The Ineffable Secret of Masonry
Brethren, it is my intention this evening to deliver a brief and succinct lecture on the true secret of Freemasonry. The secret that has always been with us, when the fragrances of philosophy first stirred in our hearts and led us to knock 3 times on that door to the lodge. It is a secret alluded to throughout our ritual, both directly and indirectly, and one a true Scottish Rite Mason should hold dear to his heart.
One may question whether the true secret of Freemasonry is something that should be approached briefly and succinctly, it is my opinion that the more words we use the farther we find ourselves from the truth.
Is it a grip, a word, a sign? Are these the REAL secrets of Freemasonry that have been transmitted to us through all the ages? I doubt that these are what our ancient brethren cared to see us treasure so dearly. It is my opinion that these substitute secrets are only detours, or distractions, meant to prevent the unearnest and unworthy brother who merely stands in the shallow waters of thought, from finding himself drowning in a depth that he is incapable of enduring.
In the speeches we received 3 times before the altar of Freemasonry, we are explicitly told that our duties to God are separate from our duties to religion and that they are higher and nobler than those mere duties to religion. These great duties to God, therefore, transcend the mere books and words we find ourselves leaning on daily to understand creation.
It is in the K.C.C.H ceremony where we find the ultimate expression of the true secret of Freemasonry in an exchange between the Sovereign Grand Commander and the Lieutenant Grand Commander, where the conversation finds itself touching on the degrees of Scottish Rite Freemasonry and a brief synopsis of the virtues thus enclosed.
“Are you a Master of the Royal Secret?” asks the Sovereign Grand Commander.
“I have received the Degree which bears the name”, replies the Lieutenant Grand Command.
The humility in this answer is palpable. It is the humility of a man who once proudly proclaimed himself to be a Master Mason before being sharply admonished by the Master of his Lodge, and reminded that he may never truly be a Master Mason. It is the answer of a man who has learned to distinguish the true value of Freemasonry from the mere titles and fancies Freemasonry adorns its members with.
“What is the Royal Secret?” responds the Grand Commander.
Brethren, it is in this moment when we are about to receive the true secret of Freemasonry. It is in this moment that the deepest and truest meaning of the craft is unveiled to us. In this answer, we are not told of some ancient symbol or geometric formula, we are not given a name or a word, we are not shown a sign or given a grip, in fact this answer leaves us with nothing more than we had when we first approached Freemasonry.
The Lieutenant Grand Commander responds, “It is a true secret; each soul must discover it for himself”
Brethren we will not find the secrets of Freemasonry in books, in pictures, or even in words themselves. It is in those sober and solemn moments of contemplation, where we are told Wisdom dwells, where the true secrets of Freemasonry are constantly whispered to us in that still, small voice in a language all may comprehend.