Unang Bantayog

By :  Bro. Eduardo S. Freyra, 32° KCCH

The Rizal Monument in Daet, Camarines Norte was the first monument built to honor Jose Rizal, and is the oldest surviving such monument in the Philippines.  It was designed by Lt. Colonel Antonio Sanz with the help of Ildefonso Alegre of the Phlippine Revolutionary Army and through the financial contributions of the locals of Camarines Norte.  The three-tiered stone pylon with its square base supporting a triangle in two stages was the first monument and memorial marker in memory of the Philippines' National Hero.

Image source :  http://en.wikigogo.org/en/233183/

This 20-foot stone pylon is bereft of intricate design, but is in every way special because it is a monument to Bicol's libertarian aspirations.  Located by the banks of Daet River, construction of the Rizal Monument commenced on December 30, 1898 in compliance with the 1898 decree of General Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the Philippine Republic, to observe December 30 as a national holiday.

It was completed in February 1899, antedating by about 14 years the monument in Luneta, which was inaugurated only in 1912.  By virtue of this act, Camarines Norte became the first province to celebrate Rizal Day.

Designed by Sanz, a Mason, it is composed of a three-tiered stone pylon, in square base surmounted by a two-level triangle, the last one tapering off to a point.  Its foundation was made of mortars and boulders from the demolished old Spanish jail in Daet.  The front face contains a black metal slab from the National Historical Commission when it was declared a national historical landmark in 1961.

Inscribed on the podium are Rizal's popular novels -  Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and Morga, a tribute to Antonio de Morga, author of Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in 1609, an important book on the Spanish colonization of the archipelago.  There is an eight-rayed sun on both sides of the topmost triangle, a five-pointed star and the phase "A Jose Rizal" (To Jose Rizal).  But unlike other Rizal Monuments, it does not have any his sculptured image.  Oral accounts say that the base contains a time capsule containing the list of contributors to the project.  Some quarters and treasure hunters even believe that there were treasures buried around it.

Masons played an important role in putting up the monument because of its pronouned Masonic elements.  Add to this the fact that Rizal, Aguinaldo, Sanz and many financial contributors were Masons, Masonic historian MW Reynold S. Fajardo wrote in the periodical Cabletow, "The monument is unquestionably Masonic, the base is a square and is surmounted by a triangle; on the sides of the tirangle may be seen the five-pointed star and at the top used to be the all-seeing eye."

While Rizal has never set foot in Daet, the First Rizal Monument is a source of pride, not only for the townsfolk but also for all Bicolanos, attesting to the people's reverence for Rizal and his ideals.

Rizal's life and ideals inspired Daet's political leaders and citizenry  in declaring the municipality as a "Charter Town" in 2002, which uphold universal values as guiding principles in governance and public life.  To emphasize this point, the first public officials of the Province of Camarines Norte and the Municipality of Daet have incorporated the image of the First Rizal Monument in the provincial and municipal insignias.  This will remind elected officials, now and in the future, to govern in accordance with the virtues espoused by Rizal.



A Monument To Freedom

In less than a year after the Filipino revolutionary government led by Aguinaldo consolidated their control of the newly liberated pueblos from the Spaniards, the Filipino officers prepared for the eventual collapse of peace.  The seething conflict of the Filipino-American War finally erupted in 1899 and reached the town of Daet by the first month of 1900.

Then Maj. Antonio Sanz, in charge of the detachment in Daet, found no better way to please his superior, then Col. Vicente Lukban, to immortalize their victorious entrance to town of Daet than by erecting a monument in honor of the most respected hero of the revolution, Dr. Jose Rizal.


The First Rizal Monument

The monument which stands today was a  three-tiered three sided block which assumed a triangular shape toward the peak.  It was engraved with stars and the name Jose Rizal with year 1889.  This monument became popularly known as "Morga" apparently because of an inscription which bore his name.

"Morga" was referring to Dr. Antonio Morga, a prominent Spanish officer in the royal audiencia in the 16th century  who earned his distinction for his book on the affairs of the Philippines, the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas, published in 1609.

The historical interest on Morga's Sucesos was revived when Rizal published an annotated version of this in January 1890.  Rizal found immense propaganda value in reminding the friars of the existence of a once flourishing culture in the islands which the colonial regime effectively destroyed.  Stating clearly in his dedicatory remarks the purpose which inspired him in writing this book, Rizal indicated them as follows :

In the Noli Me Tangere, I began the sketch of the present state of our Native Land.  The effect that my attempt produced pointed out to me, before proceeding to unfold the other successive pictures before your eyes, the necessity of first making known to you the past in order that you may be able to judge better the present and to measure the road traversed during three centuries.

Born and reared in the ignorance of our Yesterday, like almost all of you, without voice or authority to speak about what we did not see or study, I considered it necessary to invoke the testimony of an illustrious Spaniard who governed the destinies of the Philippines in the beginning of her era and witnessed the last moments of our ancient nationality.  It is then the shadow of the civilization of our ancestors which the author is now evoking before you.  I transmit faithfully to you his words, without changing or mutilating them... The post, the nationality, and merits of De Morga, together with the data and testimonies furnished by his contemporaries, almost all Spaniards, recommend the book for your thoughtful consideration.

If the book succeeds to awaken your consciousness of the past, already effaced from your memory, and to rectify what has been falsified and slandered, then I have not worked in vain, and with this as a basis, however small it may be, we shall be able to study the future.


