December 24, 2025 • 7 mins
Welcome to our Holiday Special! Join RWB Michael Arce, as he shares his holiday tradition inspired article "It's a Wonderful (Masonic) Life." May you have a safe, warm, Holiday Season. Enjoy!
Show notes and links:
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/craftsmen-online-podcast--4822031/support.
Show notes and links:
- Join us on Patreon. Start your FREE seven day trial to the Craftsmen Online Podcast and get instant access to our bonus content! Whether it's a one time donation or you become a Patreon Subscriber, we appreciate your support.
- Visit the Craftsmen Online website to learn more about our next Reading Room event, New York Masonic History, and our Masonic Education blog!
- Follow the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Spotify.
- Subscribe to the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Craftsmen Online on YouTube, hit subscribe and get notified the next time we go LIVE with a podcast recording!
- Yes, we're on Instagram.
- Get our latest announcements and important updates in your inbox with the Craftsmen Online Newsletter.
- Email the host, RW Michael Arce! Yes, we will read your email and may even reach out to be a guest on a future episode.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/craftsmen-online-podcast--4822031/support.
- Follow the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Spotify.
- Subscribe to the Craftsmen Online Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
- Follow Craftsmen Online on YouTube, hit subscribe and get notified the next time we go LIVE with a podcast recording!
- Yes, we're on Instagram.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Commons. Opinions and views shared during this program are
of those individual Freemasons and do not reflect the official
position of a Grand Lodge, concordant Body, a Pendant Body,
a Masonic authority, or Craftsman Online dot Com.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hey, welcome back to the Craftsman Online Podcast, the only
Masonic podcast endorsed by the Grand Lodge of New York.
I'm your host, right Worship, Brother Michael Lars and you're
sitting here going what a midweek Craftsman Online podcast episode?
What's going? This is our holiday special? And I realize
that we have new listeners that come to the podcast
every year. I wrote an article years ago entitled It's
(00:46):
a Wonderful Masonic Life. We have some new listeners and
thanks to Brother Reid enders B from the Grand Lodge
of Minnesota Freemasons and one of the hosts of the
Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries podcast, they reach out to
me and said, hey, could we read your blog article
on our podcast? And I thought, you know what, I
should probably read this too. Little backstory on this, so
(01:09):
I wrote this article as I mentioned, around Christmas time
twenty twenty one, think back to where you were coming
out of that COVID pandemic, getting back into the lodges.
Were we wearing masks? Were we not? Were we allowed
to touch candidates? Where we not? There was that whole
vibe that was going on, But there was also just
the regular how we as men think about the end
(01:31):
of the year and getting into the birth of a
new year that kind of falls between this two weeks
period before we hit the holiday madness. That was my
mindset as I was settling into my favorite comfortable chair,
getting ready to do the one holiday tradition that I
have done for myself, and that's watch It's a Wonderful Life.
So let me take you now to the article It's
(01:53):
a Wonderful Masonic Life. I'd like to think that before
I was a Mason, that I looked at life from
multiple angles. Clearly I was trying. I saw the holidays
as a time, a season, a single episode, had it
yet to be determined series that would become my life.
It wasn't until I reached my thirties that I really
(02:15):
understood the meaning of Christmas time. I was stumbing through
the old TV guide on Christmas Eve, looking for something
to watch during the downtime between putting the kids to
bed and preparing for Santa's midnight arrival. My eye caught
the title of It's a Wonderful Life. Now, somehow I
have made it this far in life without watching this
holiday classic. I remember my father making a big deal
(02:38):
about this when NBC started airing it in nineteen ninety four.
To me, it was just an old black and white movie.
I preferred twenty four hours of the Christmas Story on TBS. Sorry,
Dad'll leave the nostalgia to you. But something was different
that night. I decided to make the two hour and
fifteen minute commitment with a full bottle of wine. After all,
(02:58):
it was my duty to be sure that the care
kids were really asleep. It's a Wonderful Life is now
part of my holiday routine, and every year when I
sit down to watch it, something new in the film
gets my attention. How Bedford Falls represents every town USA.
The bridge scene where, even with the gritty black and
white film in your mind, you can see how deep
(03:19):
that water is and just imagine how cold it must be.
Knowing the hidden pain in George Bailey's eyes every time
something in his life goes wrong, the joy that caused
his voice to crack when everyone in town came to
his aid. I find a quiet night, start the movie,
and enjoy the experience. Now this year, Clarence is lined
(03:42):
to George. Each man's life touches so many other lives.
When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hold, isn't he?
