The Universal Language of Freemasonry - ArchiMeD - Johannes ...

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Chapter 6 - Peculiarities of Masonic Language
Ceremony of the Chapter: "Le Très Sage: - 'Très Excellent Chevalier 1er Grand
Gardien, quelle heure est-il?'- Le 1er Grand Gardien: - 'L'heure où le soleil
s'obscurcit, où les ténèbres se répandirent sur la terre, et où la Parole fut
perdue.' " 1111 Or in another case, in the Emulation working for instance, the
symbolism of the square is used when the fingers of the clock form this emblem,
which happens so at nine o'clock: "Dans les agapes, au Rite Émulation, il est
d'usage de porter la santé des 'Frères absents' lorsque le Vénérable annonce: 'Il
est symboliquement neuf heures' (heure où les aiguilles forment une équerre), ou
parfois 'dix heures'." 1112 In the Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of
Constantine, at the beginning of the Opening of the Conclave, we can observe
the following dialogue between the Most Puissant Sovereign and the Eminent
Viceroy:
M.P.S. - Eminent viceroy, what is the hour?
E.V. - The hour of a Perfect Knight-Mason.
M.P.S.- What is the hour of a Perfect Knight-Mason?
E.V.- The dawn of day; the sun is rising in the heavens and I
behold the Sign.
M.P.S.- What is the Sign?
E.V.- A Cross, the symbol of our Faith, inscribed with the
initials of the Mystic Words.
M.P.S.- Since the day is dawning, and we see the Sign, it is
time to resume our labours. 1113
At the Closing of a Conclave, the Most Puissant Sovereign again asks the
Eminent Viceroy, "what is the hour?," to which the latter replies, "the day is at
an end." The Most Puissant Sovereign concludes that "[s]ince the day is at an
end it is time to cease our labours." 1114
Year
Next to the ages and hours, also the years have a peculiar function in
Freemasonry. However, according to CME, today the Masonic chronology is
only rarely used unaccompanied by the date according to the current system: "It
is symbolical only at best and is unfamiliar to many members." 1115 This became
evident in when the author of this dissertation took part in a Masonic tour
through a special exhibition at the Preußen-Museum in Wesel in 2001, where a
1111 Cf. ibid.
1112 Ibid.
1113 The Ceremonies of the Masonic and Military Order of the Red Cross of Constantine, Ritual No.
1, p. 18.
1114 Ibid, p. 21.
1115 CME, p. 117.