“A Well Lived Life”

There was an eerie and cold feeling in the air as the brethren dressed in black
suits entered the doors of the Jose Abad Santos Hall. There was a deep silence
from the crowd as the dim and sad music echoed through the hall. As the officers
of the Lodge of Remembrance marched inside the hall in a slow pace, in
procession towards all their stations, their movements were in a slow rhythm and
their footsteps calm. Before the entrance of the Lodge of Remembrance (LOR)
officers, the lodge was opened in due and ancient from by the incumbent lodge
officers of MW Grandsec Reynold S. Fajardo Lodge No. 383, headed by WM
Jowin Ian L. Sy, Bro. Victor Maria D. Nunez as Senior Warden, and Bro.
Benedicto Augusto M. Cruz, as Junior Warden.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic struck and took a toll on the lives of many dear
to us, even in our brethren. It’s been three (3) years since Masonic District held a
Lodge of Remembrance, in honor of the brethren. Now that the pandemic had
already passed, it was now time to honor the brethren who perished during that
period.
November is traditionally a time in which in (the Catholic community) several
cultural settings remembers those who have died. It is related to the fact that the
end of November is the end of the Liturgical Year with a new year starting the
First Sunday of Advent – the four-week period of preparation before Christmas.
As Freemasons we have adopted this tradition of remembering our brothers who
had dropped their working tools of life and now residing in the celestial lodge,
thinking of the end of life and the end of all things and the great hope that our
earthly end is transition into a new life in God’s heavenly reality. We give thanks
for those who have gone before us and we look with prayer and hope to their
new life in heaven and our desire to join them there one day.

Last November 30, 2022, also “Bonifacio Day” a legal holiday, The Brethren of
Masonic District NCR-D led by VW Luisito C. Munoz, DDGM Masonic District
NCR-D and the LOR committee was headed by VW Royce L. Reyes, DGL,
conducted the “Lodge of Remembrance” (LOR). The LOR Ritual Director was
VW Joel Edward Gaspar, PDGL, from High Twelve Masonic Lodge No. 82.
The District Grand Lecturers (DGLs) were also present and was in full support of
the ceremony and were particularly seated in the south side of the hall, namely
VW Ariel M. Castaneda, VW Joel De Mesa, VW Andrew C. Imatong, VW Manjit
T. Reandi, VW Ronald D. Yulo, and VW Davi S. Ip.
The Jose Abad Santos hall was prepared under the direction of VW Marcelito SM
Brando Pescante, PDGL, from High Twelve Lodge Masonic Lodge No. 82. The
spectacular and breathtaking floral arrangements in the east, west and south
stations graced the hall turning it to a magical flower tomb that established the
theme.
Bouquets of flowers were elegantly grouped and placed on the steps of each
stations that matched the lights to bring out the desired effect and mood. The
catafalque was set in two layer. Burial shrouds were symmetrically and neatly
placed in certain areas that emulated the event bringing an aura of sorrow,
silence and solemnity.
The catafalque was the primary feature of the LOR and represents the presence
of our dearly departed during the ceremony. The it was slightly elevated in two
(2) levels. The First level was clothed with black cloth or pall that covered the
rectangular surface down to the floor, and its sides and corners were filled with
white lily flowers with intervals of bouquets. The names of the dearly departed
brethren was listed in a frame with pearly gates as background and an illustration
of an acacia tree on the bottom. The frame was put at the front part of the altar
facing the east. The second level of the altar was. The smaller elevated level was
on top of the rectangular surface, there a broken skull in front facing the east, an
ever reminder of man’s mortality.
Four white candles with square and compasses were stationed on the four
corners of the catafalque and were lighted with precision by the four honor
guards in the persons of W.I. Eric Gallardo and VW Danilo Campos both from
Saigon Lodge 188 W.I. Leonard Subella from Noli Me Tangera Lodge No.42, and
Bro. Nino Christopher “Butch” Pura, Junior Warded of Noli Me Tangere No. 42.
The procession was solemn and done in a very synchronized manner, a proper
tribute to our fallen brethren.
The ceremony was presided my WB Allan E. Carbungco as Worshipful Master
(WM of High Twelve Masonic Lodge No, 82), WB Gene Paulo Guadalupe as
Senior Warden from Escudo Masonic Lodge No.371, WB Miguel Cheng as JW
from Manuel Roxas Masonic Lodge No. 152. The other officers who served the
LOR were Bro. Danilo Ramirez from Escudo Masonic Lodge No. 82 as
Treasurer, WB Jewel Coloma (WM of Taga-ilog Lodge No. 100), Bro. Owen
Vidad as Chaplain from Saigon Lodge No.88, Bro. Jimbowee Dy from Manuel
roxas Lodge No. 152 as Marshal, WB Rodrigo Bayaban (Noli Me Tangere Lodge
No. 42) and WB John Paul Milo (SW of Noli Me Tangere Lodge No.42) as Senior
and Junior Deacons. Bro. David Reyes (High Twelve Lodge No. 82) and Bro.
John Edron Dagupan (Escudo Masonic Lodge No, 371) as Senior and Junior
Deacons respectively, and as Tyler VW Ariel M. Castaneda, from High Twelve
Lodge No. 82.
Thereafter, the ceremony was graced by the eulogy of VW Luisito Munoz, who
thanked everyone present for their participation in said activity. In response, Sis.
Rosemarie C. Jacob, the daughter of one of our dearly departed brother VW
Romillo Carpio, became emotional and thanked the brethren for honoring his
father’s memory. She told the audience that she was a living testimony to the
labors of the brethren in making this world a better place and this gave his father
joy within Freemasonry.
Thereafter, VW Nelson T. Yau who gave a very simple but meaningful message
he opined that encompasses a man’s life in general and a freemason in
particular, and as freemasons in this life, we were obliged to spread the light
within us towards mankind, and I quote -“We immortalize our departed elders in
our daily life, we practice all the good things they taught us, passed to the next
generation of our family, create some more goodness so as to leave this place
better as to say.”
VW Nelson T. Yau in his speech, not only addressed our dearly departed
brethren but more importantly addressed the brethren present in the ceremony.
He said, to the brethren present, as we go to our own separate ways after this
ceremony, may we continually be reminded of our frail tenure in this earthly life,
that in the midst of life, we are in death. That we should walk upright in our
conduct, square in our action, and above all generous in our disposition in life.
That she would reciprocate all things offered us, in good we do good, in bad we
forgive and still do good, for it is the true spirit of human life, that we should
rejoice and enjoy each other’s company, and mutually promote each other’s
welfare, so that on the arrival of that momentous hour, we too shall soon be
worthy to inherit kingdom prepared for us.”
VW Andrew C. Imatong made a very heartwarming closing remarks in ending
the ceremony and commended the district officers for a successfully Lodge of
Remembrance ceremony, and after a brief recess, the lodge was closed in due
and ancient form by Grandsec. Reynold S. Fajardo Lodge No. 383 lodge officers
headed by their incumbent Worshipful Master Jowin Ian L. Sy.
Thereafter, the brethren proceeded to the Emilio Aguinaldo Hall for a simple but
sumptuous feast. It can never be gainsaid that for Freemasons, the ceremony of
the Lodge of Remembrance does not only to give honor to the memory our fallen
brethren, but more importantly we celebrate the “well lived life” they lived and
shared with all of us. Hence, the light of the memories in their lives will never be
extinguished in our minds and will always remain in our hearts.
Prepared by: VW Marcelito SM Pescante, PDGL
High Twelve Lodge No. 82, Masonic District, NCR-D