Masonic Relief

What is it in 2025?

Yesterday I posted a bit about Masonic Relief, and today I’d like to explore that a bit further.

Certainly relief has always been an extremely important part of Freemasonry, mentioned throughout our ritualistic Work. Likewise Charity, but of course Charity meant something quite different when our ritual was crafted than it means today.

But undoubtedly these frequent references to Relief and Charity drove our Brothers of the past to great deeds of public Charitable endeavors. Here in my State, a great many of our Lodges regularly contribute to Charitable efforts. Our Grand Lodge operates a very significant institutional sized Charity. Our Scottish Rite has a quite major scholarship foundation in addition to it’s language program for children, and of course the crown jewel, our Shriner’s Hospitals.

All of that is tremendous, and hugely impactful, and something that each and every one of us can and should be proud of.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash

But is Charity, particularly large, professional, endeavors like this Masonic Relief? Particularly in today’s world?

Do we perhaps give to a Charitable organization, Masonic or otherwise, and then assume that our duty to give Masonic Relief has been fulfilled?

Undoubtedly the old saying is wise, that Charity begins at home. And certainly there are Masons still today who find themselves in financial difficulties that call for the assistance of their Brethren.

But not often. And not most. General prosperity has grown immeasurably over the centuries of Freemasonry’s existence, and at the same time the consequences of poor financial decisions and financial bad luck have fallen in their impacts.

There is vastly less need for financial Masonic Relief today than there was when our Craft was young.

But what if we are looking at Masonic Relief wrong?

What if the focus on financial Relief (and Charity) is far too limiting?

We can read, constantly it seems, about an epidemic of loneliness facing men today. Similarly a lack of direction and meaningful purpose for men today. A general falling behind, and an absence of solid connection.

Is alleviating those things the Masonic Relief that is really called for today?

I would argue that it is. Much more so than financial Relief in 2025.

Each of us belongs to a Lodge filled with men whom we’ve sworn to aid and assist. Perhaps the very best way we can do so is to simply reach out, to check in. To call and talk. Maybe most importantly, to listen.