Cabletow 4th issue - GM Ebdane - Grand Lodge of the Philippines

The Cabletow
establish man’s spiritual mastery over his sensual self. He put his hope in the Grand
Architect of the Universe, and that decision united him with Him (with a capital H),
a decision that corrected the decision of Adam and Eve disuniting themselves from
their Creator.
To drive home his point that man should put his hope in, as well as unite with,
the GAOTU, MW Puno recounted the story of an old, illiterate, colored woman who
survived the great earthquake of California. Here is how he punctuated his speech:
When the earthquake hit the 8 th point of the Richter scale, the woman said she
felt helplessness and she had the strange experience of nothing to hold on to, and
fear seized her entire consciousness. She looked at solid structures and saw them
all toppling down. She rushed out to the open space and saw the once firm earth
was heaving. She looked at the great forest trees and they were rocking in a raging
tumult. She was about to give up hope when her eyes looked up and saw the
heaven and the stars. She then felt their steadfastness, and she felt the assuring
presence of God. In the midst of the movables was the immovable God.
Brethren, today, we are buffeted by the crisis of violent terrorism. This crisis
cannot but strain man’s patience, and render him vulnerable to give up hope.
We should, however, never bewail finding ourselves in the eye of storm after
storm of life. A Scottish Rite Mason knows how to deal with the next violent storm
of life. And the reason is because, in the words of Ill. Bro. Rex Hutchens, a Scottish
Rite Mason knows the royal secret, and this secret enables him not to let the ray of
divine light within him to be darkened by any vice, indulgence and passions; this
secret enables him to prefer exertion over ease, self-denial for the good of others,
and to choose the approval of his own conscience than the honors bestowed by
others.
If Masonry will but be true to her mission, and
Masons to their promises and obligations … if we
will but give aid to what were once Masonry’s great
schemes for human improvement, not fitfully and
spasmodically, but regularly and incessantly, …
then we may be sure that great results will be
attained and a great work done. And then it will
most surely be seen that Masonry is not effete or
impotent, nor degenerate nor drooping to a fatal
decay. – ALBERT PIKE, MAD, p. 160
Cabletow 46