Why are candles lit in church? And what meaning does this gesture have in the liturgy and in personal prayer?
The answer can be found in the tradition and history of the Church. The use of candles is part of the rich heritage of the Catholic faith. It is true that candles probably served a practical purpose in liturgies and rites before electricity was introduced and became widespread, but their use has a much deeper scriptural and theological meaning.
Christ, light of the world
The symbol of light pervades the Bible from the first page to the last. God is light, and everything begins in him. Indeed, light is the beginning of creation: «God said, “Let there be light.” And there was light. God saw that the light was good» (Gen 1:3-4). Revelation, the last book of the Bible, assures us that the new creation is the triumph of light. God himself is light: «There will be no more night; they will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, because the Lord God will give them light, and they will reign forever and ever» (Rev 22:5).
Liturgical candles are connected with this idea of God understood as light, and above all of Jesus as the Light of God. In the Gospel of John, Jesus presents himself in this way: «I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life» (Jn 8:12). This passage reveals the relationship that defines the Christian vocation: following Jesus means entering into a relationship with the mystery of light and life.
Along these lines is the hymn that opens the Gospel of John, in which the Word-Christ is presented as «the true light that gives light to everyone» (1:9). The believer also becomes a source of light once he or she has allowed divine light to envelop them, as Jesus says in his famous “Sermon on the Mount”: «You are the light of the world… Let your light shine before others» (Mt 5:14,16).
It is therefore natural that, inside churches, candles are placed on the altar or near the tabernacle and play a central role in rites and celebrations. Moreover, the liturgy uses candles in almost all the sacraments, from Baptism to Anointing of the Sick, as irreplaceable symbolic elements. The candle is a witness to faith, to our belonging to God. It expresses the flame of our love for the Lord, the Mother of God, the angels, and the saints.
Let us now learn about and identify the various liturgical candles, discovering their meaning and importance in the life of faith.
Baptismal candle
Baptism is the first of the sacraments and marks the beginning of a journey of faith. Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as children of God; it is our official entry into the great family of the Church, our first “yes” to friendship with Jesus.
The spiritual effects of this sacrament, invisible to the eyes but active in the heart of the person who has become a new creation, are explained during the rite through certain symbols that visibly express what takes place in the sacrament. There is the water, naturally, which removes original sin and begins a new life with Jesus; the anointing with the oil of catechumens, performed on the child’s chest, is a sign of the strength Christ gives for a strong and courageous faith; the presentation of the baptismal garment is a highly symbolic moment. It is a sign of a new dignity and a new life begun.
During the liturgy, the priest will say: «You have become a new creation and have clothed yourself with Christ. May this white garment be a sign of your new dignity […] keep it unstained for eternal life». Finally, the ritual presentation of the flame taken from the paschal candle recalls the effect of Baptism. Pope Francis explains the symbolism of the lit candle: «Receive the light of Christ. These words remind us that we are not the light, but Jesus Christ, who, having risen from the dead, has overcome the darkness of evil.
We are called to receive his radiance! Just as the flame of the paschal candle gives light to individual candles, so the charity of the Risen Lord sets the hearts of the baptized ablaze, filling them with light and warmth. The living presence of Christ, to be guarded, defended, and expanded within us, is a lamp that illuminates our steps, a light that guides our choices, and a flame that warms our hearts as we go to meet the Lord, making us capable of helping those who walk the road with us, until we reach inseparable communion with him».
Light is a sign of Christ’s presence. The father lights a candle from the paschal candle, a sign of the light of Christ received as a gift in Baptism, so that we too may be light for the world.
Faith is like a lit flame, and parents, the godfather, and the godmother are asked to protect and nurture this flame and ensure that it never goes out.
Paschal candle
The liturgy of light during the Easter Vigil is particularly evocative. The night is illuminated by the light of the paschal candle, which symbolizes the light of Christ who, through his resurrection, tears humanity away from the darkness of evil and death.
The rite provides that at the beginning of the Easter Vigil, the faithful gather in a dark place illuminated only by fire, from which the paschal candle, symbol of Christ, is lit. After blessing the fire, the celebrant carves a cross, symbol of Christ, into the paschal candle; then he carves the alpha and omega, the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet, to indicate that Christ is the beginning and end of all things; finally, he carves the numerals of the year to signify that Jesus, Lord of time and history, lives for us today.
Behind this lit candle, the community walks in procession, singing three times the joyful cry: «Christ, light of the world», to which all respond: «We give thanks to God».
Gradually, the candles are lit: Christians are illuminated by the light of Christ, which spreads ever further until it envelops all believers, communicating to them through its expressive power the enthusiasm of the mystery being celebrated: «This night, source of light, defeats evil, washes away guilt, and restores joy to the afflicted».
During the fifty days of Easter, the paschal candle is lit at all celebrations. It is then placed in the baptistery and finally, during funeral rites, beside the coffin, to express faith in the resurrection founded precisely on Jesus Christ risen from the dead.
