Ezra 3:3

Or rather let them learn of you, who are so well instructed in such histories, how that Jeshua the son of Josedek the priest, and his brother, and Zerubbabel the wise, the son of Salathiel, and Ezra the priest and scribe of the law, as the temple was being built after the captivity, the feast of tabernacles being at hand (which was a great feast and time of assembly and prayer in Israel), gathered the people together with one accord in the great court within the first gate, which is toward the east, and prepared the altar to God, and there offered their gifts and kept the feast. And so afterwards they brought hither their sacrifices, on the sabbaths and the new moons, and the people offered up their prayers. And yet the Scripture says expressly that when these things were done, the temple of God was not yet built; but rather while they thus prayed, the building of the house was advancing. So neither were their prayers deferred in expectation of the dedication, nor was the dedication prevented by the assemblies held for the sake of prayer. But the people thus continued to pray; and when the house was entirely finished, they celebrated the dedication, and brought their gifts for that purpose and all kept the feast for the completion of the work.

They placed the altar on its bases, etc. For the bases are indeed the hearts of the elect, prepared by the commandments of preceding teachers, like the tools of craftsmen, to receive the sacraments of the faith of the Lord. And it is well said that there is one altar, but there are many bases that support it; for there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God (Ephesians IV), but there are many hearts of the faithful, established by the one rule of truth, as if gathered in equal measure, bearing the heavenly burden of the sacraments with common devotion. Otherwise, whoever entrusts the sacraments of faith to those less instructed and still not caring to abandon former vices, places the altar of the Lord on the ground without bases, because they hand over heavenly matters to earthly minds. This place also agrees with what the Lord says in the Gospel: Neither do they light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a lampstand, so that it gives light to all who are in the house (Matthew V). Just as the Lord is rightly called the altar, because he cleanses us from our iniquities, because receiving the vows of our prayers, he commends them to the Father; so also the lamp can not unfittingly be called, because he placed the light of eternal divinity on the vessel of assumed humanity. The bases are, however, put under the altar, and the lampstand is put under the lamp, when the faithful with humble intent submit their hearts or bodies to practice by working what they believe. It is well said, when it was mentioned that they placed the altar on its bases, that the peoples of the lands were deterring them around; because with the undertakings of the pious faithful to God, the contradiction of wicked spirits or men will immediately be present, who strive to hinder the good work lest it be perfected. Hence such peoples of the lands are well called, in distinction from those who say: But our conversation is in heaven (Philippians III). But although the peoples of the lands deter, it is necessary for the citizens of the heavenly city to persist in virtuous works begun. For it follows: And they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord morning and evening. For we offer burnt offerings to the Lord on his altar, when, with unwavering devotion established in our hearts by his faith, we give effort to good actions. And we do this morning and evening, when we certainly remember that we received the beginnings of a saving intention from him, and that we can only complete the good things we have begun through the help of his grace; and thus with burning desire we offer to him vows of gratitude in all things with a pious life. Again, we make a burnt offering in the morning, when for the light of spiritual knowledge received, we repay our Creator with good living. We make a burnt offering in the evening, when for the eternal rest, which we hope to receive from him after good works, we burn with incessant zeal. It can also rightly be taken according to the letter, that we offer burnt offerings to the Lord morning and evening, when we strive to please the divine majesty at all times, so that rising at dawn, we do not first proceed to perform the necessary duties of human frailty, before, inflamed by the fire of divine charity, with devout prayers we commend ourselves to the Lord, according to the one who said: And in the morning my prayer shall come before you. Similarly, after completing the day’s work, we do not give sleep to our eyes, or slumber to our eyelids, before we consecrate a place to the Lord in ourselves with a more diligent instance of prayers, according to what the same prophet says: Let my prayer be set before you as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice (Psalm 140).