ST. JOHN’S DAY MESSAGE
FROM THE
MOST WORSHIPFUL GRAND MASTER
The Grand Council of the Independent United Order of
Mechanics, Friendly Society, of North, Central, and South
America, Island of the Seas, and the Entire Western Hemisphere Inc.
Fraternal Greetings!
Brothers and Sisters as we celebrate the life of our Patron Saint, St. John the Baptist, let me extend to you and your family best wishes on behalf of myself and the Members of the Executive Committee of Grand Council.
Today is quite a special day for us as members of this noble Order, as we gather and participate in Church services throughout the Diaspora.
John the Baptist was the precursor or forerunner of Jesus Christ, and a man of Faith with great determination to fulfill the duty that was allotted to him.
He persistently went around preaching the message of the coming of the
Messiah, “The true Light, which enlightens everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him.
” John 1:9-10.
On a daily basis, regardless of the trials and tribulations faced by St. John the Baptist, he persistently continued to fight against the odds and to pave the way for the coming of Christ our Saviour.
According to the scriptural sources, John was a reforming zealot. He preached an imminent catastrophe of divine punishment; he castigated hypocrisy, demanded repentance, and announced the imminent coming of the Messiah. Many of the elements of John's doctrine resemble some teachings of the Qumran sectaries as noted in the Dead Sea Scrolls, particularly his anti-establishment attitude, his insistence on imminent divine punishment for sinners, and his preaching of a kingdom of God that

would soon be established. John furthermore insisted that all who repented of their sins should come to him and go through a rite of washing or baptizing; hence he was called the Baptist.
In humility, John the Baptist dedicated his life to the service of others, providing a source of repentance and forgiveness. His baptism proclaimed a cleansing, a renewal, and a new beginning, as he pointed to the coming of the true Messiah, refusing to accept the accolades which were being conferred on him. His outspokenness may have cost him his earthly life, but his faithfulness, service and righteousness secured for him eternal life.
As Mechanics, let us emulate the life of our Patron Saint by being more determined to walk in the path of righteousness, to be more tolerant, kind and caring to our Brothers and Sisters. We proclaim Friendship, Truth and
Love as our motto, let us now commit to live up to these tenets, and in so doing, be the best examples to others.
May God bless us all, as we celebrate our Annual St. John’s Day, and may
His righteousness sustain us, as we continue in faithfulness and service to show His love for one another.
God’s Richest Blessings!
Fraternally,
Rt. Hon. Clive Oscar Sang
Most Worshipful Grand Master
TEN POINTS OF LIGHT”