The custom to light candles in the church and put them in front of the icons is considered to be very ancient, which arose in the Old Testament times. In this case, the candle is a symbol of a person’s spiritual desire for God, a symbol of prayer and repentance of sins.
Instruction manual
1
There were no candles in the early Christian church, then the Christians brought olive oil to the church, which they themselves extracted in the oil mill, and filled the lamps of the temple with this oil. But gradually this custom was transformed under the influence of Byzantine traditions. In the book of Moses, during each holy day, candles were lit in front of the image of God, which meant the following: God's law is a lamp to man in his earthly life. One of the first instructions that the Lord gave to Moses was to arrange a golden lamp with 7 lamps to illuminate the room during the performance of rituals.
2
Even in pagan times, there were a large number of rituals with candles, with which they scared away evil spirits and commemorated the dead.
3
Gradually, the rules for lighting candles in churches changed. Initially, a candle was lit only before the holy gospel, and during its reading all the candles in the temple were already lit. In the future, a tradition arose to put candles in front of other sacred objects: the coffins of the dead, icons, etc.
4
A candle lit in front of the icon is considered a symbol of pronounced prayer, the aspiration of the human soul to God, appeal to him. Pure wax used in the manufacture of candles is intended to mean that a person’s thoughts are clean and open to God, that he has repented of his sins, is ready to repent of the face of God and agrees to accept any punishment. The softness of the wax means that the person is ready for obedience. And the process of burning a candle is perceived as the desire of a person’s soul for deification, i.e. repentance.
5
When you put candles in the church, do not do it mechanically, you must feel the love in your heart for the person to whom you want to present the candle. By acquiring a candle in a church, you make a voluntary sacrifice to God and the temple. Initially, Christians donated wax for candles, then they began to buy candles, the funds from which are used to decorate and repair the church, the maintenance of the choir, salaries, etc. In no case do you buy or bring to the temple candles purchased outside its walls, since they may not be consecrated, they cannot be placed in front of the icons.
6
Candles should be placed only with prayer. It will be good if you add to your words of prayer your own words expressing a request or gratitude. A candle is a symbol of your faith, love for God, Mother of God and Angels, as well as all saints. When you cannot express in words of prayer all your feelings for the Lord, the candle flame comes to the rescue.
7
Choose how many candles and which icons you want to light in front of. It is customary to put a candle in front of the Guardian Angel and the saint, whose name a person bears. Then, near the candlestick, light your candle from other candles and put it in an empty place. In the event that there are no empty seats, you can simply put it next to it, in the future, the ministers of the church will certainly put it in the vacant place. After you put a candle, cross 2 times, then kiss the shrine, cross 1 more time and bow to the icon.
- Candle - a symbol of prayer
- The use of a church candle
