The Quotes of Bertha Williams

Born: 2/13/1905 12:00:00 AM Died: 6/19/1978 12:00:00 AM

Where understanding is meager, there must be ample trust. We know the stages which run in sequence from caterpillar to butterfly; we may now know quite so well the stages which mark the subtle emergence of illuminated Mason from the Profane.

Each Mason needs to realize that he is one with every other, yet each Mason must also find and treasure his own uniqueness. The needs and possibilities of any one member at a given time may be quite distinct from the needs of his fellows; those needs and possibilities may be wholly confusing to some member whose growth and outlook are at a different level.

To be dead is not to be without the body. To be dead is to be without the spirit.

There must be in the Mason that docility which allows for impressions and structure from without; yet even more must there be an eager listening for the Inner voice of Light of inspired Intuition.

Fath and belief are ...  how synonymous? Belief is floating in an airy vapor of less than knowledge. Faith is the trust of a law or principle, tested and tried. Faith is the soul's perennial Euclid at its coolest and simplest.

We have a goal so far beyond our strength, so noble a philosophy, so marvelous a plan of perfection; it asks so much. But again and again, the Brethren show why this is entrusted to us. They prove the aspiration of the human spirit, the miracle of the everyday Mason trying to LIVE his Masonry. Trying; succeeding. Trying; failing. Trying. Trying again. 

"Sometimes we beginners - perhaps even as more than beginners - we wonder why we ever joined the Co-Masonic Order. We wonder what Masonry really is, why it has such meaning for us so that we sacrifice to join it. to support it, to carry on. New members more often wonder this, before they have come to know. But we do come to know. We learn the answer from within; we learn it equally from without as we quietly reinforce each other. 

Each Mason needs to realize that he is one with every other, yet each Mason must also find and treasure his own uniqueness. The needs and possibilities of any one member at a given time may be quite distinct from the needs of his fellows; those needs and possibilities may be wholly confusing to some member whose growth and outlook are at a different level. Where understanding is meager, there must be ample trust. We know the stages which run in sequence from caterpillar to butterfly; we may now know quite so well the stages which mark the subtle emergence of illumined Mason from the Profane. 

Freemasonry, as a tradition, is built on the spoken word. It is a mystic tradition that has been passed down from lip to hear across the centuries. It acknowledges the power of language to transform the mind of the individual and even the course of history itself. Throughout history, great changes in civilizations and the rise and fall of empires have depended on a few words, spoken into the right ear at the right time. Freemasonry places great importance on remembering the thoughts of our ancestors. It is from these thoughts that we can learn how to navigate the maze of life and avoid the pitfalls that have entrapped the unfortunate. The Masons below have all contributed to the wisdom of the world and we have selected a small portion of their knowledge to be shared here to inspire, uplift and educate.