"Father, do you have some candles to spare?"
Had you been answering the door of a certain Catholic rectory in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the frightful Ohio Valley flood of 1937, you would have been greeted frequently with that request. The reason: Flood waters had put out of commission the electric supply in many sections of the Queen City of the West; people were seeking lanterns, lamps, candles - anything that would give light. Candles became very precious - even stubs and stumps. And upon the altar for several days, recalling the catacombs, we said Mass by candle light.
In the early centuries candles were of such practical use, but for many hundreds of years Mother Church has been using them for their rich religious meaning.
The wax, produced by virgin bees, is a beautiful figure of the pure Body of Christ; the flame denotes His divinity. The lighted candle reminds us of Christ's Gospel, the Holy Bible, which dispels the darkness of sin and ignorance; the lighted candle also stands for the Church of the living God, the pillar and ground of truth.
For the individual Catholic the candle's flame means the faith that makes us "children of the light." Its warmth and heat show us the fiery tongues of Pentecost, "which consume not, but enlighten." When given to the Church, candles signify Christian self-sacrifice. As the burning taper consumes itself, so must the Christian consume himself in serving God.
For these reasons we use lighted candles in practically every service of the Catholic Church, not merely or chiefly to give light, but to remind us of Christ, the Light of the world, to remind us that from Christ, the Light, all blessings and graces and spiritual favors come. Burning tapers are used in every sacrament except that of penance. They are used in the various steps of ordination to the priesthood, and in the consecration of a bishop.
We are reminded to think of these glowing, dancing, bowing, warming tongues of flame, especially on the feast of the Purification, February 2 (now called The Feast of the Presentation of the Lord). To understand the connection between the blessing of the candles and the bringing of the Infant Christ to the temple, re-read the Gospel for that day, St. Luke, 2:22-32:
"At that time, after the days of Mary's purification, according to the law of Moses, were accomplished, they carried Jesus to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord; as it is written in the law of the Lord: Every male opening the womb shall be called holy to the Lord; and to offer a sacrifice according as it is written in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. And behold there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Ghost was in him: and he had received an answer from the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen theAs Mary carried Christ, so we carry a candle, the symbol of Christ.
Christ of the Lord. And he came by the spirit into the temple. And when His parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he also took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said: Now Thou dost dismiss Thy servant, O Lord, according to Thy word in peace; for my eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples; a Light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel."
The following from the first of the five prayers used in the blessing of the candles, will give you the keynote of Candlemas Day:
"Holy Lord. . . who. . . by the labor of the bees. . . hast brought this liquid to the perfection of wax; and who, on this day, didst fulfill the desire of the righteous Simeon; we humbly beseech Thee, that by calling upon Thy most holy name, and by the meditation of Blessed Mary, ever a virgin, whose festival we this day devoutly celebrate, and by the prayers of all the saints, Thou wouldst be pleased to bless and sanctify these candles, for the service of men, and for the good of their bodies and souls in all places, whether on sea, or on land; and that Thou wouldst be pleased mercifully to hear from Thy holy temple, and from the throne of Thy majesty, the prayers of Thy people, who desire to carry these candles in their hands with reverence, and with sacred hymns to praise Thy name. . . "After the five prayers, the celebrant sprinkles the candles with holy
water, lays incense on the burning charcoal, and incenses the tapers, which he then distributes to those who have assisted him. During the distribution the choir renders a beautiful chant called, The Light of the Gentiles. The words are, those of the aged Simeon, which you will find above in the close of the Gospel for this day.
The priest walks through the church accompanied by the servers, and in some places by the entire congregation, all carrying candles. Filled with joy, radiant with spiritual light, excited, like the venerable Simeon, by the impulse of the Holy Spirit, the Church goes forth to meet her God. The Church thus imitates the wondrous procession in the temple on the day of Mary's purification, the day on which she and St. Joseph carried the Light of the world, Jesus, into the house of the Lord.
May every Catholic, at least in spirit, find himself in that procession on Candlemas Day. May everyone carry a candle, figure of Christ, light of the individual, light of tne world. May that procession wend its way into all the darksome corners of the world. May the faith it represents burn in your heart, in your life. Carry it out into the world with you. Only then will the lights go on all over the world, as the popular song would lead us to hope, only then when men carry Christ in their hearts -burning, warming, flaming, lighting. May Christ, the true Light that enlightens every man that comes into the world, may He lead you and guide you and light your way. Amen.
__________________
Adapted from Occasional Talks
by Fr. Arthur Tonne, OFM (©1949)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please keep your comments civil and respectful!