A Tribute

On the morning of December 30, 1898, the first monument of Rizal built through public subscription was inaugurated south of Manila at Daet town, in the province of Camarines Norte.  Revolutionary Army Lt. Colonels Ildefonso  Alegre and Antonio Sanz spearheaded a drive amongst families and patriots to construct quickly a tribute to their hero.  Lacking a professional sculptor, the community proudly made an obelisk with a mythical sun, symbol of freedom for which Rizal sacrificed his soul before the colonizer's firing squad two years earlier.

That night of the first Rizal Day, the first sculptural likeness of Rizal as a people's tribute was unveiled.  The first all-Filipino social society, Club Filipino, tendered tribute in Spanish songs and poetry to laud Rizal, a man personally known to many of the Club's members.   At the center of the drawing room where the program took place stood a pedestal draped and pleasingly decorated with palm fronds in the fashiopn of the age.  To the right were velvet-upholstered chairs for the guests of honor.  Rizal's mother, seven surviving sisters, and sole brother -  a general of unquestionable virtue and value.  To the left were a Frence Chassaigne piano and a small table on which rested a laurel crown.

At half past eight, Club president Telesforo Chuidian announced the start of the program to the distinguised members from government and commerce, military officers, and women dressed in black national attire.   Beautiful Trinidad  Ungson unveiled Rizal's statue to much applause.   The first figurative monument dedicated by the Filipino people to their star hero was a bust of cast bronze make by Filipino sculptor Vicente Francisco.

 
(source :  The Far Eastern Freemason.  3rd Qtr. September 2014)    

A Mason's Christmas

"I don't believe in a Christmas celebration by the lodge. I don't think we ought to have one, or be asked to contribute to one or in any way engage in Christmas festivities." 

"The Junior Mason spoke emphatically and with marked disapproval of the little ante-room group nearby, making happy plans for Yule-tide. 

"That's very interesting," commented the Old Past Master. I like to hear points of view unfamiliar to me. Would you mind telling me why?" 

"Of course not. It's very simple. Masonry is not Christian. King Solomon, of course, wasn't a Christian, nor were either of the Hiram's. Masonry admits to her ranks any good man of faith; Christian, Jewish, Mohammedan, Buddhist... it makes no difference, so he has a Faith. Then, as a lodge, we celebrate a holiday belonging to one faith. Now I personally am a Christian, and of course I celebrate Christmas. But my brother across the way is a Jew, who does not recognize Christianity. To ask him to spend his proportion of lodge funds in celebrating the birth of a Leader in Whom he does not believe would be exactly like asking me to celebrate, with my proportion of lodge money, the birth of Confucius. Of course, I have only one vote and the majority rules, but when it comes to personal contributions to a Masonic Christmas celebration, my hands will never come out of my pockets." 

He shoved them deeper in as he spoke to emphasize his intention not to spend. 

"Hum!" answered the Old Past Master. "So you think your Jewish brother across the way doesn't recognize Christianity? Don't you mean he doesn't recognize Christ as the Son of God? Wait a minute... Oh, Brother Samuels." The Old Past Master called across the ante-room. "Here a minute, will you?" The Jewish brother rose and came forward. 

"I just wanted to ask you if you are in favor or against the lodge Christmas celebration?" asked the Old Past Master.

"Me? I am in favor of it, of course, both for the lodge appropriation and the individual contribution."

"Thank you," nodded the Old Past Master. Then as the Jewish brother went back to his seat, he turned to the Junior Mason.  

"You see, my son, our Jewish friend is not narrow. He does not believe in Christ as the Redeemer, but he recognizes that he lives in a country largely Christian, and belongs to a lodge largely Christian. To him the Christmas celebration is not one of His birthday, but of the spirit of joyousness and love which we mean when we sing, at Christmas time 'Peace on earth, good will towards men!' If you argue that 'peace' is only a Christian word, he might even quote to you the words of One who said 'I bring you not Peace, but a Sword.'

 
"Now let me explain something to you. The Jew has just as much right to refuse to recognize Christ as the Son of God, as you have to refuse to consider Mohammed the Prophet the followers of Allah say he is. But as an educated man, you must know that Mohammed was a good man, a devout leader, a wise teacher. As an educated man, you admit that the religion founded by Buddha has much in it that is good, and you admit that Confucius was a wise and just leader. Were you in the land where the birthdays of any of these were celebrated, would you refuse your part in the people's joy in their Leader, simply because you followed another? I trust not. Well, neither do our Jewish brethren or our Mohammedan brethren, desire to be left out of our celebration. They may not believe in the Divinity of Him we, as Christians, follow, but if they are good men and good Masons... they are perfectly willing to admit that the religion we follow is as good for us as theirs is for them, and to join with us in celebrating the day which is to us the glad day of all the year.

"Believe me, boy, Christmas doesn't mean Christ's birthday to many a man who calls himself Christian. It is not because of joy the He was born that many a good man celebrates Christmas. It is because his neighbor celebrates it, because it is a time of joy for little ones, because it is a day when he can express his thanks to his God that he is allowed to have a wife and family and children and friends and a lodge, because of that very 'peace on earth' spirit which is no more the property of the Gentile than the Jew, the Chinese or the Mohammedan.

"It is such a spirit that Masons join, all, in celebrating Christmas. It is on the Masonic side of the tree we dance, not the Christian side. When this lodge erects its Christmas tree in the basement and throws it open to the little ones of the poor of this town, you will find children of all kinds there; black, white, yellow, and brown, Jew and Gentile, Christian and Mohammedan. And you will find a Jew at the door, and among the biggest subscriptions will be those from some Jewish brethren, and there is a Jew who rents cars for a living who will supply us a dozen free to take baskets to those who cannot come. And when the Jewish Orphan Asylum has its fair, in the Spring, you will find many a Christian Mason attending to spend his money and help along the cause dear to his Jewish brethren, never remembering that they are of a different faith. That, my son, is Masonry." 

