Although COVID is (hopefully) largely behind us, and things have mostly returned to normal, that does not mean that we aren’t going to hit a few bumps in the road. As you probably know, Philadelphia has been the first major city to reinstate its citywide mask mandate based upon rising case numbers. As a result, the Grand Lodge once again requires proof of vaccination to enter the Masonic Temple.

The Master Builder Award, in the words of Grand Lodge, is a mark of distinction to “recognize newly made Masons who have worked diligently to engage in the activities of their Lodge, their District and the Fraternity as a whole.” We already have one Master Builder in this Lodge – Bro. Pierre Simonvil, our Senior Warden. Bro. Seth Lavelle, who was raised to the sublime degree of a Master Mason in January of this year, is also on the path to becoming a Master Builder.

As Pennsylvania Masons, we are privileged to have access to one of the leading institutions of Masonic education – the Academy of Masonic Knowledge of the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania. Each year in March and October, the Academy hosts symposiums where scholars of Freemasonry from around the world give presentations on the history, symbolism, and philosophy of the Craft.

As we all know, we are the inheritors of 264 years of Masonic history. But that history is not limited to the ancient usages, customs, and landmarks of our Fraternity. We are all custodians of the resources that our predecessors have dedicated to this Lodge. It is our Masonic duty to wisely preserve and maintain those resources, so that Lodge No. 2 will continue to serve as a beacon of Masonic light in our Fraternity and our community.

Happy New Year! As the calendar turns to 2022, we face a great deal of uncertainty. Just as we seemed to be moving in the right direction, the Omicron variant has turned everything on its head. Fortunately, vaccination is required to attend our meetings – but as we see in the news, breakthrough cases among the fully vaccinated are always a possibility. It is our responsibility as Freemasons to remain vigilant in these extraordinary circumstances, based upon our fraternal duty to care for our fellow man.