Centurion #195 Lodge

10/14/2026

WB/IB John Moreno poured so much of himself into Colorado Masonry that he's shaped the lives of hundreds of men across the state. He has represented their efforts in pictures, actively participated in their education, and provided mentorship (and snappy quirks) to innumerable masons (young and old). If you took your degrees at the Denver or COS Consistories, you likely were educated by John. The hole he leaves in Colorado Masonry is only slightly smaller than the impact he's had. God speed, IB. I'll think of you often.

10/14/2026

Tonight, we had the honor of conferring the Entered Apprentice Degree upon our newest Brother, Cliff. We are proud to welcome him into our fraternity and look forward to supporting him as he begins his journey in Freemasonry. Congratulations, Brother Cliff, and welcome to the Craft!

10/12/2026

If you’ve spent any time at all around the brothers of Centurion Lodge #195, you’ll already know that we are far more focused on the commonalities between the various humans on this planet than the differences. In most philosophical circles the search for meaning beyond this life is a common topic. At our recent Table Lodge, RWB gave an education based on personal experience pointing out (rightfully so) that we all have a limited window of time on this Earth. As such, we would do well to understand those things that provide value in our lives and prioritize those things over the distractions of simply ‘being alive’.

If you stand inside St. Peter’s Basilica and look toward the south transept, you’ll see one of Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s final works: the Monument to Pope Alexander VII (completed 1678–1679). The Pope passed in 1678, with Bernini immediately taking up the task of building a monument to the Holy Father, completing the monument shortly before his own passing in 1680. But to understand the importance of the symbolism, we must first look at the man who was Pope.

Pope Alexander VII was deeply aware and attuned to his mortality. Historically, the Pope practiced Memento Mori (Remember Death), which is a reminder that life is temporary. He kept a coffin in his private chambers and a skull on his writing desk. Additionally, Alexander was known to frequently conduct meditations on death. All these things will bring the Chamber of Reflection to Masons’ minds.

Bernini’s Monument to Pope Alexander VII is a masterwork of symbolic storytelling. The kneeling Pope is framed by four allegorical figures: Charity, Truth, Justice, and Prudence. These virtues form the moral backbone of both Catholic teaching and Masonic philosophy. Bernini places them as the foundation of the monument, reminding the viewer that genuine leadership rests not on authority but on the strength of one’s character. This was reflected in the Pope’s life, where he exercised great humility despite the position he held in the church.

Below, a shrouded bronze skeleton lifts an hourglass while pulling back a great drapery to reveal a doorway beneath the sculpture. It is a vivid meditation on mortality. Time is finite, truth is unveiled, and every soul must pass from the temporal world into the eternal, through that doorway. Catholics recognize this as memento mori, while Freemasons see echoes of the Chamber of Reflection: the confrontation with death, the unveiling of deeper meaning, and the call to live a virtuous life before the sands run out.

Bernini’s monument reminds us that Catholics and Freemasons share far more than they differ. Both begin with a belief in a sublime Creator and teach that life is brief, virtue is essential, and truth belongs to those who sincerely seek it. Both call us to humility, reflection, and the steady work of improving our character; knowing our time here is limited. When we look past the small differences we often magnify, we see that we are walking the same path toward wisdom and Light.

The funerary monument to Pope Alexander VII (r. 1655-67), in St Peter's Basilica, was created by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

10/10/2026

Thank you to all the brothers who were able to attend today's workday.

Our lodge's carpet project is now complete, with the stretching and shampooing finished, and it looks fantastic. We also have all of the lodge furniture back in the lodge room and ready for our next meeting.

In addition, the entire building received a thorough cleaning, and most importantly, we made great progress cleaning and organizing the basement.

It was wonderful to enjoy some fellowship together and support BackEast Grill for lunch afterward.

Thank you again, brothers. I look forward to our next workday as we continue work on our new lounge area.

10/10/2026

The Mirror in the Cellar - A Phantom of the Opera Radio Tale



ANNOUNCER: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, from the shadowed corridors of the Paris Opera House, we bring you a tale of music, mystery, and a mirror that reflects far more than a man’s face. Settle in, turn down the lights, and listen closely. Some stories are not merely heard. They are felt.



NARRATOR: They say the Opera House is alive after midnight. That the chandeliers whisper and the velvet curtains breathe. Deep below the stage, in a forgotten cellar carved from stone and sorrow, a man waits. A man the world calls a Phantom.

He moves through the darkness with the grace of a dancer and the caution of a hunted animal. His mask gleams faintly in the candlelight, hiding the scars that shaped his life. But there is one thing he cannot hide from. One thing he cannot escape.

The mirror.

It stands in the corner of his underground chamber, tall and cold, framed in tarnished silver. He avoids it when he can. He fears it when he cannot. He can’t remember how long he’s been here, but the mirror was here before him. The mirror does not bow to his genius. It does not tremble at his music. It does not believe his legend.

It shows only the truth.