"For Charity is neither Christian nor Jewish, nor Chinese nor Buddhistic. And celebrations which create joy in little hearts and feed the hungry and make the poor think that Masons do not forget the lessons in lodge, are not Christian alone, though they be held at Christmas, and are not for Christians alone, though the celebration be in His honor. Recall the ritual: 'By the exercise of brotherly love we are taught to regard the whole human species as one family, the high and low, the rich and poor, who, as created by one Almighty Parent, and inhabitants of the same planet, are to aid, support and protect each other'. 

"It is with this thought that we, as Masons, celebrate Christmas, to bring joy to our brethren and their little ones, and truly observe the brotherhood of man and the Fatherhood of God, whether we be Jew or Gentile, Mohammedan or Buddhist." The Old Past Master ceased and stood musing, his old eyes looking back along a long line of lodge Christmas trees about which eager little faces danced. Then he turned to the Junior Mason. 

"Well," he said smiling, "Do you understand?" 

"I thank you for my Christmas present," came the answer. "Please tell me to which brother I should make my Christmas contribution?"

source :  http://www.themasonictrowel.com/masonic_talk/old_past_master/mason_christmas.htm

Dr. Jose P. Rizal and Globalization

by Ill. Samuel P. Fernandez, 33°  IGH, KGQR

In January 1889, Dr. Jose P. Rizal wrote : "Escribe el Noli Me Tangere para despertar los sentimentos." - I wrote the Noli Me Tangere to rouse the feelings of my countrymen.

On August 12, 1891, Rizal expressed his mind thus :  "Yo lucho por la nacion, Filipinas." - I fight for a nation, the Philippines.

In October 1891, Rizal defined his direction thus :  "Ang parang na paglalaban ay ang Filipinas: doon tayo dapat magtatagpo." -  The field of battle is the Philippines : that is where we should meet.

Brave words but Rizal made good his promise.  Five years later, he paid the price of his conviction in the killing fields of Bagumbayan on December 30, 1896.

Rizal did not do any physical battle with any Spaniard but his mighty pen toppled an Empire.  What Rizal did not do, Andres Bonifacio did in many encounters with well-armed Spaniards.  So did Gen.  Emilio Aguinaldo.

WORLD VISION OF RIZAL

Rizal's vision was not limited in opening the minds of his people.  He dreamed an impossible dream, that one day his people will be citizens of the world.  "Some centuries hence when mankind shall become enlightened and redeemed, when there shall be no races, when all peoples shall become free, when there shall be no tyrants nor slaves, nor colonies nor metropolis, when justice shall rule, and man shall become a citizen of the world, the cult of science alone shall remain, the word patriotism shall smack of fanatism, and he who would boost of patriotic virtues will undoubtedly be confined as a dangerous sick man, as a perturber of social harmony."  (El Filibusterismo, Ghent, 1891)

One hundred years later, on December 4, 1961, during the international Congress on Jose Rizal, H.R.H. Prince Prem Purachatra of Thailand paid tribute to Rizal : "We think that Rizal no longer belongs to the Filipinos; he belongs to the world whenever people have the will to remain free and to resist oppression in all its forms.  Jose Rizal was at one with the historical figures of the past in our country.  He had the spirit and we respect him for it.  We revere him for that.  And that is I think the message that the people of my country would like to bring to the people of your country, to the people of the Philippines and also to all others who have the same ideals of freedom... carry on in the spirit of Jose Rizal, carry on in the spirit which insists that freedom is a necessity of life and without it death is preferable.

A noted writer, Buddhaveda Rose, a poet from India, said in part in his speech on Rizal's Awakening of the National Consciousness : "It is possible to see Rizal as a fine flower of that romanticism which burst upon Europe in the early years of the 19th century and spread to Asia somewhat later.  Romanticism was not a non-political phenomenon;  its melancholy note went hand in hand with an ardent desire to abolish tyranny and establish a world-order founded on love and justice.  And indeed the poems of Rizal occasionally remind us of Byron and Pushkin... as Pushkin awakened the new national consciousness of Russia, so did Rizal in the Philippines."

RIZAL, A GLOBAL PERSON?

Globalism is the "principle of the interdependence of the entire world." (World Book Dictionary)

Globalization is "to make global or worldwide in scope or application." (Google)

The world has become a global village.  With the instantaneous electronic communications, countries have shrunk distances so much so that what happens in Alaska is known in Australia in a matter of seconds.

Rizal in "The Philippines Tomorrow" noted : "Tomorrow we shall be citizens of the Philippines whose destiny will be beautiful because it will be in loving hands.  Oh yes! The future is ours, it is rosy.  I see life stirring in these regions, so long dead and lethargic...  I see towns rising along the railways and factories everywhere  and buildings like that at Mandaluyong.  I hear the ship's whistle, the concussion of trains, the clatter of machineries... I see smoke rising, its potent respirations, and I smell the odor of oil the sweat of the monsters engaged in incessant labor... That port, so laboriously constructed, that river where commerce seems agonizing, we shall see filled with masts and will give us an idea of winter in the forests of Europe... This pure air and those very clean stones shall be covered with coal, of boxes and barrels, the products of human industry, but, it doesn't matter!  We shall move rapidly in comfortable coaches to seek in the interior other airs, other panoramas on other beaches, cooler temperature on the slopes of the mountains... Our armed ships will guard the coasts.  The Spaniards and Filipinos will vie with one another in repelling foreign invasion, in defending our homes, and leave you, women, to laugh and enjoy life in peace, loved and respected.  Freed from the system of exploitation, without displeasures or mistrust, the people will work beause then work will cease to be opprobious, will cease to be servile, as an imposition on the slave;  then the character of the Spaniards, will not be soured with ridiculous despotic pretentions and with their gaze sincere, the heart robust, we shall join hands, and commerce, industry, agriculture,the sciences will develop under the protection of freedom and wise and equitable laws as in prosperous England. (El Filibusterismo, Ghent, 1891)