I caught my ear? It connected a few thoughts. The
first is in the section of the Fellowcraft degree charge
that literally discusses our personal contact with others, the influence
we have on those who share our circle. How is
a Mason? We strive to be charitable, honest, and humble,
(04:05):
whether that is bell ringing for the Salvation Army on
a cold winter night for a few hours, collecting coats
for the homeless, shopping for gifts for those less fortunate,
serving warm meals and soup kitchens, or just making time
to connect with those who are alone this time of year,
it's rewarding to know that we have brothers who give
time to make the holidays merry for those in need.
(04:27):
We realize that our work is to bring light to
dark places, and even if I don't get a chance
to meet them or learn the details of their work,
these men and brothers they share the same title of
brother that I do, and that's what makes us one
and the same. The second part of Clarence's line that
(04:47):
almost brought a tear to my eye is when I
thought of brothers who have laid down their working tools
this year, those men who were pillars in our lodges
as role models and mentors. Who's encouraging words and kind
smiles we made us feel warm, welcomed, and valued. And while
I had visions of my brothers who have gone to
the gray and architect of the universe, I've also thought
(05:09):
of a brother who I hadn't seen at lodge meetings
in a few years. Sure, work and family and caring
for his aging mother, those are all reasons why he
hasn't been able to attend meetings. But he's also lost
the passion for knowledge that could fill a small library
because of a disagreement with a few brothers. And I
still hope that someday he chooses to put on a
(05:31):
dark suit and tie and surprise me at a meeting.
A few days after watching It's a Wonderful Life, I
sent this brother a text just to see how everything
is going in his world. Lying in bed after watching
It's a wonderful life. I stared up at the dark
ceiling above to reflect on this year. I realized that
(05:51):
there's a reason why we love this movie, why we
love watching George Bailey's story, because it causes us to
examine our own use to gather with our closest friends
and family at this time of the year for a reason.
We want to remember this feeling, knowing that years from now,
those hugs from grandparents or the sounds of giggling kids
will be our most precious memories. Reflecting on the Masonic
(06:14):
ear has the same effect dinners, ritual practices, community service,
the raising of new brothers. Those moments serve as the
highlights of our year, and while we may know the
men who we share that time with, we may never
really truly understand the significance of these shared experiences in
their life. This ripple effect is a theme I understood
(06:36):
throughout the movie, and somehow this year, the mix of
new relationships and old memories made a deeper connection to
the difference we make as Masons in the lies of
those who we interact with. Remember, no man is a
failure who has friends. Wherever you are, my brother, I
send you the warmest holiday greetings. May you continue to
(06:56):
bring light and every life you touch. I'm right, worshipful
Brother Michael Larsay. I always enjoy our time together, and
I hope you do as well, especially this year, with friends, family,
and those who have meaning in your life. Until next time,
let peace and harmony prevail
The Commons. Opinions and views shared during this program are
of those individual Freemasons and do not reflect the official
position of a Grand Lodge, concordant Body, a Pendant Body,
a Masonic authority, or Craftsman Online dot Com.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Hey, welcome back to the Craftsman Online Podcast, the only
Masonic podcast endorsed by the Grand Lodge of New York.
I'm your host, right Worship, Brother Michael Lars and you're
sitting here going what a midweek Craftsman Online podcast episode?
What's going? This is our holiday special? And I realize
that we have new listeners that come to the podcast
every year. I wrote an article years ago entitled It's
(00:46):
a Wonderful Masonic Life. We have some new listeners and
thanks to Brother Reid enders B from the Grand Lodge
of Minnesota Freemasons and one of the hosts of the
Minnesota Masonic Histories and Mysteries podcast, they reach out to
me and said, hey, could we read your blog article
on our podcast? And I thought, you know what, I
should probably read this too. Little backstory on this, so
(01:09):
I wrote this article as I mentioned, around Christmas time
twenty twenty one, think back to where you were coming
out of that COVID pandemic, getting back into the lodges.
Were we wearing masks? Were we not? Were we allowed
to touch candidates? Where we not? There was that whole
vibe that was going on, But there was also just
the regular how we as men think about the end
(01:31):
of the year and getting into the birth of a
new year that kind of falls between this two weeks
period before we hit the holiday madness. That was my
mindset as I was settling into my favorite comfortable chair,
getting ready to do the one holiday tradition that I
have done for myself, and that's watch It's a Wonderful Life.
So let me take you now to the article It's
(01:53):
a Wonderful Masonic Life. I'd like to think that before
I was a Mason, that I looked at life from
multiple angles. Clearly I was trying. I saw the holidays
as a time, a season, a single episode, had it
yet to be determined series that would become my life.
