Seán O’Néill, 32°

January was the first month of the ancient Roman year. It was named for Janus, the god of gates and doors, and, therefore, of beginnings.

Janus had two faces, typically portrayed as looking in opposite directions, seeing the past and future simultaneously. All human beings do the same, since we cannot escape our personal histories and must plan our hopes and goals for the future.

As Masons we are taught to observe thoughtfully the cycle of life. The initiation of the Entered Apprentice is by nature a regeneration occurring in the Northeast corner of the Mother Lodge. The Entered Apprentice has the task of learning the lessons of Freemasonry before him, and must leave behind the unexamined assumptions of his previous life. The passing of the Fellowcraft is represented by the sun in the South, the meridian of both the beauty and trials of passing time. Here Masons acquire the ability to work profitably on their own moral development, not yielding to intemperance or the excess of self-indulgence. As a Master Mason, the individual experiences his Masonic birthday as he is raised to awareness of the strength and support offered by faith. He also learns that justice sooner or later overtakes all men; if wages are due, they will surely be paid. He looks back at a life well spent and forward to the hope of a glorious immortality, thus reflecting on the symbolism of both the coffin and the acacia.

In January, we all confront the difficulty of change. The well-intentioned resolutions made on New Year’s Day now seem a shade less certain, and we may disappoint ourselves as often as we succeed. But change is a process, not an event. A few degrees of course correction each year could be all we need to make great progress in understanding over a lifetime. On his deathbed, the philosopher Bertrand Russell said he was embarrassed that his only advice was "people ought to be a little kinder to one another." He should not have been embarrassed. Suppose just that modest goal were shared by everyone and renewed each new year? Then we could all look forward to looking back on a improved world, and the two-faced month of January would mark steady improvement in all of our transactions with the rest of humankind.