice the tenets of our Craft outside the Lodge. It reminds us that we are
to learn great moral duties and that we should revere the Word of God and study
and obey His laws.
Supreme Grand Master, Ruler of
Heaven and Earth: Now that we are about to separate and return to our
respective places of abode, wilt Thou be pleased so to influence our hearts and
minds that we may each practice out of the Lodge those great moral duties which
are taught in it; and, with reverence, study and obey the laws which Thou hast
given us in Thy Holy Word. Amen! Response: So mote it be!
Let us never forget that we should always turn to
Him before we enter into any great or important undertaking; like getting out
of bed, going to work, dealing with our family, driving our car, shopping for
groceries or attending Lodge. In everything we do, let us try to reflect that order
and beauty which reign forever before the throne of God.
