AROBA: The Ancient Ceremonial Meal in Pledge of Friendship
The Lodge of Perfection confers the Ineffable Degrees, from the 4th to the 14th inclusive. They are called “Ineffable” because they are concerned with the ineffable or unutterable Name of God and with man’s eager quest for the true Name. In these eleven degrees there is a profound unveiling of the character and purposes of God, “that high and holy One who inhabits eternity but dwells with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit.”
In formal ritual and in drama, ten of these degrees, based upon Old Testament Scripture and legends from the era of King Solomon, elaborate the teachings of Symbolic Masonry and apply them to practical situations which are faced in everyday life. The Fourteenth Degree summarizes what has been taught and is a moral and philosophical climax.
Important practical lessons are taught in the eleven Ineffable Degrees: secrecy and silence in all confidential relationships; reverence and obedience to God; faithfulness to family and country; justice tempered by mercy; universal brotherhood; honesty in business relations; forgiveness of past injustices; and perseverance in overcoming the difficulties encountered in our progress toward Perfection. The honor of Masonry is placed in the hands of those who seek Perfection in character and who reverence the Ineffable Name of God.