Tonight, the Phantom approaches it. Slowly. Reluctantly. His reflection wavers in the glass, half man, half shadow. He lifts a hand to the mask on his face, hesitates, and then lowers it again. The mirror waits. Patient. Unforgiving.

He whispers to it, as if it were a living thing.

PHANTOM (soft, strained): If I remove the mask, will you show me a monster? Or will you show me the man I might have been?

But the mirror does not answer. It only reflects.

And in that reflection, he sees not the scars, but the choices. The lies he told to protect himself. The illusions he crafted to control others. The fear he allowed to shape his life. The mask he wears is not the one on his face. It is the one he built around his heart.

He turns away, unable to bear the sight. The candle flickers. The chamber grows dim. And somewhere above, the Opera House sighs, as if mourning the man who cannot face himself.



ANNOUNCER: And so ends our tale of the Phantom and his mirror. But before we close tonight’s broadcast, let us linger for a moment on the lesson hidden in the glass.

A man who lives behind a mask may fool the world, but he cannot fool his own reflection. The mirror shows what the heart already knows. It reveals the truth we hide, the fears we bury, and the consequences of a life shaped by deception. The Phantom’s tragedy is not his face. It is the lie he lived.

When a man refuses to look at himself honestly, he becomes a stranger in his own life. But when he dares to face the reflection, he begins the work of becoming whole. The mirror does not punish. It invites. It asks only for truth.
And that is the quiet horror of our story. Not the Phantom’s mask, but the courage it takes to remove it.



ANNOUNCER: Thank you for joining us tonight. Until next time, keep your candle lit, your heart steady, and your reflection honest.

10/09/2026

🔨 Centurion Lodge Workday 🔨

Brethren,

We will be holding a Lodge Workday on Saturday, October 10th, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

Our primary activities will include:

Moving lodge furniture back into the lodge room
General cleaning of common areas
Continuing to organize and sort the downstairs area as we work toward creating a comfortable lounge space for the Brethren

This event is also open to anyone interested in learning more about Centurion Lodge and Freemasonry. It is a great opportunity to meet the Brethren, ask questions, and enjoy fellowship while seeing firsthand how our Lodge operates.

Following the workday, we will enjoy fellowship together at Goat Patch Brewing Company or Back East Bar & Grill.

Fraternally,
Centurion Lodge #195

10/08/2026

Frankenstein’s Creature: A Campfire Tale for Masons

Picture a cold autumn night, the kind where the wind moves through the trees like a whisper. The fire crackles, sparks drift upward, and someone begins a story that feels older than the woods around us.

They tell of a creature who opened his eyes for the first time in darkness. He did not know his name. He did not know why he existed. He only knew that he was alive, confused, and terribly alone. He reached out for warmth, for guidance, for someone to help him understand the world he had been thrown into. But no hand reached back. So he wandered.

He tried to learn by watching others, but they feared him and taught him fear. He tried to speak, but no one listened and taught him silence. He tried to belong, but every door closed before he could cross the threshold and taught him intolerance. And in that loneliness, he searched for anyone who might accept him. Anyone who seemed like him. Anyone who was lost in the same way he was. Because that is what human beings do. We seek belonging wherever we can find it, even among other directionless “monsters.”

Now the storyteller leans in a little closer.

They say the creature’s tragedy was never his appearance. It was that he had no mentor. No teacher. No brother. No one to help him shape the rough, frightened pieces of himself into something whole. Every wound he suffered taught him the wrong lessons. Every rejection bolted another bad idea onto him. He was awakened, but unformed. Alive, but misled. Searching, but alone.

A man searching for meaning alone can lose himself even further. He may drift toward shallow ideas, loud influences, or people who are just as lost as he is. But when he finds steady, caring companionship, friends who show him the way to do the work without forcing it on him, he begins to discover his own truth about life, purpose, and mankind. Righteous, virtuous companions do not shape the man for him. They help him learn how to shape himself. They offer guidance, a sounding board, and the quiet strength that keeps him on the path. And that is what the creature never knew: the kind of fellowship that helps a man become whole.

Frankenstein’s creature is not a monster. He is every man who awakens to the fact that he is unfinished and longs for something higher. He is the rough ashlar before the craftsman arrives, the human soul reaching for Light in a world that does not know how to give it. His tragedy is simple: he had no one to guide him. And so he searched for belonging among other lost souls, because that is what human beings do when no wiser hands are there to help shape the journey. His story is a reminder of what happens when a man awakens alone, and how different his path becomes when he is not.

The fire pops. The story ends. And everyone sitting around it understands that Frankenstein was never about horror. It was about the cost of awakening without a guide, and the gift of finding one.

10/06/2026

The story George Lucas created is more complex and detailed than I can represent in one small article on Facebook. But it's important to note some of the key events that trace the Hero's Journey for Luke Skywalker and how it relates to the Mason's life once he steps on the path.

