Lighting candles during a church service is a prayerful appeal to God. The symbolic meaning of the candle is very interesting. Wax is a symbol of the purity of people; it is soft and pliable, like a Christian, ready to serve God. The candle flame symbolizes Divine love, which purifies the souls of people and leads to salvation.
We light candles in front of the icons of saints, pray and ask for help. A lit candle is a sign of our faith and hope.
The time of the appearance of candles as lamps used in worship cannot be documented. Initially, a candle was a tube filled with fat with a thread wick inside, and today we are accustomed to seeing a classic wax church candle. This transformation took several centuries.
It was wax candles that came into use in Christian worship. Wax, being a pure, soft substance, exuding a subtle pleasant aroma, is a symbol of the Christian soul, cleansed of sins, submissive to the holy Divine will. The flame of a candle burning during a service means that the hearts of those praying are aflame with love for God. The more light, the more joy. Therefore, the more solemn the church holiday, the more candles are lit in the temple.
Why light candles in church?
Candles in the temple are our modest material offering to God. You need to understand that a candle bought outside the walls of the temple and then brought into the temple is not a sacrifice, but an attempt to pay off. And you can’t put such candles near icons. Asking the Omniscient Creator for something for yourself and being cunning at the same time is the same as playing fools with yourself. Such a game is not worth the candle.
It is better to buy only two candles for twenty rubles in the temple than to come with a dozen bought for the same amount outside the temple. Buying candles is a small sacrifice to God and his temple, let it not be burdensome, most importantly, voluntary.
The number of candles cannot “appease” the saints. You can ask for spiritual help by bringing your own only from a pure heart.
A pure heart is the best sacrifice to God. With a pure heart, light a candle in front of the image, even if it is small, but pleasing to God. A burning candle is a visible sign of the warm, bright burning of the human heart, ardent love for God, the Mother of God, and the saint to whom the candle is placed. But if all this is missing, then the candles have no meaning, the sacrifice is empty.
Lighting a candle formally, with a cold heart, is a sin. When lighting a candle, you need to pray, at least in your own words, but carefully, reverently, with faith. Turning all your thoughts and feelings to God.
Question answer
Blessed Matrona of Moscow
The candle for health has gone out - what awaits a person?
Nothing bad will happen. Light it again. The Church does not recognize superstition. A candle goes out for various reasons. Perhaps low-quality wax was used or the manufacturing technology was not followed. Damage is out of the question.
What does it mean - the candle has fallen?
Perhaps you did not secure the candle in the socket on the candlestick. Scorch the bottom end with fire and place it again. Don't believe in superstitions and everything will be fine.
But if you performed magical actions, perhaps out of ignorance, then you took upon yourself a great sin. You must immediately confess and deeply repent.
Fragment of the icon of All Saints
Is it possible to light a fire for an unbaptized person?
You can pray for an unbaptized person with your own prayer, and you can also light candles for health in the temple. You cannot submit a note about an unbaptized person.
Is it possible to light candles for health at home?
It is possible in such situations:
- when you pray;
- if it is not possible to visit the temple and light the sacred fire there;
- when you want to show respect for a church holiday or an important Christian event.
How to properly light candles in church
If the candlestick is filled with sand, then placing a candle is very simple. If it is metal, then the bottom of the candle should be heated from any already burning wick. The candles are lit one from the other, burning, and placed in the socket of the candlestick. The candle should stand straight. This can be done not only before the service, but also during it. You just need to not interfere with other parishioners’ prayers.
You should not use matches or lighters in the temple if there are already burning candles in the candlesticks. You should not light a candle from a lamp, so as not to drip wax into the oil or accidentally extinguish the lamp. It happens, especially on patronal feasts, that all the candlesticks are occupied. How to light candles in church in this case? Under no circumstances should you worry about this, much less get angry. Those who put two candles in one cell or remove someone else's candle to put their own do it wrong. The candle should simply be placed on the edge of the candlestick or close to it. It will definitely be installed by other believers or ministers as soon as the place becomes available. All that remains is to be glad that there are so many parishioners in the church, and their faith is so strong.
Having placed a candle in front of the saint of God you have chosen, mentally say: “Holy Servant of God (name), pray to God for me, a sinner (or the name for whom you are asking for).” Then you need to come up and venerate the icon.
