DUTIES:

Be devoted to truth, honor, loyalty, justice and

humanity.

FOR REFLECTION:

It is nobler to err and make amends than never to

err at all. Is this statement contrary to the virtue

of prudence?

IMPORTANT SYMBOLS:

The colors scarlet and black, garland of laurel,

circles and globes, swords drawn and extended

to a central point.

The Twenty-seventh Degree

"Knight Commander of the Temple"

~ Summary ~

This degree teaches the virtues of knighthood and

asks its adherents to practice these virtues in life.

Virtue requires duty; and both remain the same,

regardless of the times. The Knight Commander

of the Temple learns that he is the manager of the

time, that he himself will decide when he will perform

his duty; he does not wait for orders or authorization.

He is his own man, and his task is to abolish distress

at just the right time.

In the Liturgy Pike describes the apron thus: "The APRON

is square, of scarlet-colored lambskin, lined and edged

with black. The flap is white, and on it is a described as a

cross potent sable, charged with another cross double

potent or, surcharged with an excutcheon of the Empire,

the principle Cross surmounted by a chief azure, seme of

France; ...". He is using the terminology of heraldry:

'potent' is a word used to describe a cross with cross

pieces at the ends, 'double potent' means two cross

pieces at the ends; 'sable' is black; 'or' is gold; 'charged'

means superimposed upon; 'chief' means on top of; 'azure'

is blue; 'seme' means strewn or scattered. In the middle

of the apron is a black key and around it a wreath of

laurel. The laurel symbolizes the good opinion our

brethren have for us.

The order is white, watered ribbon edged with

 red, worn as a collar, from which the jewel is suspended.

The jewel is the Teutonic Cross shown on the apron.

There are also gloves and a scarf among the

clothing of a Knight Commander of the Temple.

The colors of these, as well as of the apron and order,

    are white, red and black. The last of these is symbolic

of the death of one who will be revealed at a later

 degree.

    "In many of the degrees of Scottish Rite, the candidate is styled a knight; this, however, is the first of the truly Chivalric Degrees. The flourishing of knighthood during the Crusades of the Middle Ages, (1100-1400 A.D.) has been the subject of romantic legends, epic poems, books, theater, art and song for over 600 years. Perhaps the most well known of the chivalric legends is that of King Arthur and the knights of the Round Table. King Arthur assembled around him the most virtuous and gallant men. He created them knights and thus devoted them to the causes of right, the poor and needy, and honor. His kingdom became a paradise on earth. This idyllic world came tumbling down when the frailty and flesh prevailed ― a knight fell in love with King Arthur's queen and Arthur's step-brother greedily and jealously pursued the throne.

    In reality, too, the age of knighthood came to an end as a result of human weaknesses ― greed, political and religious corruption and, in general, the loss of the selfless attitude held by knights and demanded by the rules of chivalry. Despite the fate of knighthood, the chivalric ideal has survived as one of the noblest conceptions of the human spirit and provides the support for the ideals of family unity, moral education, honor and courtesy, all of which Masonry teaches as its duties." (Hutchens, pp. 240-241)