The original Star Wars film tells a story that mirrors the journey of a man seeking light and purpose. Luke Skywalker begins his life feeling out of place. He works hard on his uncle’s farm, but he senses he is meant for something more. He watches his friends leave home to pursue their futures and wonders why he cannot do the same. His uncle warns him away from these paths, just as life often warns us away from change. Luke represents that headstrong youth so familiar. Many men begin their Masonic journey in this same state of restlessness, searching for a way forward.

Everything changes when Luke meets Obi-Wan Kenobi, an older man who carries wisdom, calm strength, and a sense of mystery. Luke senses immediately that Obi-Wan knows things he does not, and that this man might be able to help him understand the world in a deeper way. Obi-Wan recognizes Luke’s potential and protects him as the rest of Luke’s life begins to fall apart. This moment reflects the role of a Masonic mentor, who sees the good in a man even before the man sees it in himself.

Obi-Wan begins teaching Luke a new way of seeing the “world”. He introduces him to the Force, a symbolic inner light that requires discipline, focus, and moral responsibility. Luke pushes back at first. The ideas feel strange, the methods unfamiliar, and the expectations overwhelming. In some cases, they seem even ridiculous. Every Mason knows this feeling. Growth requires stepping outside the comfortable patterns of the past and learning to trust a new way of thinking.

Luke faces hardships he’s never experienced; he begins to rely on the lessons his mentor has given him. He gains confidence in the training and starts to understand its value. This represents a growth in his knowledge, his wisdom, and his confidence. It prepares him for the greater challenges ahead, just as the degrees of Masonry prepare a man for the trials of life. When Obi-Wan passes, Luke learns that life is not the end. He discovers that his mentor’s guidance continues in a new form, teaching him that existence is larger and more mysterious than imagined.

Luke’s greatest test comes in the trench of the Death Star. In this moment, he must set aside the noise of the world and trust the inner voice he has been taught to listen to. He turns off his targeting computer, quiets his fear, and relies on the intuition and training that have shaped him. By confronting his own doubts, he finds the strength to act with clarity and purpose. His victory is not just a triumph of skill. It’s a triumph of character.

Luke’s journey reflects the path of a Freemason. It’s a story of leaving behind ignorance, seeking guidance, learning discipline, confronting fear, and discovering that truth and strength come from within. Star Wars may be a modern myth, but it carries timeless lessons about courage, growth, and the search for light. These are the same virtues Masonry encourages in real life, helping men build a stronger and more meaningful foundation for the future.

10/04/2026

The Star Wars movies are a core memory of my childhood and heavily influenced who I am today. While most people know Star Wars for the lightsabers, starships, and unforgettable characters, fewer people know that the heart of the story came from the work of Joseph Campbell, an American scholar who spent his life studying the world’s myths, religions, and initiation traditions. Campbell believed that all great stories share a common pattern of growth and transformation, something he called the Hero’s Journey. He wrote that this pattern appears in stories from every culture. (The Hero with a Thousand Faces, 1949). His work explored how individuals move from uncertainty to understanding, from fear to courage, and from darkness to light. For Freemasons, this is an intimately familiar topic.

George Lucas discovered Campbell’s writing while developing the original 1977 film, and it changed everything. Lucas realized he was not just creating a science fiction movie. Instead, he was building a modern myth that could teach moral lessons in the same way ancient stories once did. Star Wars became philosophical to George, and Campbell’s ideas helped shape Luke Skywalker’s journey, the role of the mentor, the trials of the hero, and the struggle between light and darkness. Lucas once said, “I was writing Star Wars at the time I was reading The Hero with a Thousand Faces. It was perfect. It was like Campbell was talking directly to me.” (The Power of Myth documentary on PBS). Lucas later invited Campbell to Skywalker Ranch, and the two became close friends, discussing myth, meaning, and the moral development of the individual.

Although Campbell wasn’t a Freemason, his work explored many of the same themes familiar to the Craft. He wrote about the search for inner truth, the importance of discipline, the value of mentorship, and the moral responsibility each person carries. He believed that myths help people understand their own inner struggles and encourage them to grow into better versions of themselves. These ideas align closely with the virtues and lessons Masonry teaches.

George wasn’t a Mason either, but Freemasonry is one of the few traditions that invites real men to walk the same path represented by the Hero’s Journey in the Star Wars universe. Freemasonry helps men cultivate courage, discipline, compassion, and truth seeking, the same virtues that define the heroes of myth.

Understanding Campbell’s influence helps us see Star Wars in a new light. It is not only an adventure story. It is a modern initiation tale that uses timeless symbolism to explore courage, character, and the journey toward truth. Campbell gave Lucas the blueprint, and Lucas used it to create a story that continues to inspire generations.

In the next post, we'll look more closely at the Hero's Journey in Star Wars and how it relates to our own Masonic journeys.

Since its release in 1949, has influenced millions of readers by combining the insights of modern psychology with Joseph Campbell’s revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In these pages, Campbell outlines the Hero’s Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that.....