shillings of our money: so that the five amounted to about fifteen
shillings sterling.
8. S. Hilar. in Matt. c. 17, n. 11, pp. 696, 697.
9. [Greek: Hypante], from [Greek: hupantao], occurro.

_On blessing the candles and the procession._

The procession with lighted tapers on this day is mentioned by pope
Gelasius I., also by St. Ildefonsus, St. Eligius,[1] St. Sophronius,
patriarch of Jerusalem, St. Cyril of Alexandria, &c., in their sermons
on this festival, St. Bernard says:[2] "This holy procession was first
made by the virgin mother, St. Joseph, holy Simeon, and Anne, to be
afterwards performed in all places and by every nation, with the
exultation of the whole earth, to honor this mystery." In his second
sermon on this feast he describes it thus:[3] "They walk two and two,
holding in their hands candles lighted, not from common fire, but from
that which had been first blessed in the church by the priests,[4] and
singing in the ways of the Lord, because great is his glory." He shows
that the concurrence of many in the procession and prayer is a symbol
of our union and charity, and renders our praises {340} the more
honorable and acceptable to God. We _walk_ while we sing to God, to
denote that to stand still in the paths of virtue is to go back. The
lights we bear in our hands represent the divine fire of love with
which our hearts ought to be inflamed, and which we are to offer to
God without any mixture of strange fire, the fire of concupiscence,
envy, ambition, or the love of creatures. We also hold these lights in
our hands to honor Christ, and to acknowledge him as the _true
light_,[5] whom they represent under this character, and who is called
by holy Simeon in this mystery, _a light for the enlightening of the
Gentiles;_[6] for he came to dispel our spiritual darkness. The
candles likewise express that by faith his light shines in our souls:
as also that we are to _prepare his way_ by good works, by which we
are to be _a light to_ men.[7]

Lights are used by the church during the celebration of the divine
mysteries, while the gospel is read, and the sacraments administered,
on a motive of honor and respect. On the same account lamps burned
before the Lord in the tabernacle[8] and temple. Great personages were
anciently received and welcomed with lights, as was king Antiochus by
Jason and others on his entering Jerusalem.[9] Lights are likewise
expressive of joy, and were anciently used on this