Can you tell me the significance of lighting a candle at the prayer candle area of the church?
Fr. Rocky: “Lumen Christi!” (“The Light of Christ!”), proclaims the deacon as he enters the darkened nave of the Church each year during the Easter Vigil. As he chants this hopeful note, the newly consecrated burning Paschal candle is raised for all to see, and the people exclaim, “Deo Gratias.” (“Thanks be to God!”)
The ultimate significance of the lighted candle is to remind us that Christ is the Light of the world. So wrote St. John in the introduction to his lofty Gospel (see 1:4-9). Whenever the faithful leave a lighted votive candle near a holy image of our divine Savior, the Blessed Mother or the angels and the saints, the light of the candle is to hold the attention of the intercessor to pray for our intentions.
You may have noticed that most churches or shrines offer a variety of candle size: one-day, three-day and eight-day are standard. The faithful are asked to make a donation commensurate with the size of the candle. If there is any profit left over, it should go to the support of the Church and the aid of the poor.
