CHURCH CANDLES.

Church candles.

The church candle symbolizes our spiritual union with The Holy Mother Church. Candles, which are purchased by the faithful in the temple, and are to be placed into the candle holders near icons, have several spiritual meanings: first of all, (because they are paid for) they represent a voluntary donation from a man to God and His Temple; the softness of the wax represents man’s willingness to obey God; the burning of the candle represents man’s eagerness to acquire God-like image and become a new creation. The candle serves also as a sign of our faith and of the unification of man with God’s Light. The candle expresses man’s warmth and burning love towards the Lord, God’s Mother, an Angel or a Saint, near whose icon the candle is placed.

The lighting of candles is a part of the service. As one should not disrupt the peaceful order of the service by acting unworthily, so also one should not distract the prayerfulness of the faithful by walking in the church in order to light candles. If a Christian wishes to place a candle, he should come before the beginning of the service. It is sad to see people coming late and disrupting those in prayer of thanksgiving during the most important moments of the liturgy.

One must not walk about in the temple and place candles nor sell candles during important moments of the liturgy, when the deacon intones the words: “Wisdom! Attend!”; during the readings of the Epistles and The Holy Gospel; during the priest’s sermon, during the singing of the ‘Cherubic Hymn:’ “Let us, who mystically represent the Cherubim…”; nor during the most important part of the liturgy after the deacon intones: “Let us stand well, let us stand with fear…” and when the choir sings: “A mercy of peace…” – until the end of the singing of “It is meet and right to hymn Thee…” and during the prayer “Our Father which art in Heaven! Hollowed be Thy name!” Those who are late, should wait till the end of the service; if they wish to place a candle, they may do so without disrupting the prayerful order of the service by asking a person in charge of the candle stands to do that for them in a proper moment during the liturgy. If there is no room on the candle holder, then one lights the tip of the candle for one second, then blows it out and places the candle on the holder. This candle will be lit and burn during the next service.

There are no exact rules as to how many and where candles can be placed. However, often traditionally we place candles in order of importance; first, for health, by the icon of our Savior; then by the icon of the Mother of God; then by the icon of Great Martyr Barbara (the Protectress of our Cathedral); then to those Saints (St. Nicholas and St. Panteleimon) to whom God has granted power of healing illness and helping people with their needs, with the following words “Holy servant of God (name), pray to God for me; or pray to God for (name)”.

For the departed, candles are placed on the low square candle holder with or in front of the crucifixion; while doing this, one should be quietly saying to oneself the following prayer: “Have mercy O, Lord, for the soul of Thy departed servant (name) and forgive him (her) all his (her) transgressions both voluntary and involuntary, and grant him (her) Heavenly Kingdom!”

For not disrupting the Holy Service and conducting properly in the church a person will receive special grace and reward from God!

Bishop Iov