Cornelius Christian Berg, Professor at the University of Leiden, The Netherlands, in his speech entitled "On Rizal's Awareness of One World," succinctly observed : "It would be an exaggeration if I said that Rizal and the civilization which he so well represented are familiar to the Netherlands.  However, there is a comparatively large group of people in my country who know and appreciate Rizal and his achievements.  It is on their behalf, Mr. Chairman, and also for personal reasons that I congratulate the Government of the Philippines and the organizers of this Congress on the fact that they possess in the person of Rizal a national hero who combined the scientific spirit with sincere patriotism and awareness of a growing world community."

Rizal's genius transcends beyond the borders of his country.  He was not bound to time and space.  He belongs to the world.  pastor Gottlob Weber, Pastor of  Wilhemsfeld, Germany, (where Rizal wrote the concluding chapters of his Noli Me Tangere in the vicarage) holds that : "Above all, Rizal himself is the best representative of the "universutas literatum."  Recently, Thomas L. U. Szenes said :  "The Germans have a felicitous name for it - "Universalgenie," denoting an exceptional type of man who shows superior aptitude in whatever mental activity he chooses to pursue."

"In fact, Rizal was one of the best interpreters of the spirit of the 19th century... He was in an almost incomprehensible way congenial to the highest ideas and ideals of the 19th century, not only Germany but of the world - indeed a Universal Genius."

UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD

Of all the Masons in the Propaganda Movement, Bro. Rizal can easily pass as a Mason with international standing.

He joined Acacia Lodge No. 9 in Madrid under the Gran Oriente de España, the Grand Lodge that had prominent liberal membership like Spanish statesmen Prin Pi y Margall, Miguel Morayte, Praxedes, Manuel Ruiz Zorilla and Rafael Labra.

Rizal's Masonic name was Dimasalang.  He was made a Master Mason at Lodge Solidaridad No. 53.  In July 1885, he left for France and became a representative to Le Grand Orient du France in Paris.

Father Luis y Marti, S.J., in a sworn statement executed in Manresa, Spain, declared that Rizal was a fifth degree in the German Lodges.

Austin Craig believed that Dr. Rizal was an 18th degree Mason.  This is confirmed by Rizal when he included in the cover of the Noli Me Tangere the symbol of the 18th degree which is the Cross and Rose.  In Hong Kong, he attended stated memetings of Lodge St. John No. 618 under the Scottish Constitution.  He signed the Tyler's register as member of Temple de L'Honneur at de Union (France).

Dr. Rizal was made Honorary Venerable Master of Nilad Lodge No. 144 (now no. 12), of which your humble author is an honorary member.

Masons all over the world believed in the Brotherhood of Men under the Fatherhood of God.  It represents all religions.  Frank C. Laubach, American biographer on Rizal said in part in his speech "On Rizal's Dream of the Brotherhood of Men" - "Other men are soon forgotten after they die, but Jose Rizal is greater in the eyes of the Philippines and the world than when he died sixty-five years ago (December 16, 1896).  And a thousand years from now his name will be among the immortals whose memories never die.  And if someday this human race rises above nationalism and achieves the brotherhood of man they will say that Jose Rizal was dreaming of that a thousand years before."

UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE

Dr. Rizal, at eight years old wrote : "Sa Aking Mga Kababata"  (To May Fellow Children).  Let me quote paragraph three :

"Whoever knows not now to love his native tongue
Is worse than a beast or evil smelling fish,
To make our language richer ought to be our wish
This same as any mother loves to feed her young."

This portion of Rizal's poem is often quoted by so-called nationalists, omitting the succeeding paragraph which states :

"Tagalog and Latin are the same
And English and Castillan and the angel's tongue;
And God, whose watchful care o'er all is flung,
Has given us His blessings on speech we claim."

It is important to get acquainted with the language of our people.  Equally important is learning the lingua franca of the times.  Dr. Rizal at 20 years old had a reading knowledge of 22 languages.  Learning only the language of our country is confining ourselves to our culture.  There are other cultures worthy of study and instruction.  Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo were written in elegant Spanish language.  Dr. Rizal understood the languages of his time because he spoke German, French, English, etc.

Baron Rodolfo de Negri di San Pietro of Italy, speaking on the topic "Rizal's Place in the Literary World" observed :

"Jose Rizal shines before the literary world like a great poet of the Spanish language, and his tongue is a privileged son of the language of Rome, and the Latin of Virgil."

The Philippines is home to 175 ethno-languages.  Many of these ethno-languages are extinct.  During the American occupation, the English and Filipino where the medium of instruction.  Filipinos, which is based on Tagalog, is popular in and around Manila.  If language is the expression of the culture of the people, then we stand to lose the culture of the minority.  Thank God, K+12 preparation was on tract.  English and Filipino as the language of instruction from Kindergarten to Third Grade will be replaced by Tagalog, Capampangan, Pangasinense, Iloko, Bikol, Hiligaynon, Cebuano, Waray, Tausug, Maguindanao, Maranao, and Chavacano.  The twelve languages have the combined base of more than 63 speakers.

