My Brothers,

May is the month of beauty. Hence the saying “April showers brings May flowers”, and it is why Mother’s Day is celebrated in May. Beauty is one of the three grand Masonic pillars, our ceremonies and lectures are referred to as beautiful, and of course at every meeting we hear that the sun at its meridian height is the glory and beauty of the day. Although beauty is very much about aesthetics, it is not solely visual. True beauty touches the soul, it stirs emotions, and it calls men to action. The very reason that our ceremonies and lectures were made to be beautiful is so that they impress upon the mind the wise and serious truths of our teachings and to stir in them the desire to continue to study and practice the craft. Needless to say, beauty holds an esteemed place in the Masonic Fraternity. This month we should make sure to take the time to admire and celebrate the beauty of this season.

This attention to beauty brings me to my next point, what I would like to call beauty in action, namely Charity. I realize that I have touched on the subject of charity previously, but it is a subject worth speaking about over and over. If we centered our lives on love and charity we would necessarily become better men and better Masons, “whose words and deeds will scatter blessings along the way and whose career will be an honor to the brotherhood of man. So in this spirit I would like to ask each of you to join me in examining our lives and to find at least one place where we might be able to extend a little more charity, in our thoughts, words, and deeds. As you may know, the mite box this year has been dedicated to Marrakech, Inc to assist them in their mission to provide residential, employment, support, referral, and advocacy services to individuals with intellectual disabilities. A part of the employment services that they provide is assistance in job preparation and job acquisition (i.e.- interview preparation) and I found a way that we might be able to help with that. So, for the month of May I will be holding a suit drive. Throughout this month please bring your “gently worn” suits and formal wear to the lodge and we will be donating them at the end of the month.

Finally, I would like to personally invite each and every one of you to come to lodge, whether you regularly attend, or if you haven’t seen the inside of our beautiful lodge room in years or even decades. I want to remind you that this is your home, and we are your brothers. You do not have to worry about not remembering anything or even doing anything but sitting with us in unity and enjoying the company of your brethren. I would love nothing more than to have the opportunity to personally greet you and shake your hand!

I hope to see you soon!

Fraternally,

Júlio A. Calvão

Worshipful Master