The Holy Saints John,
duality in the construct of one.
By Br. Gregory Stewart
masonictraveler@gmail.com
Los Angeles, California, USA
" A Traveler in Freemasonry"

The Saint’s, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, appear to Freemasons in several places in our catechisms. Their proximity and use in our rituals have been questioned for many years as to their use and placement. Looked at together, saint John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist serve to represent the balance in Masonry between zeal for the fraternity and learned equilibrium. The Saints John, stand in perfect parallel harmony representing that balance.

From a historical approach, The Saint John’s festival is said to be a widely celebrated Masonic holiday. Traditionally June 24th (or the summer Solstice) is taken to be John the Baptist’s day, which is celebrated in many cultures around the world. According to McCoy’s Masonic Dictionary, the Festival of St. John in summer is a duty of every Mason to participate in, and should serve to be a renewal and strengthening of fraternal ties and a celebration of Masonry from “olden-times”. It functions as a connection between the past and the future.

The festival, to non-Masons, has been called the “Setting of the Watch”, where ceremonial bonfires were lit after sunset. Tradition says that men, women, and children would jump through the fires for luck. Across Europe, this holiday is celebrated in many ways. With oak wreath crowns, wild flowers and birch branches. Families would feast and celebrate in union. The meanings of these ancient traditions are lost today on our society, but the link was made at some point to John the Baptist. The On-line Catholic Encyclopedia points to the birth of John the Baptist as 6 months before Christ, placing him on the summer solstice. It is thought that these festivals have been linked in character and content with the birth of John the Baptist.

From the Masonic perspective we are given the balanced dualism of John the Baptist on one side and John the Evangelist on the other. Represented together this way represent the balance of passionate zeal with and learned knowledge of faith forming a space to reflect on to and channel our passion as well as our education/knowledge. Individually strong, together they stand as a harnessed focus of zeal and knowledge. This counterpoint is not just necessary to Freemasonry but can be applied to all areas of life. Taken as an abstract compilation of symbols, together they represent a well-balanced path towards enlightenment.

The two dualistic figures as one, the Holy Saints John, balance each other in the Masonic year, but also in other areas too. One unique aspect that I found is in the application of the Alchemical symbols of fire and water. Alchemy has long been thought of as an early component of Freemasonry and using the alchemical symbols here may help the representations of the Saint John’s look more familiar. Saint John the Baptist, represented as the inverted pyramid, the Alchemical sign for water, representing the spiritual and emotional love. St. John the Evangelist, represented as the pyramid pointing up symbolizing fire that is the drive and will of action. When placed together, they symbolize the perfect balance of darkness and light, life and death, passion and constraint, will and emotion, winter and summer. Together both represent the interlocked star of Solomon, or the Square and Compass. This is an entirely open analysis, and made for the purposes of comparison, but it does offer a unique analysis of the juxtaposition of the Holy Saints John.

In looking toward the future, St. John the Baptist Day is an appropriate celebratory day for Freemasons, as it is a good day to come together and reflect in out past and in our future. It stands to remind us, not just of our past, but also of a recommitment of our circumscribed passions. In all of our time they’re as a fraternity, union celebrations such as this one help us to reaffirm our ties that bind. Whether those ties be the bindings of fraternity or the familiarity of institution, we should remember the Holy Saints John’s, not just in our sacred Jerusalem’s but together in brotherhood.

Below are some images from the past representing the Saints together. Click the thumbnails to see larger images.

Alessandro Botticelli Virgin and Child Enthroned between Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist (Bardi altarpiece). 1484. Tempera on panel. Staatliche Museen Preubischer Kulturbesitz, Gemaldegalerie, Berlin, Germany

Hans Memling Triptych of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist

Galleria degli Uffizi, Oil on wood transferred to canvas, 153 x 114 cm , Florence 1520s

	The Holy Saints John Dedication of Lodges Lodges were anciently dedicated to King Solomon because he is said to have been our first most excellent Grand Master, but in this country Masons dedicate their Lodges to Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist who are said to have been two eminent patrons of Masonry. There is represented in every regular and well-governed Lodge a certain point within a circle embordered by two perpendicular parallel lines, representing St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist; and upon the top rests the Holy Scriptures.
	Symbolism The point represents the individual brother; the circle, the boundary line of his duty, beyond which he is never to suffer his passions, interests, or prejudices, to betray him. In going around the circle we necessarily touch on the two parallel lines, as well as the Holy Scriptures; and while a Mason keeps himself circumscribed with these due bounds, it is impossible that he should materially err. The festival days set aside for these two saints by Freemasonry are June 24, for Saint John the Baptist and December 27, for Saint John the Evangelist. Both of these dates coincide with the Summer and Winter Solstices respectively. The parallel lines which border the circle are also said symbolize these two solstices.
	Historical Prior to Christianity, the celebration of the change of the seasons were marked with many pagan celebrations. For example, December 25 was already a major festival in the pagan Roman world. The Dies Natalis Solis Invicti, or "Birthday of the Unconquered Sun", falling within the week-long celebration of the Saturnalia, was a feast honoring the renewal of the sun at the winter solstice. It included feasting, dancing, lighting bonfires, decorating homes with greens, and giving gifts. The early Church wanted these pagan festivals stopped but they were very popular with the people and they continued to celebrate them. The solution to the problem was simple; substitute Christian meanings and Saints to these holidays and continue to celebrate them. Therefore, the celebration of the summer solstice became the Festival of Saint John the Baptist and the celebration of the winter solstice became the Festival of Saint John the Evangelist. But why did Freemasonry select the Holy Saints John as their patron saints rather than Saint Thomas, who is the eminent patron of architecture and building?
	According to Albert Bede, (3-5-7 Minute Talks on Freemasonry, Macoy Publishing Co,), adoption of the saints by Freemasonry far antedates the first Grand Lodge of 1717. Many of the Operative Lodges had been dedicated to the Baptist and a few to the Evangelist. The Baptist seems to have come into Freemasonry well in advance of the Evangelist. It may be significant that the first Grand Lodge was formed at a meeting held on the Festival of Saint John the Baptist. Thereafter London Lodges were dedicated to the two Saints John, and continued to be until the union of 1813, since when they have been dedicated to Solomon. The festival of the English Lodges has since been changed to the Wednesday after St. George's Day. American Lodges have continued the custom brought from England in colonial times, paying no attention to changes made by the English Lodges and continue to observe the festival of the two Saints John. "History does not tell us why the Saints John were selected as the patron saints of Freemasonry. Whatever the facts may be, surely it is in accordance with the fitness of things that we honor these two names, John the Baptist, the stern prophet of righteousness, and John the Evangelist, the teacher of Love. Righteousness and Love--those two words do not fall short of telling the whole duty of a man and a Mason." (Joseph Fort Newton)
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