When we, as people, understand our culture through the nuances of our language, it is time to explore the possibility of understanding the world where we live and reside.  No country can stay in isolation.  We have become a global village and it is our bounden duty to understand our world before it self-destructs because of ethno-centricism.  We are the world under the canopy of heaven, fellow creatures of One Creator.

(Source : The Far Eastern Freemason, 2nd Quarter - June 2014)

Masonic Education : INCREASING OUR RESOLVE TO IMPROVE OUR MASONIC SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY

ALL OF US MASTER MASONS must develop a keen sense of responsibility because on the one hand, we are obligated to perform our respective duties to our Lodge in particular and to the Craft in general, and on the other, our Lodge, as well as the Craft, imposes those obligations upon us.   Besides, we must be much aware of how we fit into our Lodge in order that we will be induced to act for its best interest, welfare, and survival;  for unless we are, we cannot comprehend what the other members of the Lodge, particularly its officers and Past Masters, expect us to do.

Generally, however, a Lodge is composed of three groups or categories of members, namely, the self-actualizing brethren, the irresponsible ones, and those between the two extremes or in the middle ground.  To which category do you, dear brethren, belong?

Do you belong to the group of self-actualizing brethren, who are endowed with such a strong sense of responsibility that they will do everything within their power to fulfill their obligations and to perform their duties, or do what they must in order to become what they believe God meant them to be? Even without any prodding from the Lodge's officers and Past Masters, such brethren will do what is expected of them.  They are, decidedly, a blessing to the Craft;  they make Philippine Masonry strong, vibrant and vigorous.  Would that their number increase!

Or do you belong to the group of irresponsible  Masons - those who have utterly no regard for their duties and obligations to respective Lodges in particular and to their Craft in general and who most probably will not be induced to action by the Lodge's officers and Past Masters?  Those undesirable members of a Lodge do not deserve to be called brothers.  May their number, therefore, decrease!

Or do you belong to the brethren who are neither self-actualizing nor irresponsible - or to those brethren who are in the middle ground between the two extremes?  Such brethren need to be periodically reminded by the Lodge's officers and Past Masters that they should do what is expected to them, so that they will develop their individual sense of responsibility both for their personal advancement and for the enhancement of their Lodge's honor, reputation, and usefulness, and that, in the words of the late Past Grand Master Manuel M. Crudo, "The spirit of Masonry is disinterested and dedicated service -  service without expecting any other reward than experiencing an inner flow of achievement for doing one's job well or performing one's duty creditably." - They need to be inspired or edified by role models, who may as well be the Lodge's incumbent officers and Past Masters, who should set the good examples of faithfully and conscientiously discharging their respective duties and obligations to the Lodge and to the Craft.

The incumbent officers and Past Masters of the Lodge, as well as other brethren thereof who have a sense of  responsibility, must also exercise the authority given them "to correct the irregularities of your less informed brethren, to fortify their minds with resolution against the snares of the insidious, and to guard them against every allurement to vicious practices," as well as "to caution the inexperienced against any breach of fidelity" to our laws, rules and regulations, thereby helping preserve unsullied the Fraternity's reputation.  The officers and Past Masters of a Lodge must, for instance, whisper good counsel in the ears of those brethren who have the inclination to find short cuts in doing their allotted tasks, so that they will have time to satisfy their sensual appetites.    Such brethren include those who absent themselves from a stated or special meeting but are conspicuously present at the post-meeting social fellowship, as well as those who leave the lodge hall when the Lecture of the first or the third degree is being delivered in order to go ahead to the venue of the post-conferral fellowship.

Clearly, we cannot become worthy and exemplary Masons if we cannot curb the tendency to finding shortcuts in doing our allotted tasks or getting satisfaction from indulging our sensual appetites, or if we do not fulfill what we declared in open Lodge we had come here to do, namely, to learn to subdue our passions and improve ourselves in Masonry.

Ergo, we must exert more effort than before to perform our Masonic duties and obligations with a strong sense of responsibility.  We need to periodically take stock of ourselves, as well as to proficiently use the hieroglyphical emblems presented in the lecture of the Master Mason degree for reminding ourselves that, among other things, "since life is so uncertain and all earthly pursuit are vain, we must no longer postpone the all-important concern of preparing for eternity," but instead, "embrace the present moment while time and opportunity are offered, to provide against that great charge when all the pomp and pleasures of this fleeting world will pall upon the sense, and the recollection of a virtuous and well-spent life will yield the onl y comfort and consolation.  Thus, we shall not, unprepared, be hurried into the presence of that all-wise and powerful Judge to whom the secrets of all hears are known, and on the great day of reckoning, we shall be ready to give a good account of our stewardship here on earth."

Indeed, we will prove ourselves worthy of having been made Master Masons if and when we are faithful to every trust committed to our care; if and when we fulfill our obligations to our respective Lodges and to the Craft with utmost fidelity and conscientiousness; if and when we perform our duties to God, to our country, to our fellowmen, particularly our countrymen, and to ourselves with the highest sense of responsibility.


(Source : The Cabletow, Vol./Issue 90/6 March & April 2014)

Obelisk and Freemasonry

by Bro. Carlo Reynaldo F. Lozada, Jr.
     District Executive Assistant, R13-A



Sometimes associated with Masonry, yet the obelisk is not counted among the Masonic symbols.  But a long history lies behind the fascination on this plain but ancient stone piece.
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Freemasonry, as we know it now, only started sometime in the 17th century.  This was the time of Renaissance when people had begun questioning the church, monarchy and the prevailing societal norms in general.   Freemasonry was then a way to become a "free thinker".