Lighting the candle, cross yourself and say:
Before the image of the Savior: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Before the icon of the Mother of God: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us” Before the chosen saint: “Holy Servant of God (name), pray to God for me, a sinner (or the name for whom you ask)” At the image of all saints: “All saints, pray to God about us" Before the image of the Life-giving Cross of Christ: "We worship Your Cross, Master, and we glorify Your Holy Resurrection"
And venerate the icon, crossing yourself and bowing.
Superstitions about church candles
There are many superstitions associated with candles, and they are all meaningless. They are spread mainly by unchurched, religiously illiterate people.
You should not believe the talk that you should light a candle only with your right hand; that if it goes out, it means there will be misfortunes; that the lower end of the candle should not be scorched to ensure stability in the hole, and so on.
But what is definitely not allowed is purchasing church candles for some magical actions, divination, witchcraft. In itself, all this is a monstrous sin. And if you committed it, even foolishly, in childhood, not to mention conscious participation in these ungodly deeds, then confess as soon as possible and bring deep repentance. And let the candles that you light inform the sky only about your godly intentions.
Is it possible to light a candle for the health of an unbaptized person?
For the unbaptized, you are allowed to read a prayer only in your own words. Anyone can light a candle for them. It is forbidden to write names in notes that are given to the priest about reading a prayer for health.
In fact, the church does not approve of prayer for the unbaptized. However, at the time of difficult trials or serious illness of an unbaptized person, the church allows you to light a candle.
After the sick person has recovered, it is necessary to baptize him as soon as possible. Babies are lowered into holy water and the great Sacrament is performed. An adult is baptized in a completely different way.
A candle is a symbol of eternity, a symbol of prayer, conversation with the Lord, the Mother of God and the Saints. The fire from a lit candle always rushes upward - so in life, a Christian should always, no matter what happens, must remember that no matter what he does, he will give an answer to God. Therefore, he must measure his actions with the will of God.
Who should light candles and how many?
There are no mandatory rules about how many candles to put and to whom. Their purchase is a voluntary sacrifice to God.
First of all, it is good to light a candle to the “holiday” (central analogue) or to a revered temple icon, then to the relics of a saint (if they are in the church), and only then to health (to any icon) or to repose (on the eve of – square or rectangular table with a Crucifix).
If you pray for a person suffering from an illness, pray in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer” and light a candle. If a person has taken the path of alcoholism, then a candle can be placed on the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon. They often light candles for their patron saints. If you light a candle(s) for yourself, then you say to the Lord, the Mother of God or the saint in front of whose image you place the candle, so that this candle will be accepted for you, your health and salvation.
If several candles are placed, then, as a rule, in this order:
Parishioners usually try to light several candles. First of all, a candle is placed for the holiday icon, which is located on a lectern in the middle of the church, and only then candles are placed for health or for repose.
— Holiday (icon opposite the Royal Doors). - The relics of the saint (if they are in the temple). - For health (to your saint, whose name you bear, to the revered icons of the Mother of God and to the revered saints). - For the repose (on the eve).
For health, candles are lit for the Savior, the Mother of God, and saints to whom the Lord has given the grace to heal illnesses. They also often pray for the health of the sick and light candles in front of the icon of the great martyr and healer Panteleimon. You can light candles and pray for your health. A candle is a symbol of prayer to God. And most prayers are written in the first person.
For family well-being they pray to the Mother of God, Saints Guria, Samon and Aviv, and Saint Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg. It is also useful to remember and realize your guilt in relation to your husband, ask for forgiveness, and try to reconcile
for deliverance from passions (drunkenness, drug addiction, etc.) and light a candle in front of the icons of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, the martyr Boniface, the righteous John of Kronstadt.
How to light candles and pray for health
When praying for ourselves or for the health and well-being of our loved ones, after lighting a candle, we must definitely invoke the name of the saint or saint in front of whose icons we place candles. For example, “Most Holy Theotokos, save us!” Or: “Reverend Father Sergius, pray to God for me and for the servants of God (name)”
“Pray to God for me, Saint (name of the saint), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and a prayer book for my soul. Guardian Angel: Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection, I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen."
In the temple, it is customary to place candles for health in any candlesticks (usually they are like in the picture, but on a high leg, except for those that stand on the eve table and are intended for candles that are placed for repose (see material below). But there are churches , in which there are no eve tables and candles for health and repose are placed in any candlestick, because the main thing is prayer:
“Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives and benefactors and all Orthodox Christians.”
