Altar lamp

[3] The practice is also influenced by Judaism in the Old Testament; in the book of Exodus, God told Moses that a lamp filled with the pure oil should perpetually burn in the Tabernacle.

"In accordance with traditional custom, near the tabernacle a special lamp, fueled by oil or wax, should be kept alight to indicate and honor the presence of Christ."

In the modern times interest principally centered in the lamp which burned perpetually before the Blessed Sacrament, and it has been the custom with many writers (see e.g. Corblet, "Hist.

St. Paulinus of Nola, indeed, seems to speak of a silver lamp continually burning in the church: There is no indication that this bore any reference to the Blessed Sacrament.

No really conclusive evidence has yet been produced that the practice of honoring the Blessed Sacrament by burning a light continually before it is older than the latter part of the twelfth century.

The great movement for providing a perpetual lamp before the altar must undoubtedly be traced to the preaching in France and England of a certain Eustace, Abbot of (?

"Eustace also laid it down", says Walter of Coventry, speaking of his visit to England, "that in London and in many other places, there should be in every church where it was practicable, a burning lamp or some other perpetual light before the Lord's Body."

1) prescribes that "both by day and night two or more lamps or at least one [lampades plures vel saltem una] must burn continually before the Blessed Sacrament", and the responsibility of seeing that this is carried out rests with the priest in charge of the parish.