MASONRY - Never Ending Journey toward Self-Perfection

(Speech delivered during the Installation of Officers of

Northern Samar Lodge No. 211 of The Free And Accepted Masons)

Late this afternoon I received an urgent call from our Congressman, Hon.
Paul R. Daza, asking me to represent him in this momentous occasion of your
Lodge. I first thought of declining the honor of representing him since I believe I
cannot approximate his brilliance neither do I can give justice to his innate
knowledge about your association. However, on the second thought, I welcome
this opportunity to “makadaupang palad” the leaders and men of consequence in
our province, the officers, and members of the Northern Samar Lodge No. 211 of
the Free and Accepted Masons.

Frankly speaking, I do not know what I am doing here in the midst of the
officers and members of the Northern Samar Lodge No. 211 of the Free and
Accepted Masons. I do not have any working knowledge of them philosophies,
principles, and purposes of the association except probably of the little I read about
it and things I heard about its rituals and procedures. I am sure what I have read
and heard cannot be used as a strong base for an informed decision. What I have
read is just a miniscule part of a great whole and what I heard may be coming from
a tainted source and, therefore, biased with the preconceptions of the source. Thus,
I must be presumptuous to speak to you on things you know more than I do.

Of the little I know, what really caught my attention is the nature of your
membership, which is not through invitation, influence or cajoling efforts of
friends, and the significant others in your lives. Rather, you seek entrance to this
association of honorable and worshipful men out of your own desire to give
meaning to your existence as a man of God, as a man for yourself and as a man for
others. You do not espouse any religion but as a man of God, you are religious.
You believe in the universality of the Supreme Being and that everything in this
world happens because of His will. Thus, you have made God as the center of your
being. In doing this you have radiated the essence of the Lord in your daily lives.

When you expressed your desire to be a Mason you have already accepted
the fact that Masonry is a never-ending journey towards self-perfection. You were
not readily accepted to the fold of the Lodge without going through a process of
purification and self-denial. You have to shed yourselves of some of your long-
held beliefs and behaviors and have to conform to the requirements of the
association. You have studied and accepted the tenets, principles, and procedures
of Masonry that you ventured to go through the different levels or degrees of
perfection. You had to be an Entered Apprentice Mason before proceeding to the
next higher level of On the Trestle Board and eventually as a Citizen to the World
of Masonry. Your journey will always be filled with barriers. But most often these
barriers are your own making. You have many obstacles to overcome, but many
are the barriers that you place in front of yourselves. You are in the crossroad and
you must move forward with decisive actions. It is high time for you to reexamine
your purposes and your motivations in joining this Lodge. Just as a crude iron ore
is transformed into the finest steel when it passed through the test in the crucible of
fire, you, who knocked at the door of this Lodge, came here as crude and rough
individual had been also transformed into Masons who have more fine tuned
feelings and better perceptions of human nature. Time has changed. It has changed
you too. Today you have become a better man.

What does it take to become a better man? What price perfection if this is
not meant for others? Are accolades and honors the height of one’s ambition? I
dare say – NO! You still have to give meaning to the tenet that a Mason is a man
for others, as well. Just like candle, it is never perfect until it is lit, not until it
serves and gives himself that it can realize its essence. You can also give meaning
of your membership in this association by giving and sharing yourself. And what is
better way to help others attain their own perfection if not to devote your time,
your efforts, and yourself for the amelioration of our fellow Nortehanon. Let us
join hands to make their lot more bearable and their existence not only dignified
but also more bearable. You have what it takes to make these possible.

On this occasion of the installation of your officers and in the belief that you
are searching for a better project for this Masonic Year, we shall endeavor to look
into some of the basic things each of us can do to make possible the onset of more
effective and progressive Nortehanons. We must therefore look back into the
recent past to learn the lessons it has to offer. As we look back, we recognize both
our achievements and our failures with the hope that they will contribute to a better
understanding of the situation and condition of our communities and consequently
this would lead us to a more effective implementation of our various reform
initiatives.

Maraming salamat po.