Thus, to Freemasons, groping for mystic enlightenment in the 1800s, the obelisk was the only architectural symbol of Egyptian deity Osiris still in existence.  Obelisk mania had already swept into Freemasonry by the time Napoleon  Bonaparte set sail for Egypt in 1798.  Whether he was Mason or not is still disputed.  But his four brothers certainly were.   He was also encircled by Masonic advisors who had convinced him that Egypt held original secrets of history, philosophy and of course, Freemsonry.  Masons figured among the 150 scholars who had joined the emperor on his triumphant Nile progress, pillaging pyramids, temples and toms all in the name of learning.

They instantly realized that the Rosetta Stone might unlock the lost language of Egypt.  Deciphering the engraved hieroglyphs had taken many years and the genius of Jean-Francois  Champollion.  Yet, he even needed the help of an obelisk bearing Cleopatra's cartouche, which had been removed for shipment to England in 1818 by a Masonic adventurer, Giovanni Battista Belzoni.

Belzoni was a mountebank archeologist who opened up the temple of Abu Simbel and the Second Pyramid of Giza.  He begun his Masonic career in Cairo, appropriately, the Lodge of the Pyramids and joined lodges in Cambridge and Norwich.  He died in 1825, searching for "Timbuctoo" or the source of the Niger.   But not before he did Freemasonry an inestimable service by claiming to have discovered an ancient Masonic Temple in Thebes.  He claimed its wall paintings showed Osiris being initiated into Freemasonry, pursuing its sublime mysteries and clad in a distinctive Masonic apron and awarding other masons a higher degree.

After Belzoni died, his wife, Sarah transcribed his notes, including this declaration,  "Let the Masonic brethren search, and they will find, that the Egyptian Masonic key will unlock the hitherto unrevealed mysteries of Egyptian wisdom."   No matter that his Masonic temple turned out to be the tomb of Pharaoh Seti I, and that all he (or Sarah) had written where bunkum, Masons at that time felt they owed much to Belzoni.  His Masonic "discoveries" sent packs of them off to Egypt in search of obelisks to plunder.

Paris was the first major European city to fall for this Masonic fad.  In 1830, the Viceroy of Egypt, Mohamed Ali, gave France's King Charles X a magnificent obelisk which was 3,500 years old and weighed 246 tons at a height of 92 feet.  It still stands at Plaza de la  Concorde today.  Another obelisk was given to England.  It weighed 186 tons.

It now stands at the Victoria Embankment along River Thames.  this is known as one of "Cleopatra's Needle".

The news that English Masons had succeeded in erecting Cleopatra's Needle encouraged American Masons to ship its twin across the Atlantic.  The Obelisk was given to America in 1877.  But 2 years had passed before it had been done.  It weighed 220 tons.

It now stands at Central Park, New York, USA.  More obelisks then sprouted all over the world in localities where Masons were present.  The more famous is the George Washington Monument, the first president of the USA.

Yet, not all Obelisks are Masonic symbols.  Rome ahs about 11 where most have been brought from Egypt by ancient emperors who were deluded by grandeur.  Caligula's obelisk now stands at the very heart of the Roman Catholic Church capital, at St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.  It was Pope Sixtus V who was responsible for the erection of this 132-ft and 320-ton obelisk.

Churches of other Christian denominations likewise utilized the obelisk in their structure.   "Obelisks were considered tasteful, with pure uplifting lines, associated with ancient greatness, patriotic, able to be used in relatively small spaces, and perhaps most importantly, obelisks were less costly than large and elaborate sculpted monuments.   There were many cultural reasons for the revival style of the 19th century.   Freemasonry while part of the overall cultural influence, was not responsible for the prevalence of obelisks." (Macdowell and Meyer - "The Revival Styles in American Memorial Art")

Here in the Philippines, the most famous obelisks are that of Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio monuments in Rizal Park and Caloocan-Monumento, respectively.  In fact the silhouette/outline of the Rizal monument is present in the vehicle license plates.  Clearly this particular design in the plates has no Masonic connotation at all.

Nowhere can you find the word "obelisks" in our Monitor, landmarks, Constitution, by-laws, ordinances and edicts.  It may be associated with Freemasonry.  But it is by no means a Masonic symbol, nor exclusive to the Craft.


Source :  The Cabletow, Vol 89 No. 5, March-April 2013 Issue

MASONIC INFORMATION

by VW Conrado V. Sanga, PDDGM
(source:  The Cabletow, November-December 2007 Vol. 84 No. 4, p10 - 11)

1.  What were the Boundaries of the Temple?
     On the East, by the brook of Kadron; on the South, the reservoirs and water sheds; on the West,
      by Jerusalem; and on the Southwest, the City of David.

2.  From whom did King Solomon acquire Mount Moriah as the site of the Temple?
     From Ornan the Jebusite, to whom he paid 600 shekels of gold.

3.  What is a shekel?
     In the 4th, or Mark Master, degree, it is said that the value of a mark is a Jewish half-shekel
     of silver or 25 US cents.  The shekel of silver was the weight used in antiquity among the Jews.
     Its value is roughly half of a US dollar.

4.  Did Hiram Abif survive the construction of the Temple?
     Yes!

5.  Were there any bells used in King Solomon's Temple?
      Bells were not invented till the 5th century A.D.  Therefore, the use of a bell in the Third,
      of Master Mason, degree is but an anachronism.

6.  Who was King Hiram of Tyre?
      King Hiram of Tyre was a contemporary of King Solomon of Israel.  The former assisted
      the latter in the building of the Temple.  He loaned King Solomon 120 talents of gold (which
      is roughly 230 million pesos).

