THE NEW AGE--ARTICLE--FEBRUARY 1990--ARTWOFF.FEB

                        From Thunder to Love

                      CHARLES A. WOFFORD, 33
               Senior Judge Superior Courts, A.J.C.
         5540 Pleasant Glade NE, Olympia, Washington 98506


     To us today the fourth day of the week is Thursday.  To the
ancient Vikings it was Thor's Day, so called because it was
originally dedicated to Thor, their god of thunder and war.  Thor's
Day was a tumultuous event of clamorous crowds and martial
celebrations.  Freemasonry's Maundy Thursday, in contrast, is a
tranquil day of peace, quiet, heartwarming fellowship and loving
companionship.
     Maundy is a corruption of the Latin word mandatum meaning
commandment, and it relates historically and directly to one of the
greatest, most positive principles of life, LOVE.
     As we Masons come together on Maundy Thursday in solemn
remembrance, we should hearken to the instructions of the Ancient
Rite.  They teach deep-rooted lessons of humility, of self-
evaluation, of the need to strive toward bettering our lives so
that we may be strong spiritually--strong in faith and strong in
resolution--no matter that the lights dim at the moment, no matter
how terrifying the evil forces, which are typified by the coming
darkness, may be.  Our resolve must and will never falter.
     The Jewish ritualistic feast of roast lamb, unleavened bread,
bitter herbs, wine, and all the other symbolic foods, reminds us
of that hasty meal the Israelites ate before fleeing from their
Egyptian bondage.  It is an affirmation of the covenant between God
and man and a reinstatement of God's Divine, sustaining power which
enables mankind to overcome persecution, endure hardship, and win
freedom from tyranny.
     The commandment that the Gentle Master from Galilee gave us
on that first Maundy Thursday was this:  "A new commandment I give
unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye
also love one another."  (John 13:34)  Nowhere is this commandment
taken more seriously than in our beloved Scottish Rite where we
teach and practice true Brotherly love.
     Holy or Maundy Thursday has a deep religious and philosophical
meaning for the Mason, both Jew and Christian, as each contemplates
the workings of our Creator-governed universe.
     By observing the Mystic Feast we affirm the ties that bind us
into a universal "Brotherhood of Man" under the "Fatherhood of
God," and we solemnize the Tennebrae or Extinguishing the Lights
as a demonstration of that momentary eclipse of truth and light by
darkness and despair.
     The Maundy Thursday ceremony of Extinguishing the Lights may
cast a temporary dejection, or a sense of sadness over us, but
during this passing moment, when there is no light, each one has
the time to pause, to think, and to ponder.  On Easter Sunday, the
lights burst forth, dispelling the darkness and replacing sadness
with an exalted hope that springs from the light of a new day and
the Light of a New Way.
     Rose Croix magnifies Maundy Thursday's mandate in the
teachings of the Eighteenth Degree.  It teaches three things as
Grand Commander Albert Pike points out in Morals and Dogma:
     The unity, immutability and goodness of God; the
     immortality of the Soul, and the ultimate defeat and
     extinction of evil, wrong and sorrow, by a Redeemer or
     Messiah, yet to come, if He has not already appeared. 

     Maundy Thursday is a lesson all Knights of the Rose Croix, who
are soldiers in the constant war against evil, ignorance and wrong,
must strive to follow.  Also it forcefully teaches us that light
cannot be appreciated unless preceded by darkness.
     The spirit of true meaning of Maundy Thursday was most aptly
expressed by the poet James Russell Lowell in his "Vision of Sir
Launfal" when the Heavenly Guest spoke to the surprised Knight
these words:
     The Holy Supper is kept, indeed,
     In Whatso we share with another's need,--
     Not that which we give, but what we share,--
     For the gift without the giver is bare; 
     Who bestows himself with his alms feeds three,--
     Himself, his hungering neighbour, and me.
     The observance of Maundy Thursday reminds each of us that
right now is the best opportunity we will ever have to make a
renewed effort to dedicate ourselves to truth and light, as
emphasized in, and mandated by , our great Masonic Fraternity.  On
this day, let us commit ourselves faithfully and more fully to
practice that simple mandate spoken so sincerely and so lovingly
on the first Maundy Thursday 2000 years ago:  "That ye love one
another, even as I have loved you."

_________________________________________________________________
Thor's day was a tumultuous event of clamorous crowds and martial
celebrations.  Freemasonry's Maundy Thursday, in contrast, is a
tranquil day of peace, quiet, heartwarming fellowship and loving
companionship.

Holy or Maundy Thursday has a deep religious and philosophical
meaning for the Mason, both Jew and Christian, as each contemplates
the workings of our Creator-governed universe.

We solemnize the Tennebrae or Extinguishing the Lights as a
demonstration of that momentary eclipse of truth and light by
darkness and despair.

On Easter Sunday, the lights burst forth, dispelling the darkness
and replacing sadness with an exalted hope that springs from the
light of a new day and the Light of a New Way.


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