Why do we light candles in church?;
– The symbolism and the answer
Why do we light candles in church?; There is special symbolism in lighting it; Questions, to which Metropolitan Chrysostomos of Nikopolis and Preveza gives an answer to APE-MPE, who points out, among others, that the habit of lighting contains profound symbolism and that it is an important movement of man in his search for the divine to communicate with God.
"One of the blessed customs of the faithful when they enter the temple is to take one or more candles, to light them in the certain position (manual) and then to worship the images of Christ, of Panagia and the saint of the temple. This habit, which is perhaps most often done mechanically, contains profound symbolism. Everything that exists or happens in the Holy Temple and in the Worship of our Church hides symbolism to remind us both of the events of our Lord's earthly life and of the believer's obligation not to lose heart, not to be abandoned to the biotic raston, but to awaken spiritually by taking on the spiritual weapons that our Church grants him in the spiritual struggle", emphasizes the pastor of Nikopolis and Preveza.
To the question of what the candle symbolizes, he invokes answers given by the Fathers of the Church. Features, notes:
"The Church Fathers give the answer, to whom we always turn and who give answers to everything and may they have lived centuries ago.
Saint Simeon of Thessaloniki mentions six symbols for the candle and certainly refers to the so-called pure candle, that is, the beeswax. He says the candle symbolizes: a) The purity of our soul, b) The malleability of our soul, which we must shape according to the commandments of the Gospel, c) The fragrance of Divine Grace, which every soul must emit, like the candle has a sweet smell, d) Like real wax, burning, it mixes with the fire and gives them food, so also the soul burned by the Divine Love is gradually led to deification, e) The light of Christ and f) The love and peace with which the believer becomes a bright beacon to others.
Saint Nicodemus the Saint lists six other symbols and reasons for lighting the candle:
1) To glorify God, who is the Light “I am the Light of the world”, (John. 8, 12), 2) To dispel the darkness of the night and drive away the fear that darkness causes, 3) To show the inner joy of our soul, 4) To give honor to the saints of our faith, imitating the Christians of the first centuries, who lit candles at the graves of the martyrs, 5) To symbolize our good works during Kyriakon Loyon “so let your light shine before men” and 6) So that the sins of those we light the candles and those for whom we light them are forgiven".
Next, focuses on the light of the flame and emphasizes that "The candle produces flame and the flame emits light. Light is a dominant element of our worship. We are called to be light because He is the Light. At the pre-sanctified Divine Liturgy, the officiating priest, holding a lighted candle, turns to the faithful and pronounces “Christ's light shines everywhere”. In the sequence of the monk's haircut, the provost gives the priest a lighted candle again, telling him “so let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your father in heaven”, (Math. e, 16), but also at the end of the Divine Liturgy we sing “we saw the true Light”».
In conclusion, the metropolitan of Nikopolis and Preveza declares: "Christ constantly calls us to become Light with our lives, with our words and with our works.
Therefore, it is not a formal or mechanical act to light the candle, but an important movement of man in search of the Divine to communicate with God".
