Bless this food we enjoy tonight, and keep us ever mindful of our lesson at the NE angle of the Lodge. Amen, Almighty God, we offer You thanks for the safety and warmth of this gathering. 3. forms. (The benediction or closing prayer may . Justin Wood began writing professionally in ]2010. Each Mason will say a prayer for his departed brother (or sister) and for the well-being of the family. At a distressing time like this, we are also reminded of the frailty of life, our fleeting place in this world. O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You! Amen, O Great Architect, grant the blessing of light to the officers of this lodge, both old and new, to its members, and to all those who visit it.Bring us harmony both at labour and at refreshment in the year ahead.Bless this food we enjoy tonight, and keep us ever mindful of our lesson at the NE angle of the Lodge. We ask you to bless the food we are about to eat, to bless us, and to bless all our loved ones, but especially those who can only be with us in spirit today.Grant us peace and comfort this day, and every day. Amen. 1. Attendance is an obligation. He referred to the dates on his tombstone, from the beginning to . Who holds your lifes compass? Lord, have mercy on those who mourn who feel numb and crushed and are filled with the pain of grief, whose strength has given up You know all our sighing and longings: be near to us and teach us to fix our hope on you through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thank You for the sustenance, and for the harmony we share. Dear Father, take His soul into Your kingdom and let perpetual light shine upon him, may he rest in peace. We believe reflecting on our mortality can help us lead more meaningful lives. A grace can be especially written for a special occasion in the lodge, such asan outdoor lodge, or a joint meeting. The Square by Brother R.J. McLaughlin, 22. Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. I pray You watch over his/her wife/husband/children/investments on Earth and let Your gaze shift not oh Lord. CTRL + SPACE for auto-complete. On this cold night, bless this food and this company, and keep us ever mindful of those in need. The speaker says, There followed after me to-dayA youth whose feet must pass this way.This chasm that has been as naught to meTo that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!. Now you can focus on leaving a legacy instead of a mess. If your loved one made significant contributions in the course of his life, you might want to print this poem in his funeral program. O Thou who kindly dost provideFor every creatures want!We bless Thee, God of nature wide,For all Thy goodness lent;And, if it please Thee, Heavenly Guide,May never worse be sent;But whether granted, or denied,Lord, bless us with content! Let us also give thanks for the food we eat together.May that warmth and food remind us, though, of those who have neither; and let our prayers always include the poor, the destitute, and those who struggle with their lives. May you see your Redeemer face to face and enjoy the vision of God, forever. It includes the stanza: "They are not dead! Show us from Masonry's degrees, its Make us aware of our nature as moral beings. May your faithful servant find refreshment, peace, and joy before you, O Lord. You may choose to have the poem read as a part of the service or choose to publish the poetry in the funeral program. Amen. Amen. Often, a soldier or commander who fell during a war is given a broken pillar, such as the one displayed in Albany Rural Cemetery, to symbolise the unfinished life. Our faith in you, Lord God, is what keeps us standing. Our heavenly father, we pray that You will find mercy on the soul of our loved one. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. The Dash. Show the way that leads to life as we cherish days gone by and inspire us with the touch of love that faith and hope live on. May the blessing of heaven rest upon us and all regular masons. We thank You Lord for the passing of our brother/sister. Unite us together again in one family, to sing Your praise forever and ever. Brethren,Let us remember with thanks the men and women who have, and still do, honour us by pledging their lives to help us live in peace in the Canada we all love. Brethren, on behalf of us all, I offer this brief Grace written by an anonymous English Mason:Bless us O Lord and these Your gifts, which we are about to receive of Your kindness, and keep us mindful of those in want. knowest our down-sitting and our uprising, and understandest our thoughts afar off. 403-262-1149, 2023 Grand Lodge of Alberta | #210, 2816 - 11 St NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7S7 | 403-262-1149 | info@freemasons.ab.ca, May that warmth and food remind us, though, of those who have neither; and let our prayers always include the poor, the destitute, and those who struggle with their lives. May the G.A.O.T.U. This image symbolises that every Mason must be patient and persevere with thoughts of hope when death strikes, and how once people pass away the concept of time becomes eternal and thus the soul immortal. We are speaking to you now, O Lord, At the end of festive board, With humble thanks for such a spread, And now before we go home to bed, Let us with all reverence say, Thank you God for a smashing day. Consider a note for Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, etc. O God, we grieve for those that are experiencing devastating loss of their loved-ones. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. It begins, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.. A poem read at the funeral of a Brother | Masonic Forum of Light In the Age of Enlightenment, I can only deduce that the framers of this prayer wanted both to retain verbiage that would be familiar with most people while at the same time be accepting to members of non-Christian faiths. God help us all to pass this way, With love fraternal on this day, And remind us too of those in need, While we sit and drink and feed. It continues: Fragrant be the acacia sprig which shall flourish there. We pray that you guide us to be wiser, to be kinder, and to be more appreciative of whatever time we have left. for your loved one? The main point is made; all die, but there may be a hope of life eternal. Lord, You are the one Who was sent to heal the broken-hearted and comfort those that mourn and are heavy-laden. People sing one of Burnss most famous pieces every year at the dawn of a new year: Auld Lang Syne.. Delivered at the closing of the 21 September 1985 Stated Meeting at the Masonic Home and School in Fort Worth, Texas. The old order has passed away: You are the One Who promised that Your grace is sufficient for every eventuality even for those having to face the sudden and violent death of someone close to them. Farewell My Brother - Thoughts on Masonic Funerals Here are two examples: Create the body for the grace. Masonic Dinner Graces and Prayers. The guide will help you understand how. We ate and played together, gave advice to each other and kept no secret from one another. The old order has passed away: Through their faith in you, may they accept your will. The difference between history & historiography. As we go through this season of mourning heavenly Father, we ask you to give us the peace that surpasses all understanding. Find out what to do and discover resources to help you cope. Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble. May Mary, the angels, and all the saints come to meet you as you go forth from this life. Crossing the Bar by Alfred Lord Tennyson, 2. Bless us here tonight, and bless us as we return to our daily lives. Bless them especially, both those who are with us tonight, and those who cannot be present. If you must write the eulogy, think about the essence of the individual. Do not let our loved one to be parted from you, let your faithful servant enjoy your glory forever. By Bro. Amen. The Pennsylvania Masonic Temple We thank You, too, for this food, and for the fellowship we share. Amen, May God give us fond memories of those who cannot be with us today, grant us stillness in the midst of turmoil, and peace during our lonely moments. He cometh forth as a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. Name. Father, we bring before You those that have had the devastating experience of having someone close to them that they know and love, suffer a sudden, violent and needless death. A dear loved one has been taken from us, so suddenly and so unexpectedly. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, give you a place within His flock. Amen, O God, we thank You for this evening of fellowship. The sprig of acacia, an evergreen tree bough, will be held up by the Master Mason in front of the congregation. but fullness of peace and joy Let us also remember their families in our prayers, especially their wives . It is one of our few public ceremonies. We also honour the widows of Passed members with a mid-winter tea, andhere is a grace suitable for such an event. Be there to say goodbye. Email GIR@pagrandlodge.org, Assistance Constructing a Lodge Website He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. Amen, Almighty Father, we thank You for providing food for this table, and sustenance for our hearts. Amen. The "graveside prayer" used in the Master Mason Degree of Masonry would have been near universally known in the English-speaking world at the time it was incorporated into that Degree, it bearing a remarkable resemblance to a section of the Book of Common Prayer (BPC), a prayer book in universal use in the Church of England. You may know about the rites and traditions of Freemasons if your loved one has been a Mason for a long time. Amen. Amen. Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, give you a place within His flock. When the earths firm walls are riven,Brother, may we meet in heaven!, The poetically written freemason's prayer deserves a spot on our list. Great Artificer of the Universe, Who has provided us with refreshment from Thy bounty, bless, we beseech Thee, with Thy gracious favour, our continued humble efforts to Thy service. May the fellowship of this Festive Board pervade our lives, and may the food we eat together in harmony bind us in that fellowship. Masonic Funeral Services and What Sets Them Apart Great Architect be praised, My belly's been raised,An inch above the table And I'll be damned,If I'm not crammed, As full as I am able. Some orders of Masons also have female members and will offer a Masonic funeral to members of either sex. With the help of Blessed Mary ever Virgin Before we ask Gods blessing on our food, and on our company, let us take a moment to remember our recently departed Brothers, V. W. Bro. Son of the living God, you have allowed us through baptism to be buried with you; grant that we may also rise with you in baptism and walk in newness of life. In memory of loved ones dear, kindle their flame to shine in the dark and light the path ahead. Someone questions him as to why he would create such a bridge after crossing the divide. Facebook. Help us to bring brotherly love and truth to all those we touch, and relief to those who need it. In the 1662 and most current edition of the BCP, the rubric (or instructions) are the following immediately preceding a burial: When they come to the Grave, while the Corpse is made ready to be laid into the earth, the Priest shall say, or the Priest and Clerks shall sing. We'll help you get your affairs in order and make sure nothing is left out. So mote it be. The Masonic Chaplain will say a prayer, and the brother Masons will also join in to the litany. Let us offer deepest thanks for their unflagging bravery as we remember them now.Almighty God, we offer You thanks for the safety and warmth of this gathering. Lord God, as inevitable as death is, there is no way around the heartbreak and grief it brings. Thanks! Our Father, which art in Heaven, whose wisdom and goodness manifest themselves in all the works of creation, with reverence we invoke Thy blessing upon Thy children here assembled. All Rights Reserved. We thank you for the answered prayer and in Jesus name, Amen. To be a mason is to partake in the social and the spiritual betterment of present day society, in hopes that such values will carry over to future generations. Microsoft Word - Masonic Funeral Ritual Author: Fcline Created Date: 2/24/2011 15:30:29 . info@MasonicShop.com 417-308-0380 We will beat any competitors price by 5%. As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up, so man lieth down, and riseth not up till the heavens shall be no more. Amen. The old man is analogous to the Greek god Chronos, an aspect of time personified. Most Merciful Father, grant the soul of our loved one, [name], mercy. Masonic Lodge Prayers - MasonicSites.org For more information, please see our May brotherly love prevail and every moral and social virtue cement us. We thank You, O God, for giving us companionship when so many are lonely; and for food when so many of Your children are hungry. Whether you need to fix, build, create or learn, eHow gives you practical solutions to the problems life throws at you. And most importantly, they should be cared for. Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. The Lord is with thee. and all Your saints, This poem suggests that those burdened with sadness should turn to their fellow brothers for relief. May holy Mary, the angels, and all the saints welcome you now that you have gone forth from this life. I commend you, my dear [name] to almighty God, and entrust you to your Creator. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. This prayer's famous lines read, "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change.".