It wasn't until I reached my thirties that I really
(02:15):
understood the meaning of Christmas time. I was stumbing through
the old TV guide on Christmas Eve, looking for something
to watch during the downtime between putting the kids to
bed and preparing for Santa's midnight arrival. My eye caught
the title of It's a Wonderful Life. Now, somehow I
have made it this far in life without watching this
holiday classic. I remember my father making a big deal
(02:38):
about this when NBC started airing it in nineteen ninety four.
To me, it was just an old black and white movie.
I preferred twenty four hours of the Christmas Story on TBS. Sorry,
Dad'll leave the nostalgia to you. But something was different
that night. I decided to make the two hour and
fifteen minute commitment with a full bottle of wine. After all,
(02:58):
it was my duty to be sure that the care
kids were really asleep. It's a Wonderful Life is now
part of my holiday routine, and every year when I
sit down to watch it, something new in the film
gets my attention. How Bedford Falls represents every town USA.
The bridge scene where, even with the gritty black and
white film in your mind, you can see how deep
(03:19):
that water is and just imagine how cold it must be.
Knowing the hidden pain in George Bailey's eyes every time
something in his life goes wrong, the joy that caused
his voice to crack when everyone in town came to
his aid. I find a quiet night, start the movie,
and enjoy the experience. Now this year, Clarence is lined
(03:42):
to George. Each man's life touches so many other lives.
When he isn't around, he leaves an awful hold, isn't he?
I caught my ear? It connected a few thoughts. The
first is in the section of the Fellowcraft degree charge
that literally discusses our personal contact with others, the influence
we have on those who share our circle. How is
a Mason? We strive to be charitable, honest, and humble,
(04:05):
whether that is bell ringing for the Salvation Army on
a cold winter night for a few hours, collecting coats
for the homeless, shopping for gifts for those less fortunate,
serving warm meals and soup kitchens, or just making time
to connect with those who are alone this time of year,
it's rewarding to know that we have brothers who give
time to make the holidays merry for those in need.
(04:27):
We realize that our work is to bring light to
dark places, and even if I don't get a chance
to meet them or learn the details of their work,
these men and brothers they share the same title of
brother that I do, and that's what makes us one
and the same. The second part of Clarence's line that
(04:47):
almost brought a tear to my eye is when I
thought of brothers who have laid down their working tools
this year, those men who were pillars in our lodges
as role models and mentors. Who's encouraging words and kind
smiles we made us feel warm, welcomed, and valued. And while
I had visions of my brothers who have gone to
the gray and architect of the universe, I've also thought
(05:09):
of a brother who I hadn't seen at lodge meetings
in a few years. Sure, work and family and caring
for his aging mother, those are all reasons why he
hasn't been able to attend meetings. But he's also lost
the passion for knowledge that could fill a small library
because of a disagreement with a few brothers. And I
still hope that someday he chooses to put on a
(05:31):
dark suit and tie and surprise me at a meeting.
A few days after watching It's a Wonderful Life, I
sent this brother a text just to see how everything
is going in his world. Lying in bed after watching
It's a wonderful life. I stared up at the dark
ceiling above to reflect on this year. I realized that
(05:51):
there's a reason why we love this movie, why we
love watching George Bailey's story, because it causes us to
examine our own use to gather with our closest friends
and family at this time of the year for a reason.
We want to remember this feeling, knowing that years from now,
those hugs from grandparents or the sounds of giggling kids
will be our most precious memories. Reflecting on the Masonic
(06:14):
ear has the same effect dinners, ritual practices, community service,
the raising of new brothers. Those moments serve as the
highlights of our year, and while we may know the
men who we share that time with, we may never
really truly understand the significance of these shared experiences in
their life. This ripple effect is a theme I understood
(06:36):
throughout the movie, and somehow this year, the mix of
new relationships and old memories made a deeper connection to
the difference we make as Masons in the lies of
those who we interact with. Remember, no man is a
failure who has friends. Wherever you are, my brother, I
send you the warmest holiday greetings. May you continue to
(06:56):
bring light and every life you touch. I'm right, worshipful
Brother Michael Larsay. I always enjoy our time together, and
I hope you do as well, especially this year, with friends, family,
and those who have meaning in your life. Until next time,
let peace and harmony prevail
Popular Podcasts
Betrayal Season 5
Saskia Inwood woke up one morning, knowing her life would never be the same. The night before, she learned the unimaginable – that the husband she knew in the light of day was a different person after dark. This season unpacks Saskia’s discovery of her husband’s secret life and her fight to bring him to justice. Along the way, we expose a crime that is just coming to light. This is also a story about the myth of the “perfect victim:” who gets believed, who gets doubted, and why. We follow Saskia as she works to reclaim her body, her voice, and her life. If you would like to reach out to the Betrayal Team, email us at betrayalpod@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.