It turns out that not everyone knows how to properly handle church candles and whether they can be lit at home.
What rules and traditions exist in Christianity regarding church candles?
Why light church candles
Church candles are lit for various reasons and with different intentions. The main purpose is to express one's faith, love and gratitude to God, and to ask for his help, protection or forgiveness. The candle symbolizes the light of Christ, which drives away the darkness of sin and death. The candle also symbolizes the human soul, which strives for God and thirsts for his grace.
By lighting a church candle, a person can:
• Pray for yourself or for other people, living or dead.
• To honor the memory of saints or martyrs who labored for the glory of God.
• Praise God for his creations and miracles.
• Ask God for health, peace, success or healing.
• Ask God for forgiveness for your sins and promise to improve.
• Express your joy or sorrow about some event in your life.
How to Light Church Candles Correctly
Church candles are lit in the temple in front of icons or a cross. To do this, you need to follow the following rules:
1. Before entering the temple, you must cross yourself and bow.
2. When entering the temple, you need to buy a candle from a parishioner or recipient. The candle must be bought for money, and not taken for free or on credit. The money for the candle goes to the maintenance of the temple and to charity.
3. The candle should be held in the right hand, and the left hand can support it from below. Do not hold the candle by the wick or lick it before lighting.
4. The candle must be lit from another burning candle or from a lamp. Do not light the candle from a match or a lighter.
5. The candle should be placed in a candlestick in front of the icon or cross to which the person is addressing the prayer. You should not place a candle in front of an icon that does not correspond to the intention of the prayer. For example, you should not place a candle in front of the icon of the Mother of God if you are praying for the dead.
6. After the candle is lit and placed in the candlestick, you need to cross yourself and bow before the icon or cross. Then you can say your prayer out loud or silently. The prayer should be sincere, simple and short. You do not need to say long and complex texts or repeat the same thing many times.
7. After the prayer, you need to cross yourself again and bow. Then you can walk away from the candlestick or light another candle in front of another icon or cross.
Is it possible to light church candles at home
The Church does not prohibit lighting church candles at home, but some conditions must be observed:
• At home, you need to have a home altar or iconostasis on which icons, a cross, the Gospel and other objects of worship are located.
• The home altar or iconostasis must be kept clean and tidy, and also decorated with flowers and lamps.
• At home, you can light church candles only during prayer or reading the Holy Scriptures. You do not need to light candles to illuminate or decorate the room.
• At home, you can only light church candles made of wax or paraffin. You should not light candles made of other materials, such as plastic, glass or metal.
• At home, you need to be careful about lighting church candles. You should not leave burning candles unattended or near flammable objects. You should also have fire extinguishing equipment on hand if necessary.
Conclusion
Church candles are not only a beautiful and traditional element of Christian worship, but also an important way of communicating with God. They help a person express his feelings, desires and requests before the Lord.
However, in order for church candles to bring benefit and blessing, one must know how to handle them correctly and follow certain rules and traditions. Then church candles will become for a person not just objects of ritual, but symbols of faith and prayer.
