Episode 78. 18:53 Working Tools Series: The Patron Saints

Freemasonry isn’t and has never been a religious organization. It has always been open to members of all religions and faiths. However, the world into which it was born, in Enlightenment-era Europe, was a largely Christian one. As a result, many of the symbols of Freemasonry reflect Christian iconography—including the connection to the two Saint Johns in Freemasonry. 

Their feast days are closely associated with the summer and winter solstice – underscoring the symbolic duality of the two figures. 

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Saint John the Baptist and Johnthe Evangelist, are known as the
Patron Saints of Freemasonry.
But why?
According to John L.
Cooper, the reasons for thisconnection go back centuries and
remain shrouded in mystery.
What we know for certain is thatit isn't strange that there

(00:22):
would be a patron saint ofFreemasonry.
During the Middle Ages inEngland and Scotland, many
societies and guilds werededicated to a particular saint.
That figure received specialdevotion from the members of the
society, and in turn, he wouldoffer its members special

(00:44):
protection and favor, In thecalendar of the medieval church,
there were two Saints named Johnwho were associated with Jesus.
One was the forerunner of Jesus,John the Baptist.
The other was the Apostle John,the brother of James.

(01:04):
He is commonly known as John theEvangelist because of his
supposed authorship of theGospel of John in the New
Testament.
At some point, these two saintsbecame known as the Patron
Saints of Freemasonry.
When and where that happenedremains a mystery.

(01:25):
Now, Freemasonry is not and hasnever been a religious
organization.
It has always been open tomembers of all religions and
faiths.
However, the world into which itwas born in enlightenment era,
Europe was a largely Christianone.

(01:46):
As a result, many of the symbolsof Freemasonry reflect Christian
iconography, including theconnection to the two St.
John's in Freemasonry From theMasonic perspective, we can
understand the balanced dualismof John the Baptist on one side,
and John, the evangelist on theother.

(02:08):
Together they represent twosides of a coin, the passionate
zeal of the Baptist and theknowledge of faith of the
apostle.
A Masonic Lodge dedicated to thetwo patron saints of Freemasonry
can be seen as a space to bothreflect on and channel our
passion taken as an abstractcompilation of symbols.

(02:35):
They represent a well-balancedpath toward enlightenment.
Even more.
Their feast days are closelyassociated with the summer and
winter solstice underscoring thesymbolic duality of the two
figures.
But why are St.
John the Evangelist and St.

(02:56):
John the Baptist, associatedwith Freemasonry in the first
place?
How did they become the patronSaints of Freemasonry?
Masonic Scholars claim that thecustom came from the practice of
New Masons taking theirobligation on a Bible open to
the first chapter of the Gospelof John.

(03:19):
The John, who was the supposedauthor of that gospel was, of
course John the evangelist.
The opening words of the Gospelof John are quote, in the
beginning was the word.
And the word was with God, andthe word was God unquote.

(03:41):
We know that in the 17th and18th century, the quote Mason
word, unquote.
Was a very important secretgiven to the newly obligated
mason.
The Mason word gave members ofthe fraternity access to all the
privileges of free masonry foroperative stone masons that

(04:03):
included access to work.
The Gospel of St.
John May have been chosen forthe obligation because of the
symbolic connection between theMason word and the word in the
opening verse of the gospel.
This connection was soimportant.

(04:23):
Masons in that era weresometimes referred to as quote
St.
John's Masons unquote, In someTyler's registers from the 18th
century, visitors would put St.
John's Mason after their name.
From that, we can extrapolatethat the connection to the Holy

(04:44):
Saints John in the Masonicritual originated with Saint
John the evangelist, and we canassume that the reference to
Saint John the Baptist as thesecond patron saint to
Freemasonry came later.
none of this can be proven.
Of course.
These St.
John's Masons did not leave usany records about why they

(05:08):
adopted that name or why theyadopted the two Johns as the
Patron Saints of Freemasonry.
but author John L.
Cooper thinks this is as good aguess as any.
This has been another edition ofthe 1853 Working Tool series.

(05:29):
Thanks for listening toMinnesota Masonic Histories and
Mysteries.