To fully express the truth of the sign, the paschal candle should actually be made of beeswax and be new each year. Various decorations may be placed on its shaft, but the essential liturgical symbolism - the cross, A and O, the numbers of the current year, and grains of incense - must never lose its centrality and immediacy.
Altar candles
To begin with, the altar is a symbol of the risen Lord, and the candles lit from the beginning to the end of the celebration signify that Christ is present among his people (Mt 18:20). They may be placed either on or beside the altar, which is the focal point of the entire church; simple candles or candles placed on more or less solemn candlesticks therefore help, among other things, to make this truly so.
In current practice, altar candles (from two to six) emphasize that this is the table of the paschal banquet on which the body and blood of the Lord are placed and from which his redemptive sacrifice rises. The altar candles must therefore proclaim the living presence of Christ and his Spirit and move those present to prayer. All liturgical furnishings must reveal the invisible mystery and lead the souls of the faithful to it. Candles of a certain height (not gigantic, but not cemetery votive lights either) also highlight the “vertical” dimension of the sacrifice that we raise from the altar to God.
Two simple candles may be used (grouped together or one on each side; there are no rules: a little aesthetic sense is enough), or more solemn candlesticks may be used for more important celebrations.
Candlemas candles
Forty days after Christmas, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple is celebrated. This feast is known to everyone as Candlemas, and it owes its name to the candles that are blessed and lit during the celebration. Once again, the rite refers to Jesus, the light of the world. In the Gospel according to Luke, Jesus is brought to the temple by his parents, and Simeon says with emotion: «Now, Lord, you may let your servant go in peace, according to your word, because my eyes have seen your salvation, prepared by you in the sight of all peoples: a light to enlighten the nations and the glory of your people Israel» (Luke 2:25-35). The lighting of the Candlemas candles is therefore a tribute to Jesus, bearer of light, and this gesture expresses the desire to drive away darkness and to be children of light. Our Christian lives are first and foremost oriented toward the salvation that Christ came to bring into the world and that is made available to us like a light.
Dripless celebration candles are perfect for church celebrations: they can be held, moved, and tilted without wax falling onto the skin or floor.
At the end of the rite, the faithful take the blessed candles home to light them on special occasions. It is a gesture that is as simple as it is meaningful. Its meaning is found entirely in the words of the blessing: «Bless these candles and hear the prayers of your people, who come to meet you with these luminous signs; guide them on the path of goodness, so that they may reach the light that never ends».
Each of us, by taking the candle home, will feel accompanied by the light of Christ.
Votive candles
Candles, however, accompany the life of the faithful even outside the liturgy. Lighting one means entrusting one’s prayer intention to the Lord, Our Lady, and the saints. We all do it: it is a simple gesture that expresses our desire for our prayers, both for ourselves and for others, to remain before God while the candle burns, even after we have finished praying and left. Leaving an offering then means symbolically accompanying our words with “deeds,” with a small personal sacrifice that makes our intention of faith tangible.
Lighting and offering a candle is a way of affirming our desire to follow Jesus’ example and to be the “light of the world.” It also expresses the desire to entrust our words and thoughts to the Lord, Our Lady, and the saints. It is a request for help, for a light that will illuminate our lives from above, perhaps at a moment when we are struggling in darkness.
Tabernacle candle
The Blessed Sacrament is kept in a truly important place in the church, suitable for worship and prayer, especially personal prayer, nobly adorned and adequately illuminated. The Eucharist, kept in the tabernacle, is the “visibility” of God’s glory, which continues to give itself to us in the sign of the body of the Lord Jesus.
Beside the tabernacle is the place for the ever-burning lamp, as a sign of honor rendered to the Lord and as a sign of the presence of the Blessed Sacrament. These lamps are usually red and almost always use oil or contain a candle inside. This candle, always burning, is a “vigil” light that, together with other signs, manifests the presence of the Blessed Sacrament in the tabernacle and the faith of Christians burning before him.
The lamp may consist of a simple candle, but the nobler custom calls for a tall, narrow, transparent glass vessel, often red, containing oil for a long-lasting flame. The vessel is enclosed in or supported by a lamp holder of any shape and material.
Processional candles (flambeaux)
Religious processions become much more evocative through the use of candles that, continuing to burn, keep the faithful’s prayer to God alive. Religious processional candles, made of white wax, may be accompanied by flambeaux made of paper or fireproof PVC, which prevent wax from getting onto the faithful’s hands and also serve as candle wind guards.
Thus the paschal candle, candles, lamps, and tapers… are all signs of that light which defeats evil, washes away guilt, and restores joy to the afflicted…». On Easter night, in the sacrament of Baptism, at funerals, during the Eucharistic celebration, during the enthronement of the Book of the Gospels, before the tabernacle, during processions… the light always indicates the presence of Christ, the true light of life, and that we are children of the light, children of God.
May your journey be blessed!