7.  Who succeeded Solomon as King of Israel?
      His Son Rehoboam.

8.  Which way did King Solomon take to arrive at the middle chamber of the Temple?
      By way of a flight of winding stairs (2nd Degree Ritual; I Kings VI-8).

9.  What mosque is now located on one of the slopes of Mount Moriah?
      The mosque of Oman.

10. How old was the Temple when it was destroyed by the Chaldeans?
      Four Hundred thirty-five (435) years old.

11. What was Jachin?
      The name of one of the pillars standing at the porch of the Temple.  The other pillar was
      called Boaz.  The name Jachin was derived from jah and jachin, meaning will establish and
      God will establish, respectively.

12. What were the dimensions of the great pillars Boaz and Jachin?
       According to our Monitor, there were five and thirty cubits high, twelve in circumference
       and four in diameter and were surmounted by chapiters of five cubits each, making in all
       forty cubits in height.

13. How many times was the Temple built?
       Three times - by King Solomon, Zerubabel, and Herod, respectively.

14. Who was Aaron?
       Aaron was a brother of Moses.  He was the first High Priest of the Mosaic dispensation.

15. Where is Mount Sinai?  What is its significance?
       Mount Sinai is a mountain of Arabia, between the horns of the Red Sea.  It is where Moses
       received the two tablets on which were inscribed the Decalogue or Ten Commandments.

- - - - - -
"If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it." - Winston Churchill, UK Prime Minister, Freemason.

OF HONORABLE MEN AND NOBLE PURPOSES

Rev. Dr. Hilario M. Gomez, Jr., Ph.D.
Bishop Emeritus, UCCP

(This speech was delivered February 18, 2012, during the Fellowship Dinner that followed after the formal installation ceremonies of the 2012 Iligan Lodge No. 207 Officers.  Rev. Dr. Hilario M. Gomez is the Special Guest Speaker and the father of the newly installed Worshipful Master of Iligan Lodge No. 207.)

Of Men and Noble Societies.  We are honored tonight to be present on this memorable occasion, an occasion of noble character and certainly of historic nature.  This occasion is a noble one for these promises to relive the purposes of a society of high-minded individuals who have braved the whims and caprices of men and nations through the ages.  You know pretty well the history of the Masonic Fraternity, of its glories in the past in the Holy Land, to Europe, particularly in Southern France, to the great city of Paris, to England, Scotland, the United States of America, then to other countries and to ours.  As in any organization in the world, from the ancient past to the present, we read of lesser brothers who failed to live up to the noble purposes of the craft, they who were lured to the glitter of gold and worldly power, in France, for example, during the time of King Philip the Fair, that led to malicious accusations from the Empire and the less worthy leaders - bishops and popes of the church.  But thanks to the noble men who shone in the pages of the History of the Craft and the impartial rendering of great historians, especially in the more recent past, the noble character of the Fraternity has been highlighted to the world of scholarship and the general history of humankind.  We know too well the great contributions to culture, science and political governance of such members of this Fraternity as Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and many other founding fathers of the great American nation that enshrined in the history mankind the noble purposes of godly men and nations in the timeless Declaration of Independence of 1776.  And in our history we have such men as Dr. Jose Rizal, the great Malayan, Andres Bonifacio, founder of the Katipunan, Senate President Camilo Osias, General of the Philippine Army Manuel Mandac, and the more recent Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Renato Puno.  And there are many more, both here present tonight and elsewhere.

Installation Ceremony as Return to Illo Tempore.  Our coming together then must be an occasion to remember the glorious past of this noble fraternity, as well as a reminder that not all members have lived up to the noble intentions and guiding lights and principles to make man a better man and this country a better place to live in.. It is both a joyous and humbling experience.  The great scholar of both secular and sacred institutions, the late Dr. Prof. Mircea Iliade, of the University of Chicago has aptly pointed this truism when he said that important ceremonies, such as this installation, should always be an occasion to return in illo tempore, the golden past, the timeless and glorious beginning when members should usher themselves to relive the past as it were, and as it should be.  In Christianity this is done in the celebration of the Eucharist.  And in that other great religion, Islam, adherents are reminded of the eternal tenets of this great monotheistic faith not only in the faithful observance of the sawm or puasa, but also of the maulid un nabi, or the celebration of the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and in the hadj.

Masonry and Masons.  I can safely assume that all of us gathered tonight believe that the Masonry is a good organization, as it certainly has contributed a great number of illustrious members in the US, the Philippines and elsewhere.  In that we should rejoice.  Men became noble and good, respected and held in high esteem, it is often said, when they become members of a good and noble institution.  But there are timeless rules and practices that govern this organization.  Thus, member rise and fall by this measuring stick, this rule of conduct and proper behavior.  Time and again, then, it is necessary for you and every member that there is such standard as truly Masonic and sadly Unmasonic behaviors and conduct.  We should challenge all Masons and especially
 the officers to be installed of this significant fact that organizations are as good as the members thereof.  For it is good to be reminded that a chain, a cadena, is as strong as its weakest link.

