Concerning a New Memorial Service

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|                           Memorial Service                           |
|                                                                      |
|Many Masons in the USA end the year by closing a Lodge of Sorrow and  |
|honoring those who died during the year. I did not look forward to    |
|our memorial service for this year as we had lost ten to death. Most  |
|Masons are familiar with funeral services recorded in our monitors,   |
|but few have seen formal memorials and written services were not      |
|readily available. I had not seen services performed, I had only heard|
|talk of such a rite. Our lodge had only closed the Lodge of Sorrow    |
|since I had served as an officer and then with little solemnity. No   |
|written service could be found from our literary holdings. Bro. Bill  |
|Predgo put together a great service which I modified slightly.        |
|                                                                      |
|Candles, scripture and references familiar to all Masons were used    |
|in a Lodge open to the public to honor our brothers. As the search    |
|for light is symbolic of life, the extinguishing of light is          |
|symbolic of a Mason's death. The light that once was our brothers may |
|go dark upon their death, but their memory still glows in the hearts  |
|and minds of those of us that knew and loved them. Their memory will  |
|continue to shine as long as one of us is alive to keep it glowing.   |
|Full text of the ceremony is available from rgraves@tenet.edu or from |
|http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/www/Masons/Main-page.html   [Bro Ron Graves]|
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