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Diamond Thistle Lodge No 555 Free & Accepted Masons of The State of New York
Home Lodge Calendar Lodge Officers Lodge Notices Become A Member Lodge News Degree Team Degree Team Schedule Degree Team History --------------------------------------------- Can you remember when? Past Masters of Diamond Thistle Lodge History of our Lodge Further Light Robert Burns --------------------------------------------- Grand Lodge of Free & Accepted Masons of the State of New York 1st Westchester Putnam District	Home Further Light Solomon. December-January 2009 The reign of Solomon was a reign of peace in Israel. The Temple was built in peace, and the Divine Presence dwelt in the Blessed Sanctuary, a gage of peace to men. The peace of God in the presence of that light which is He, and in its proper understanding the light of a Masonic Lodge is light of His indwelling Spirit. The Master of the Lodge is Vicariurs Salomonis: he communicates the light of Masonry and his chair is a chair of peace. He is the spirit of goodwill towards all. The work of the Lodge is at once for the glory of God and the good of men. Arthur E. Waite, A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry Ground Floor of the Lodge. February-March 2009 Mount Moriah, on which the Temple of Solomon was built, is symbolically called the ground floor of the lodge, and hence it is said that ¨the lodge rest on holy ground.¨ This ground floor of the lodge is remarkable for three great events recorded in Scripture, and which is called ¨the three grand offering of masonry.¨ It was here that Abraham prepared, as a token of his faith , to offer up his beloved son Isaac, this was the first grand offering. It was here that David , when his people were afflicted with a pestilence, built an altar and offered thereon peace offerings and burnt offerings to appease the wrath of God, this was the second grand offering. Lastly, it was here , that when the Temple was completed, King Solomon dedicated that magnificent structure to the service of Jehovah, with offering of pious prayers and many costly presents, this was considered the third grand offering. This sacred spot was once the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, from whom David purchased it for fifty shekels of silver. The Cabbalists delight to invest it with still ore solemn associations and declare that it was the spot on which Adam was born and Abel slain. To the Mason it is sufficiently endeared by the collection that it was ere that after a long night of darkness, Language was restored and masonry found. Albert G. Mackey, Lexicon of Freemasonry Speculative Masonry. April-May-June 2009 Freemasonry is called speculative masonry, to distinguish it from operative masonry, which is engaged in the construction of edifices of stone. Speculative masonry is a science that borrows from the operative art its working tools and implements, sanctifies them by symbolic instruction to the holiest of purposes—the veneration of God and the purification of the soul. The operative mason constructs his edifice of material substance; the speculative mason is taught to erect a spiritual building, pure and spotless, and fit for the residence of him who dwells only with the good. The operative mason works according to the designs laid down for him on the trestle board by the architect; the speculative is guided by the great trestle board, on which is inscribed the revealed will of God, the Supreme Architect of heaven and earth. The operative mason tries each stone and parts of the building by the square, level, and plum; the speculative mason examines every action of his life by the square of morality, seeing that no presumption nor vain glory has caused him to transcend the level of his allotted destiny, and no vicious propensity has led him to swerve from the plum line of rectitude. Lastly, as it is the business of the operative mason, when his work is done, to prove everything “true and trusty,” so it is the object of the speculative mason, by a uniform tenor of virtuous conduct, to receive, when his allotted course of his life has passed, the appreciative reward from his Celestial Grand Master of “Well done, good and faithful servant”. Albert Mackey Lexicon of Freemasonry Obligation. September - October - November 2009 An obligation is a solemn pledge, made on your honor, by which you tie yourself to, in this case, a society; and at the same time you tie yourself to the duties and responsibilities imposed by that society. Such an obligation may not be binding necessarily in a public court of law, but it is morally binding, and cannot be disregarded except at the cost of subverting one’s honor. The Masonic Obligations are taken by the candidate as binding without time limit--meaning that he accepts them for the remainder of his life. In the future, he may possibly withdraw from the Fraternity, or be suspended or expelled; but that will not release him from his pledge, because he took that pledge as a man and not as a Lodge member. Under no circumstance in the future can he ever violate his pledge without proving himself as being dishonorable. This is the real meaning of the old saying, “Once a Mason, always a Mason.” Another old saying is: “The Obligation makes the Mason.” If, during your First Degree, you had retired from the Lodge at any time prior to taking the Obligation, you would not now be a Mason. However, upon taking the Obligation, you became an Entered Apprentice Mason, and nothing can undo that step. One general point of your Obligation is called the “Tie,” which requires that the whole Obligation be kept a secret. LOSOME, Grand Lodge of F & A M of the State of New York.

