Council of Kadosh, Degree Descriptions
The Degree
description below is reprinted with the permission of the
Scottish Rite Journal.
Twenty-sixth
Degree
Prince
Of Mercy,
Or Scottish Trinitarian
Jim Tresner, 33°, Grand
Cross
P.O.
Box 70, Guthrie, Oklahoma 73044-0070
Original oil painting by Robert H. White,
32°
The jewel
of the 26° is an equilateral triangle of gold. In the center of
the triangle, also of gold, is a flaming heart. Engraved on the heart
are the letters I.H.S. The side of the triangle to
the right of the heart is engraved with W. The side
of the triangle to the left of the heart bears an F.
while the bottom side of the triangle bears an H.
The
flaming heart may be used to symbolize zeal and devotion, but it may
also symbolize religious or spiritual commitment and inspiration. The
letters I.H.S. may be translated Iesus
Hominum Salvator or In Hoc Signo, or, as
used by some denominations, In His Sign. It is not necessary to make a
Christian interpretation of the letters, however, because they may also
be taken to stand for Imperium, Harmonia, Sapientia,
giving the same meaning as the three letters on the sides of the
triangle, Power, Harmony, and Wisdom.
The jewel
hangs around the neck on a ribbon of watered purple silk.
The apron
is scarlet, with a wide border of white. In the center of the apron is
a green equilateral triangle. Within the green triangle is the jewel,
embroidered in gold. The effect then, as seen in the painting by Bro.
Robert H. White, 32°, on the facing page, is to create a triple
triangle-one green, one scarlet, and one gold. The flap of the apron is
sky blue.
The cordon
is a broad tricolored ribbon of green, white, and red. It is worn from
right to left. The colors of the cordon give a key to the symbolism of
the Degree. Green is symbolic of the infinite wisdom of the Deity. Red
is symbolic of His unlimited power or force. White symbolizes divine
harmony, since it is produced by the presence of all colors in perfect
proportion.
The
26° takes us into the early Christian mysteries just as the
preceding Degrees have taken us into the mysteries of other faiths. We
are told that in the earliest days, Christianity was taught by a series
of initiations, echoes of which still survive today in the Baptism of
the Catechumens and the Mass of the Faithful.
During the
Degree, we are told of the basic beliefs of many of the world's ancient
religions and shown that the idea of Trinity was central to most of
them. Almost all religions have conceived of the Deity as having the
attributes of Wisdom, Strength, and Beauty or of Harmony or Balance
(the last three being largely synonymous). Another way to say it is
that God must possess the Intellect to conceive a universe, the Power
to create it, and the sense of Harmony or Equilibrium to bring that
Intellect and Power together in such a way as to create. While we may
think of that idea as belonging to the Judeo-Christian tradition, it
is, in fact, difficult to find an ancient religion which did not hold
much the same view.
The
lessons of the 26° are forgiveness and toleration. Obviously,
those ideas are closely linked. People primarily offend against others
through intolerance. Most of the trespasses against you, which you are
called upon to forgive, are the result of intolerance of one form or
another. Surely, then, you have an obligation not to offend against
others in the same way.
The Degree
also explores the symbolism of the first three Degrees of the Blue
Lodge and shows why Ignorance, Tyranny, and Intolerance are the
ruffians against which Solomon must always send his forces. They
destroy nations and cultures as surely as they destroy individuals.
But a Prince of Mercy is armed for that battle. With Mercy, Toleration,
and a firm grasp of his own religious faith, he is prepared to see more
similarities than differences in the faiths of his peers. With his
understanding that the traditions of all faiths have something of value
to teach, if he will only learn, he becomes, at last, the ultimate
peacemaker.
Jim Tresner
is Director of the Masonic Leadership Institute and Editor of The
Oklahoma Mason. A frequent contributor to the Scottish Rite Journal and
its book review editor, Illustrious Brother Tresner is also a volunteer
writer for The Oklahoma Scottish Rite Mason and a video script
consultant for the National Masonic Renewal Committee. He is the
Director of the Thirty-third Degree Conferral Team and Director of Work
at the Guthrie Scottish Rite Temple in Guthrie, Oklahoma, as well as a
life member of the Scottish Rite Research Society, author of the
popular anecdotal biography Albert Pike, The Man Beyond the Monument,
and a member of the steering committee of the Masonic Information
Center. Ill. Tresner was awarded the Grand Cross, the Scottish Rite's
highest honor, during the Supreme Council's October 1997 Biennial
Session.
