The custom of lighting candles in the church and placing them in front of icons is considered very ancient, dating back to Old Testament times. At the same time, the candle is a symbol of a person's spiritual striving for God, a symbol of prayer and repentance for sins.
Instructions
Step 1
In the early Christian church, candles did not exist, then Christians brought olive oil to the church, which they themselves obtained in an 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 sacred service, 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 commands that the Lord gave to Moses was to arrange a golden lamp with 7 lamps to illuminate the room when performing rituals.
Step 2
Even in pagan times, there were a large number of rituals with candles, with the help of which they scared away evil spirits and commemorated the dead.
Step 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 church were already lit. Later, a tradition arose to put candles in front of other sacred objects: the coffins of the dead, icons, etc.
Step 4
A candle lit in front of an icon is considered a symbol of the uttered prayer, the aspiration of a person's soul to God, an appeal to him. Pure wax, used in the manufacture of candles, is intended to mean that a person's thoughts are pure and open before God, that he has repented of his sins, is ready to repent before the face of God and is ready to accept any punishment. The softness of the wax means that the person is ready to obey. And the very process of burning a candle is perceived as the desire of the human soul to deify, i.e. remorse.
Step 5
When you light candles in church, do not do it mechanically, you need to feel love in your heart for the one to whom you want to present the candle. By purchasing a candle in the church, you are making a voluntary sacrifice to God and the temple. Initially, Christians donated wax for candles, then they began to buy candles, the funds from which go to decorate and repair the church, maintain the choir, pay salaries, etc. Under no circumstances should you buy or bring to the temple the candles purchased outside its walls, since they may not be consecrated, they should not be placed in front of the icons.
Step 6
Candles should only be lit with prayer. It will be good if you add your own words of request or gratitude to the words of the prayer. A candle is a symbol of your faith, love for God, the Mother of God and the Angels, as well as all the saints. When you cannot express in words of prayer all your feelings for the Lord, a candle flame comes to the rescue.
Step 7
Choose how many candles and in front of which icons you want to light. 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 spot. 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 definitely put it in the vacant space. After you have set the candle, cross yourself 2 times, then kiss the shrine, cross yourself 1 more time and bow to the icon.
