An inquiry into the designation of the Saints John as Patron Saints of Freemasonry
One of the primary purposes of Freemasonry is the education of its members.
Unfortunately, as the pressures of time and business conspire to constrain the intellectual activity of our Lodges, real Masonic education and inquiry are among the first pursuits to be jettisoned from our regular agendas. Education and reflection on Masonic issues used to be much more of a central part of the business a Masonic Lodge than it is today.Too often we become what Brother Mackey referred to as “parrot Masons” Masons who become quite proficient at learning words and directions but who give little or no attention to the philosophy behind those words.
It is proper then that as we celebrate the feast day of St. John the Baptist, we pause a few minutes to consider the history and background of this celebration.
As Masons we are all familiar with the phrase “Erected to God and dedicated to the Holy Saints John”. All of our Blue Lodges are so dedicated, yet we never hear any other information regarding these “Holy Saints John” or anything to explain why we refer to them as the Patron Saints of Freemasonry.
They are referenced in the Entered Apprentice Lecture as being “perfect parallels in Masonry as well as
in Christianity”. It is almost an afterthought of a reference, given that we dedicate every Lodge to these two
men. Who were these Saints John? Why are they important to us as Freemasons?
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