It is said that in olden days, when the candles used in church ceremonies were prepared, the bees that made the wax were blessed, the flowers which yielded it grew in the monastery garden, and the wax was shaped inside the church during the singing of the Psalms of the Divine Office.

And so our influence, like the light of those candles, in whatever way it is actually expressed, must spring from a deep and resolute love for God.  For the light we give out is to be a bright reflection of our personal relationship with him who is the Light of the World.

Note

The Castle of Antonia is the traditional site of Jesus’ trial before Pilate, and the Stations of the Cross in Jerusalem start at the site of the Castle.  However, some authorities believe that the trial took place at what was once Herod’s Palace in the Upper City.