Diamond Thistle Lodge No 555

Free & Accepted Masons of The State of New York

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Can you remember when?

Past Masters of Diamond Thistle Lodge
History of our Lodge
Further Light
Robert Burns

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Home

Further Light

Solomon.

December-January 2009

The reign of Solomon was a reign of peace in Israel. The Temple was built in peace, and the Divine Presence dwelt in the Blessed Sanctuary, a gage of peace to men. The peace of God in the presence of that light which is He, and in its proper understanding the light of a Masonic Lodge is light of His indwelling Spirit. The Master of the Lodge is Vicariurs Salomonis: he communicates the light of Masonry and his chair is a chair of peace. He is the spirit of goodwill towards all. The work of the Lodge is at once for the glory of God and the good of men.

Arthur E. Waite, A New Encyclopedia of Freemasonry

Ground Floor of the Lodge.

February-March 2009

Mount Moriah, on which the Temple of Solomon was built, is symbolically called the ground floor of the lodge, and hence it is said that ¨the lodge rest on holy ground.¨ This ground floor of the lodge is remarkable for three great events recorded in Scripture, and which is called ¨the three grand offering of masonry.¨ It was here that Abraham prepared, as a token of his faith , to offer up his beloved son Isaac, this was the first grand offering. It was here that David , when his people were afflicted with a pestilence, built an altar and offered thereon peace offerings and burnt offerings to appease the wrath of God, this was the second grand offering. Lastly, it was here , that when the Temple was completed, King Solomon dedicated that magnificent structure to the service of Jehovah, with offering of pious prayers and many costly presents, this was considered the third grand offering.

This sacred spot was once the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, from whom David purchased it for fifty shekels of silver. The Cabbalists delight to invest it with still ore solemn associations and declare that it was the spot on which Adam was born and Abel slain. To the Mason it is sufficiently endeared by the collection that it was ere that after a long night of darkness, Language was restored and masonry found.

Albert G. Mackey, Lexicon of Freemasonry

Speculative Masonry.

April-May-June 2009

Freemasonry is called speculative masonry, to distinguish it from operative masonry, which is engaged in the construction of edifices of stone. Speculative masonry is a science that borrows from the operative art its working tools and implements, sanctifies them by symbolic instruction to the holiest of purposes—the veneration of God and the purification of the soul.

The operative mason constructs his edifice of material substance; the speculative mason is taught to erect a spiritual building, pure and spotless, and fit for the residence of him who dwells only with the good. The operative mason works according to the designs laid down for him on the trestle board by the architect; the speculative is guided by the great trestle board, on which is inscribed the revealed will of God, the Supreme Architect of heaven and earth. The operative mason tries each stone and parts of the building by the square, level, and plum; the speculative mason examines every action of his life by the square of morality, seeing that no presumption nor vain glory has caused him to transcend the level of his allotted destiny, and no vicious propensity has led him to swerve from the plum line of rectitude. Lastly, as it is the business of the operative mason, when his work is done, to prove everything “true and trusty,” so it is the object of the speculative mason, by a uniform tenor of virtuous conduct, to receive, when his allotted course of his life has passed, the appreciative reward from his Celestial Grand Master of “Well done, good and faithful servant”.

Albert Mackey Lexicon of Freemasonry

Obligation.

September - October - November 2009

An obligation is a solemn pledge, made on your honor, by which you tie yourself to, in this case, a society; and at the same time you tie yourself to the duties and responsibilities imposed by that society. Such an obligation may not be binding necessarily in a public court of law, but it is morally binding, and cannot be disregarded except at the cost of subverting one’s honor. The Masonic Obligations are taken by the candidate as binding without time limit--meaning that he accepts them for the remainder of his life. In the future, he may possibly withdraw from the Fraternity, or be suspended or expelled; but that will not release him from his pledge, because he took that pledge as a man and not as a Lodge member. Under no circumstance in the future can he ever violate his pledge without proving himself as being dishonorable. This is the real meaning of the old saying, “Once a Mason, always a Mason.”

Another old saying is: “The Obligation makes the Mason.” If, during your First Degree, you had retired from the Lodge at any time prior to taking the Obligation, you would not now be a Mason. However, upon taking the Obligation, you became an Entered Apprentice Mason, and nothing can undo that step.

One general point of your Obligation is called the “Tie,” which requires that the whole Obligation be kept a secret. LOSOME,

Grand Lodge of F & A M of the State of New York.