A Brother Asks... About Preparation

A Brother Asks:  Where were you first Prepared to become a Mason?

 My Response: The most common and accepted response you will get from those trained in Freemasonic proficiencies is, "In my heart".   But what you shall not hear too often is how that preparation occurs and when.

Most men think that this Preparation is done 'before' they become members of a Freemasonic Order. And it is understandable how they could be easily led to believe that this was all that this sentence implied.

This question alludes to something more profound though. Perpending the sentence with more diligence and due consideration, they might come to understand that this sentence more accurately represents the focus of the Apprentice Work, of which, if left undone, reveals to the world that this Preparation was never started.

But, don't take my word on this.  Let's expand upon this further and then make up your own mind if you see that what I share does apply. 

What does the Apprentice Work focus upon?  If you review what Ritual espouses, it is all about Working upon a man's heart; moving it from Chaos to Order. 

Here's a list of things that does just that:

Apprentice Work (Development of the Heart)

 1) Setting your Plumb; (VoSL)
 2) Determining what's Important/Unimportant to you; (Plumb)
 3) Establishing and Maintaining your Priorities for ...
     a) Time Management, (24IG)
     b) Standards, (Compasses)
     c) Boundaries, (Compasses)
     d) Divestiture (Vices & Superfluities) (CG)
     e) Investiture (Virtues); (Square)
 4) Establishing and Maintaining your Moral Integrity (Square)
 5) Circumscribing and Subduing your Emotions (Passions and Desires!) (Heart!!!!)

Every last one of these activities leads up to and then properly prepares a man's heart to become a Mason.

As you might have gathered from what is shared herein, it is truly not enough to simply want to become a Mason and claim that itself first prepared you.  One must first properly prepare oneself to become and that starts with properly preparing one's heart!

F&S,

Brother John S Nagy

For more information about this specific Work, please refer to Building Boaz and Emotional Awareness Made Easy.