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Anyone who has ever visited
my house can tell you that I
love candles. Each room is
adorned with them, all different
scents, shapes, sizes and colors.
My obsession, I believe, actually
began many years ago—in church.
When I was younger, my grandparents
would often take my sisters and
me to church with them on Saturday
afternoons. Tucked into one of
the front corners of the church they
attended was a large rack of votive
candles—some small, some large.
People would place their money
in the attached box and then light
a candle for their particular prayer
request or in thanksgiving for a prayer
answered.
Many a Saturday afternoon Mass, I
would spend time watching the dancing
flames reflect off the stained-glass
windows, and the wisps of smoke rise
toward the heavens. I remember thinking
how much those who lit the large
candles must have needed their prayers
heard.
And whenever I needed a prayer
answered, I would fervently save up
my money for one of those candles. I
was convinced it gave my prayer that
extra little boost it needed to be
answered. After all these years, the flickering
of those candles in that darkened
church corner remains an indelible
image and symbol of my faith for me.
The power of that image was also
reinforced for me and my sisters outside
of church. Both my grandma and mom
had a ritual of lighting votive candles
in our homes to request intercession at
the time of a particularly difficult task,
test, decision or event. It’s one of the
traditions of my childhood that I have
continued with my own family.
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So you can understand why I have such
an affinity for candles. To me, they represent
so many different things on so
many different levels.
For instance, on birthday cakes they
represent celebration. During a power
outage they can serve as comfort. Surrounding
a warm bath they bring relaxation
or in their mere presence they
can serve as a gentle reminder of
my faith.
To be honest, as a Catholic, it
seems only natural that I would be
drawn to candles. Within our faith,
they really do serve as an integral
part of the customs and rituals in
which we so often take part.
In fact, stop for a moment and
think of the last Church event or
season you experienced—Sunday
Mass, a Baptism or wedding, Advent
or Lent, the exposition of the Blessed
Sacrament. Did candles somehow
play a role? Probably.
Candles serve as a constant and worthy
reminder to us of God’s presence in our
lives. They are a gentle tap on the shoulder
that, from that small flame, can
come warmth, comfort, illumination—
everything we could ever possibly need
or desire. Their presence also reminds us
that just as Jesus is light for us, we must
also serve as light for others. Our faith
is not meant to be kept to ourselves.
Taken in that context, candles sure seem
to take on a bigger meaning.
So the next time you witness the
dancing of a candle’s flame—be it in
your church or in your home—stop
and take a moment to soak it in. In
our hectic and hurried lives, that small
flicker can serve as a wonderful
reminder to trust in God, the light of
the world.
Next: Ashes/Fasting
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