The story of the Greatest Salesman.  Many of you tonight, I believe, are quite familiar of the story of the Greatest Salesman of the World as recounted by Og Mandino.  In that little, thin but tremendously important novelette of the same title, Mandino tells of the life experience of Hafid, the poor camel boy who rose to become the well-loved, highly respected salesman of Damascus and of the known world in his time.  In fact the novelette revolves around the story of this camel boy turned salesman.  How he learned the principles of his trade, how he followed the tenets of the art of salesmanship from the ten scrolls left for him by another great salesman, Patros, his foster father.  But the last chapter, it seems to me, was really the center of the story, the encounter of now retired old salesman and Saul of Tarsus, who was later on called Paul of Damascus and revered by Christians throughout the history of Christianity and beyond.  Paul, we are told, traveled far and wide, Palestine, the Middle East, the known world in his days, including Greece, Thessalonica, Corinth, Athens, Rome, and even beyond Rome.  His purpose in life after that momentous experience in the road to Damascus, where he met his Lord and Master, who called him personally to tell the world the great ideals of this Man of Nazareth.  Thus, Paul became the salesman of the Evangelion, the Gospel of Love, of the lonely Prophet of Israel who met his death by crucifixion on the hill of Golgotha in the holy city of Jerusalem.  Paul's story was one of trials and tribulations as a wandering salesman in the hostile world of Ancient Rome, the bigoted Jews and Gentiles, how he was persecuted, tried by the Roman couorts and imprisoned, and then sent off by boat, naturally, there were no airplanes then, to be tried and then crucified, like his master.  In the process, this learned doctor of laws, Paul, effectively sold the ideals, the teachings and life of his Master, Jesus Christ.  Many were convinced to buy this merchandise of this Greatest Salesman.  Before his death, we are told that Paul was praised by many as an effective and good salesman for, many have bought the merchandise he was then selling - the Gospel of Love, of Service to humanity, and the desire to make this world a better place to live in, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the revered prophet from Nazareth of all time, honored by Christians and Muslims alike.  To thos who praised him, Paul, like Hafid, told his audience, that he was not even a good salesman, much more the greatest salesman.  For to him he was merely a servant of the servant lord, his master Jesus Christ, the prophet of Nazareth.  He said, for to me to live is Christ and to die is gain.  Such is Paul, the Greatest Salesman, humble to the end.

Lessons from the Greatest Salesman.   As we hinted earlier we are all salesmen, whether we sell merchandise,our skills and talents, or even ideas, and what have you.   The story of the Greatest Salesman, of Paul of Tarsus and Damascus should have some special significance for us.   We should underscore at least five lessons for us this evening :  Perseverance or Persistence, Love, Hope, Service to Humanity, and Humility.

a.  Perseverance.    Our world today calls for honest and noble men, to pursue their highest goals in life, the noble aims of their calling, and as nobly taught by this well-honored fraternity, the Masonic society.  Whether in Iligan or elsewhere, noble men are called then to persevere, to persist to follow these noble goals in this world of trials and tribulations.   So that, in the process, you shall follow the immortal words of William Shakespeare, in the mouth of Hamlet, that in his world of pain, men might tarry a while, to tell your story.

b.  Love.   In Og Mandino's narrative, one of the scrolls reminds that to truly be a great salesman, one must follow the law of love, to take every person a miracle from God Almighty, and therefore a special person. But truly love to everyman must begin by loving oneself, thus restating the second greatest commandment of the Prophet Jesus of Nazareth :"Love your neighbor as you love yourself."   All of us then tonight should begin by loving oneself.  You cannot honor, love and give high premium to others if you do not care for yourself, if you do not care to improve yourself everyday, if you do not love yourself.  For you are a miracle from God, the Creator of Man and the universe.

c.  Hope.   You, we must have hope and believe that in every man hope springs eternal, hope that each day is a new day that promises potentials that promise to be achieved.  Whether as a salesman selling rugs, in Mandino's story, or a teacher, an engineer, a medical doctor, or what have you, we must learn to hope for better things every day, and to live that day or this day as if it were the last day.

d.  Service to Humanity.   Those of us from outside of the fraternity are in awe for the dedication and efforts that you have shown in the aftermath of the flood of Iligan wrought by Typhoon Sendong.  I understand that masons of Iligan, Lanao del Norte and elsewhere have raised hundreds of thousands of pesos, and priceless time, expertise as doctors, engineers or other professions to assist the hapless victims.  You should be congratulated.  I offer you my highest appreciation. But you should not rest on this laurel, but should move on to do better and higher things.

e.  Humility.   Finally, you should be humble and consider that each of you, nay, each of us, should not forget that we are mere creatures of the Great Creator.  As creatures, we all must end our existence in this earthly world.   To turn, once more to Og Mandino, Hafid the Greatest Salesman recognized his frailty in the twilight of his life.   He dreamed that soon he shall die, and waited for the man whom he could entrust the ten scrolls of salesmanship, and he honored the day when he encountered Paul of Damascus.  To him Paul, his successor, will become a better salesman, greater than he.  Humble to the end.  So must you be.  So should we be.


Conclusion and Final Challenge.   Let me now end with a personal note.  I am honored to be present in this high occasion tonight.  I am doubly honored and happy that my son, my eldest son and namesake, Dr. Hilario Abel B. Gomez, could be given this high honor as worshipful master of this noble organization.  I challenge him then to live up to this honor and privilege.  There are many organizations and fraternities.   But yours is an honored one, noble fraternity with noble intentions.   Remember that there are greater men before you, and certainly noble men after you.  But certainly, you shall receive more honor and will be remembered long after if you take this honor, not as a badge of privilege but one of responsibility and service.  For to be great is to be humble, to be honorable is to be of service to others.  Strive then to be a strong link in the Masonic chain, and not to be its weakest.   For the chain is, and will be strong only as its weakest link.  Be honorable in this honored and noble organization, this fraternity of noble men, the Masons.

Let this challenge then be to all of us tonight.  Let us be honorable men in this noblest of  fraternities.  Thank you and good night.