On BEEing "Sincere"
We went to the Greek Festival last week at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Concord. While there, we were able to go on a tour of the church with Father Marin Staté- who told us about the use and symbolism of lighting Beeswax candles as act of worship.
He said when a candle is lit it provides light, warmth and a sweet aroma; but for a candle to do its job it must be consumed by the heat and melt away. If it just remains in a box in the back of the church it is not doing its job. It must be lit and be consumed. and it is the same for all of us- if our lives are not lit with the fire of Christ, and if we are not consumed by His light, love and life, then we are not doing our job. So, become a light in the world!
He also said the our English word "Sincere" comes from the Latin words "sine cera" meaning the Quality of Honey. Honey vendors in the ancient Roman markets would cry out, “Sine cera,” to assure prospective buyers that their product was pure and free from wax.
A religious dictionary defined the word as follows: ‘Sincere is that which is without mixture, as honey without wax’.
To be "sine cera" or sincere then is to be pure and unmixed, which is how our Christian lives should be.
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