Most Worshipful Grand Master, Wise Master, Brothers, Ladies, and Friends. On behalf of the officers and brothers of the James Lowe Chapter of Rose Croix, I bid you welcome and thank you for your attendance this evening. This evening it is my pleasure to address each of you and briefly explain our Ceremony.

This past Sunday, the BC comic strip had Wiley sitting under a tree carving into a tablet of stone the following poem:

Today’s the Day the Sun will Rise,

As it did the Year Before.

To Cast it’s Rays on Frozen Skies,

And to Renew the world once More.

It should come as no Surprise,

Amidst Man in All his Strife.

This would be the day we Share,

To Celebrate the Gift of Life.

Upon reading this poem, I though to myself how appropriate it was for this evening. Our Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal, the Mystic Banquet you have just observed, and the Extinguishing and relighting of the lights is in the simplest of terms, our celebration of the gift of life.

Quoting now from the Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite, “The Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal, including the Mystic Banquet, is not a religious observance. It is neither the Feast of the Passover nor a Sacrament of Holy Communion, although it commemorates the spirit of both days.”

Our Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal as its presented today is separated into four distinct parts. They are as follows; Remembrance of Recently Deceased Brethren, The Mystic Banquet, The Tenebrae, or Extinguishing of the Lights, and Fiat Lux, or Relighting the Lights.

The Remembrance of Recently Deceased is for the Knights of Rose Croix to remember those that have passed to that house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. It is here that we each in our own way celebrate their lives and the contribution their life gave to this world.

The Mystic Banquet is not itself a religious ceremony, however to our Jewish Brothers, it signifies the Feast of the Passover, commemorating Jehovah’s passing over the Israelites houses while passing through the houses of the Egyptians to destroy the firstborn of each household. To our Christian Brothers, it signifies the Last Supper Jesus had with his Disciples after which followed his crucifixion and resurrection.

In the Tenebrae, or Extinguishing of the Lights, we witness each light, one by one, fade into the darkness. As the darkness gathers in the world hope fades, and fear assumes its place. Fear of no Salvation and no rekindling of life, fear of Death.

Then Fiat Lux, one light appears, followed by another, then another. Light pushes back the darkness. Faith and Hope returns and life is again rekindled.

Again quoting C. Fred Kleinknecht 33^o from his Book. “Tenebrae asserts in candle, wax, and flame the simple truth that Faith, Hope and Charity will never die. Darkness must yield to light, Tyranny will fall to freedom. Order and truth will ever conquer chaos and error.”

As Scottish Rite Masons, and Knights of the Rose Croix, we are obligated on this special day, to break bread with other Knights of the Rose Croix in memory of those that have come before. If not possible to do so in person, then to do so at least in spirit.

Tonight we share this special day with each other, and in spirit with thousands of Scottish Rite Masons through out the world. We thank each of you for sharing this time with us in our celebration of life. Please enjoy the rest of this evening’s ceremony.