My Brothers,

March is very much a transition… from cold to hot. The colder weather gives way in March and makes it so that we don’t feel we need to barricade ourselves in the house with the heat blasting, it presents us with the opportunity to not have to hate having to go somewhere just to not have to deal with the walk from the building to the car and vice versa. This makes it easier to make plans to meet with each other and enjoy each other’s company and social interaction. Remember that “we should be social creatures, and receive the greatest and most important part of our knowledge by the information of others.”

It is also the transition from dark to light, we see more clear, sunny days and the sun stays out later and later, this often makes us mindful of our time. We no longer feel like the day ends right after we get home from work because the sun is now still out at that time. This always makes me reflect on the Entered Apprentice’s 24 inch gauge… the 8 hours for our usual vocation and the 8 hours for refreshment and sleep always seem to come easy and without much deliberation, but the other 8 hours, the hours marked for service to God and a distressed worthy brother, those hours seem to fall by the wayside many times. It often leaves us questioning what it means to serve. A quick look at the charge of that very degree gives us a simple, yet effective, starting point for answering that very question, your duty to God in never mentioning His name, but with that reverential awe. This means you should, in fact, be mentioning His name… you should be praying. To implore His aid in all your laudable undertakings… you should be contemplating His plan for you in this life and asking Him, “who did You make me to be?” and “please help me to become that man”. And esteeming Him as the chief good… take the time to truly thank Him for all your blessings. Your duty to your neighbor, in acting upon the square, and doing unto him as you wish he would do unto you… charity, be the neighbor you would like to have, be the man that you would like to befriend, help those who may have fallen as you would appreciate to have when you fall, and be the brother that you, yourself, need. Sometimes this is as easy as picking up the phone and calling a brother, just to check in, to ask how they are feeling and if they might need anything at all. With all that in mind, please do not hesitate to reach out to me if you need anything at all, I am here to serve you!

I hope to see you soon!

Fraternally,

Júlio A. Calvão

Worshipful Master