A candle for health will be lit in the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem near the Throne, located directly above the place of the Nativity of Christ (Star of Bethlehem).
Home prayers for health
At home, prayers for the health of loved ones should be read at the end of the morning prayer rule. In order not to miss a single person whose health you are praying for, all names must be entered in a memorial and used every time you make a request to the Lord. It is better to pray alone, in front of the icon.
Lord Almighty, Heavenly and Earthly!
Do not reject, hear the words of the prayer of Your servant (your name)!
I ask You for the health of the slave (name of relative).
Send down Your mercy, take away pain and sorrow from Your servant!
Grant your servant (name of relative) good health (to the sick - a speedy recovery)
Now and forever to Your glory. Amen.
Prayer to the Holy Healer Panteleimon
Oh, great saint of Christ, passion-bearer and merciful physician Panteleimon! Have mercy on me, a sinful slave, hear my groaning and cry, propitiate the Heavenly, Supreme Physician of our souls and bodies, Christ our God, may He grant me healing from the illness that oppresses me. Accept the unworthy prayer of the most sinful man above all. Visit me with a gracious visit, do not disdain my sinful ulcers, anoint them with the oil of your mercy and heal me; May I, healthy in soul and body, be able to spend the rest of my days, by the grace of God, in repentance and pleasing to God and be worthy of receiving a good end to my life. Hey, servant of God! Pray to Christ God, that through your intercession he may grant health to my body and salvation to my soul. Amen!
How to light candles and pray “For repose”
Each temple has especially revered shrines, in front of which candlesticks are placed. To commemorate the dead in churches, eve tables are installed - usually located on the left side of the church, in front of the image of the Holy Cross - where candles are placed with a prayer for the repose of the deceased (“for the repose”). Such a table is easily recognized by the rectangular candlestick on which the Crucifix is installed ( in the photo). If you have brought any food so that the church ministers can pray with you to remember your family and friends, put it in the baskets that stand right here on the table, and then go to the candlestick.
Decide in advance how many candles you will put. It's difficult to advise anything here. You can light one candle for everyone you remember, or you can light it for each one separately.
Approaching the candlestick, you should cross yourself twice and bow to the shrine (usually with a bow from the waist), then light a candle from other candles, melt the bottom and place it in the socket of the candlestick. She should stand straight without falling. If it doesn’t work the first time, melt the bottom again and put it in the nest again. You should not use matches and lighters in the temple if there are already burning candles in the candlesticks. You should not light a candle from a lamp, so as not to drip wax into the oil or accidentally extinguish the lamp.
To renounce earthly things, look at the flickering light for a while, calm down, forget about the worldly and read the prayer mentally or in a whisper. If you don’t remember by heart, take a piece of paper.
“Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your servant (names) and all my departed relatives and benefactors, and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.”
After reading the prayer, stay close to those for whom you prayed. Remember their faces, their speech... Don’t be shy about tears if you cry. Before you slowly leave, make the sign of the cross and bow.
It may happen like this: the candle you just lit was extinguished by a church minister for some reason. Do not be indignant not only in word, but also in spirit. Your sacrifice has already been accepted by the All-Seeing and All-Knowing Lord.
When there is a Divine service, and because of the crowd of people you cannot get through, then there is no need to push your way to the eve table. You will disturb those praying. Hand over the candles and food, saying to put it “for the dead.”
It happens, especially on weekends and holidays, that all the slots in candlesticks are occupied. Those who put two candles in one cell or remove someone else's candle to put their own do it wrong. In this case, put your candles in a special box (drawer). Candles sacrificed will definitely be burned. The attendant monitors this. But, after placing or passing the candles, do not forget to pray. The main thing is prayer. Read from the heart, it will reach the Lord and be properly accepted by Him.
In this prayer we do not mention our name, but: “pray for others and you will be rewarded” - this is how we can briefly characterize the statements and instructions of the holy fathers of the Church of all times. The same applies to our ill-wishers and enemies: “pray for those who use you and persecute you,” said Jesus Christ
A person who accidentally, out of ignorance, placed candles for health on a tetrapod (candlestick for funeral candles) has no reason for unbridled despair. According to the word of the Holy Scripture, “all are alive with God.”
You can always light candles for health and repose, but the Church does not perform prayers for the departed on Easter and Bright Week; they are transferred to Radonitsa - the second Tuesday after Easter.
