The Chaplain’s Corner

 By Brother David Rogers, Grand Chaplain - 2022, and Chad LaGrone, Grand Chaplain - 2026

Brethren ALL!

What a true honor it is to share some thoughts with you!

“How good and how pleasant it is….”!  Didn’t your mind jump to a great memory from your Masonic walk when you started to read that.   Aren’t we all truly grateful and feel blessed for all we experienced and thankful for all the “good” we have and can do through our great Masonic Family!?

We are asked, as a reminder of out sacred ties, the Masonic   rhetorical question “Am I my brother’s keeper?”  In Masonic presentations or dialogs, we hear this as rhetorical, as we all know WE ARE our brother’s keeper from every taught and embraced moral principle of our Craft.  We know from the Great Light, the question, ironically, was first asked by the murderous and unfaithful brother Cain, who attempted to deflect attention to his guilt by this evasive response.   

I am also reminded from the Great Light of the seriousness our ancient Brethren, the founders of our degrees, believed in their duties to each other the true responsibility we have to our Brothers.  An example of this is found in Deuteronomy 25:9-10 where we learn of the severe public disgrace of the brother who does not live up to his obligations.  The kinsman/brother, who having refused to honor his obligation to his brother, would appear before the people and his brothers, his shoe would be removed, then the widow of his brother would spit on the disgraced brother.  HARSH…yes and NO, I am not looking to add this to the Constitution for Masonic offenses!!!   Our ancient Brethren knew this as we do as they formulated the degrees, and in your own experience in your Masonic travels, you now understand more the significance of the lesson taught in the Book of Ruth, from early in our Masonic career.

I wrote all this to get to the real point of our time together here.  Brotherly Love!

To that end, I want to share a story with you I heard many years ago:

“I wish I……”

A green but enthusiastic young man was just starting out as a pastor in a very poor community in the late seventies, I believe, and found himself in desperate need of a motor vehicle as apparently his means of transportation “had been called home.”  The pastor had no way to acquire a vehicle, and I will spare you the details, but the young pastor had a big brother…OH what a brother.    He was THAT brother…  the family “dark-grayish” sheep from all accounts of the tale given.    The young pastor went to his big brother for advice, help, a ride … just like little brothers want to do.   Well, the older brother had a big heart, and he had a “GOOD TIMES” rolling bachelor pad shag carpet and bed in the back van… also an obviously warped sense of humor and a love for his brother which he offered to his brother.

Having no options, the young pastor took the gift out of desperation, and I feel certain as the young pastor drove away in it, he was thinking how in the world he was going to explain this van to the members of the church and his community.  In retrospect, I believe the brother was smiling and thinking the same thing.

So, the explanations began and a bit of sheepish embarrassment, which I will forgo here, until I get to this last one.  Because on this day he was going into a particularly poor area to visit and as he pulled up in THE VAN, and all the children out playing rushed over to see it!  Delight, laughter and giggles and oh the questions.

The young pastor used this as an opportunity to show how the Lord provides and helps us and it also about it being a gift!  A small boy was very eager and curiously listening. 

The pastor said how thankful he was for his brother who had given him the van!

The little boys face opened up in amazement!

Then the little boy said, “I wish I….”

Now, when I heard this story, the narrator stopped in mid-sentence, as you see, as if he had lost his place on his talk.  Then he looked up and said,” Many of you, in your mind, finished the little boy’s sentence for him, as I shuffled my papers”

“You might have thought the little boy said, “I wish I had a van like that, or I wish some would give one to me or I wish I had a brother to give me one,” but the child said… ‘I wish I could be a brother like that!”

The narrator went on with the tale, but I was lost in thought… thirty plus years removed from the time heard this, I still am.   Am I that Brother to my Brothers when they need me if I can?

I am also reminded from the Great Light of the seriousness our ancient Brethren, the founders of our degrees, believed in the true responsibility we have to our Brothers.  In Deuteronomy 25:9-10, let us not forget of the severe public disgrace of a brother who does not live up to his obligations.

A lesson from the Great Light asks us, “Do I have the love of the Samaritan for his fellow man stricken on the side of the road?”

Do we reach out to the Brothers who are ailing or struggling, do we look for doors to open for us to step in and step up to serve?

Brotherly Love!   That is the work we are to be about, isn’t it? 

There are three reasons we do anything which aligns to our lodges.   We have to, we need to, or we want to.

“Oh crud, its 1^st Tuesday and I have to go to lodge floor work class.”

“Oh my, I just got a call, and I am needed to give a Lecture.”

“Oh yes!  Lodge tonight!  I want to see what topic the program is tonight!’

Brethren, I am firmly convinced that we are in this Fraternity for a greater reason than our own decision to ask to become a Mason!

When you next leave the house, BE THAT Brother who WANTS to go to fellowship with his Brethren… not have to or needed to. 

I challenge you to do that with Brotherly Love in your heart!  If you have to forgive a Brother forgive him... even if he doesn’t forgive you!

If you are with me on that, I ask each of you to look for the open doors The Great Architect has placed before you, to step through that door with Brotherly Love in your hearts, then roll up our sleeves and get to work. 

When we are honest with ourselves, the opportunities to serve are everywhere!

I believe the Grand Architect has us all in this Fraternity for a reason and that you are reading this for a reason!

Our Amazing Right Worshipful Grand Chaplain, Chad LaGrone gave me an opportunity to share with you all my love for my God, my Brothers, our gentle Craft, and my call to action.  Yes, MORE action!  When you work for your Brothers, do it with love in your heart!

Brethren and dear friends, we are absolutely assured of the result if we do nothing!

My Brethren All, Masonry is built upon the experiences of the Brothers that laid those first cornerstones and stones that make up the foundation of the temple of Masonic Life in general, and in our personal journeys.  David Rogers, former Grand Chaplain, is one of those Brothers that has added many stones to the Masonic Temple for all, and more especially to my personal Masonic edifice, by serving as a mentor to me, and being a darn good Brother and man.  He brought forth the inspiration to begin “The Chaplain’s Corner,” and has charged me to WANT TO bring MORE ACTION to the office of Grand Chaplain for the good of Craft, the betterment of our Brethren, and to hopefully add more stones to our Masonic Temple as a whole.

Grand Architect of the Universe, we are eternally grateful for the blessings you bestow upon our lives.  Thank you for allowing us to become better men, husbands, fathers, and Brothers.  Lord, let us remember those that came before us that laid the cornerstone, added to the foundation, and those that help us construct our temple to honor you.  Give us strength to lead an honorable life and forever hope that when you have placed the Keystone to complete our temple, we will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  God, shall we have FAITH in you, HOPE in each other, and CHARITY towards all mankind.

Amen.  So mote it be.                           

Chad LaGrone, Grand Chaplain, 2026