Jr Warden Minute – December 2017

The Principal Tenets of Freemasonry: Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth

In November I started a series of three Masonic Minutes that will remind us the core reasons why we became members of this fraternity. I hope it will help us all to remember those reasons and strengthen our commitment to them. These Minutes are based on a brief essay provided to members of the Shrine to remind them that, at their core, they are Master Masons. However, it is good for all of us, regardless of out Mason affiliations, to remember why we chose this path in the first place.

Remember the Three Principal Tenets of Freemasonry are Brotherly Love, Relief and Truth. Tonight we will focus on Relief.Many of us think of Relief as only a form of charity. However, in Masonry it has a greater and more all-encompassing meaning. A person may suffer for many reasons, not just financial. These include family or work issues or other problems he may be encountering. Although it may seem overly simple, many times all he needs is someone to talk to about these issues. This tenet of Masonry calls us to relieve distress by all means available to us, not just financial assistance. It is our responsibility to sympathize, console or restore peace to troubled minds wherever and wherever possible.