a mason and a man

My brother, Masonry means much more
      Than the wearing of a pin
   Or carrying a paid up dues receipt
      So the Lodge will let you in

You may wear an emblem on your coat
      From your finger flash a ring
   But if you're not sincere at heart
      This doesn't mean a thing

It's merely an outward sign to show
      The world that you belong
   To this great Fraternal Brotherhood
      That teaches right from wrong

What really counts lies buried deep
      Within the human breast
   Till Masonic teaching bring it out
      And puts it to the test

If you practice out of Lodge
      The things you learn within
   Be just and upright to yourself
      And to your fellowman

Console a Brother when he's sick
      Or assist him when in need
   Without a thought of personal reward
      For any act or deed

Walk and act in such a way
      That the world without can see
    That none but the best can meet the test
      Laid down by Masonry

Always live up to your trust
      And do the best you can
   Then you can proudly tell the world
      You're a Mason ans a Man

                                                     ~ Author Unknown

gnostic thomas

According to the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus said, "The kingdom is inside you, and it is outside of you. When you come to know yourselves, then you will become known, and you will realize that it is you who are the sons of the living father. But if you do not know yourselves, you will dwell in poverty and it is you who are that poverty." Thomas's Jesus is the dispenser of wisdom, not the resurrected Lord.

In The Book of Thomas the Contender, Jesus said, "For he who has not known himself has known nothing, but he who has known himself has at the same time already achieved knowledge of the depth of the all."*

 

The heart of the problem for the Gnostic is ignorance. But Jesus redeems man from such ignorance. Stephan A. Hoeller says that in the Valentinian system "there is no need whatsoever for guilt, for repentance from so-called sin, neither is there a need for a blind belief vicarious salvation by way of the death of Jesus." Rather Jesus is the savior in the sense of being a spiritual maker of wholeness.  

Unlike the canonical gospels, Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection are not narrated and neither do any of the one hundred-fourteen sayings in the Gospel of Thomas directly refer to any of these events. Although Thomas does not articulate every aspect of a full-blown Gnostic system, some of the teachings attributed to Jesus fit the Gnostic system.

Christ comes, not as a Redeemer, but a Revealer. He gives a metaphysical assist.

 

 

what is a mason?

A Mason brings to mind a certain kind of man, who's thoughtful, caring, considerate, and all too uncommon these days. But that's exactly what Masons are.................................

a rare and special man who deserves the best our lives can bring.