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Subdue our passions
My Brethren,
Let’s talk a little about the 1st degree.
When it was asked "what you come here to do?"
What was your answer?
"subdue our passions & improve ourselves in Masonry"
So when you direct your thoughts properly,
you can control your passions or emotions.
When you do the wrong thing, knowing that it is wrong,
you do so because you haven't developed the habit of effectively
controlling or neutralizing the strong inner urges that tempt you,
or because you have established the wrong habits
and don't know how to eliminate them effectively.
Habit is stronger than reason.
Lets not trap ourselves by getting into the habit of doing the wrong
things. Instead lets get into the habit of doing what is right.
Don’t ask who is the man…
Be the man... Be at your best….Be the Husband
Be the father… Be the Man!!!
Let's be the examples to our community of just how good, great men can be.
As a Master Mason it is our duty to lead by example
& also become our brothers keeper.
At the Alter did we not all promise to remind an erring Brother of his
failings, aid in his reformation, vindicate his character when traduced
and to suggest in his behalf the most charitable judgment.
Yes we are our Brother’s Keeper.
Now I ask you;
Are you subduing your passions
or are your passions subduing you?
If you are ruled by your mind you are a king,
if by your body, a slave.
If we are to let emotions rule and govern us,
then let Love and Compassion prevail.
With Love you;
Love thy parents, Love thy neighbor,
Love thy spouse and Love our Heavenly Father.
If we can Love thy Father,
Why Can’t we just love one another.
How can we love our father whom we have not seen,
when we can’t love our brother, whom we see everyday?
That was Love, Now Compassion;
Compassion I have witnessed to be a mistreated,
seldom used, and often abused emotion.
Some people see compassion as a sign of weakness.
In reality, forgiving is a sign of strength.
When you help, guide, or strengthen an individual or people,
that is a sign of a great leader.
What's interesting about this is no matter how high we climb,
in any house of Masonry, under all of the dressing;
beneath the allegory;
It all ties back to what we learn in the
First Three Degrees.
In learning to subdue our passions
we not only improve ourselves in Masonry,
but we improve ourselves in all areas of life.
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