ASRITE Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal
The Albuquerque Scottish Rite Club (ASRITE) Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal is an annual event to remember those of our number who have journeyed on before us. It is observed once a year by Scottish Rite Freemasonry on or near the vernal equinox and is a time honored tradition dating back to 1856. The Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal is a solemn event, and it gives the opportunity for all our Brethren, Widows, families and friends to come together to commemorate and celebrate the lives of those who have passed on, reconcile differences that we may have, and renew our vows of commitment to each other and all humankind.
The Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal Explained
"A new commandment I give unto you. That ye love one another" (John 13:34). These are the words spoken by the Master of Nazareth as He broke bread with His Disciples at the Last Supper. They are simple words. Yet they express the most sublime truth: all men are brothers. We share one origin and one common obligation. The Great Teacher in this on Mandatum Novum, New Commandment, summarized the highest wisdom of all ages. He knew His time was near, that in a few hours He would be betrayed, humiliated, and crucified. Despite this knowledge, He loved and taught love as the one absolute rule that can measure life.
In commemoration of this truth and of its central relevance to the Scottish Rite, Rose Croix Chapters traditionally observed Maunday Thursday (its name, a corruption of the Latin word mandatum, commandment) on the middle day of Holy Week. It has been called, variously, "Holly Thursday," "The Day of the Supper of the Lord," and "The Day of Mysteries". Also, traditionally, the Christian world fixes it using the date of Easter Sunday, which is the first Sunday after the full moon, which happens on or after March 21, the vernal equinox. Freemasonry has remembered this special day, and Brethren have gathered throughout the world to reaffirm their faith in the universal fraternity of mankind. The first written record of such observance is a ritual of the Eighteenth Degree which Charles de Ladebat prepared and published in 1856 in New Orleans. The Code of Statutes adopted in 1866 lists Maunday Thursday as a feast day, and as of 1878, the Statutes indicated its observance as obligatory.
In deference to the Maunday Thursday rites of churches, however, in 1994 it was deemed appropriate that a Scottish Rite nonobligatory "Celebration of Remembrance and Renewal" should replace the traditional Maunday Thursday observance and be held near the vernal equinox, March 21.
The words of this ceremony speak to the hearts and minds of all men. But words alone do not suffice. The Great Master matched His words to acts. He knelt before each of his Disciples and washed the feet of each as an act of total humility and love. In this symbolic act of self-sacrifice and service, the message took on practical form. The truth was given substance. Intention without action is of little use.
The Ceremony of Remembrance and Renewal, including the Mystic Banquet, is not a religious observance. It is neither the Feast of Passover nor a Sacrament of Holy Communion, although it commemorates the spirit of both days.
Chapters of Rose Croix traditionally observe the celebration of the Mystic Banquet as a memorial service honoring the Knights of the Chapter who have passed on during the preceding year. This observance strengthens the ties of brotherly love, past and present. We meet together to break the bread of fraternity, to reconcile ourselves with those we may have offended, and to drink the wine of refreshment and renewal. Thus, we celebrate the lives of our departed Brethren and promise to abide by the New Law, the Law of Love, with our present Brethren and all mankind.
In this celebration, we also commemorate the lives all those who labored to improve mankind and were rewarded with betrayal, punishment, and death. Whether poet, religious leader, scientist or social reformer, all who seek to elevate humankind may be considered as Brethren. Masonry is duty, and its practice, often fraught with personal sacrifice, requires the performance of duty for the good of humanity.
Reference
Kleinknecht, C. Fred, 33°, SGC (2000). Forms and Traditions of the Scottish Rite. Washington, DC: Published by The Supreme Council, 33°, S.J., USA, for the Scottish Rite Research Society. (pgs. 77-78).
