Our Life in Church: Candles

by Christina, 2026-2027 Intern

Onesiphorus’ Experience

Onesiphorus looked after the church of Saint Demetrius in Thessaloniki.  When he tidied up after services, he blew out the candles that the faithful lit. While Onesiphorus was sleeping, Saint Demetrius told him that “the longer the candle burns, the more the sins of the person who offered it are ‘burned away.’ On the contrary, when the candle is blown out in a rush, the essence of the offering is quickly lost.” Onesiphorus disregarded this, and continued snuffing out the candles of the faithful in his effort to keep the church clean and tidy–although, he allowed them to burn a little longer than usual. However, soon after his experience, he blew another candle out.  Saint Demetrius spoke to him again, this time with a more forbidding voice. Onesiphorus, realizing his mistake to have ignored the voice before, immediately begged to be forgiven. After this, he always waited for the candles to melt and extinguish themselves before he cleaned them up.

Candles in the Orthodox Church

Candles mean more than Onesiphorus may have thought.

We have been lighting candles since the days of the Old Testament.  “You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold which shall be of hammered work.” (Exodus 25:31) The Lord commanded Moses to use candles in the altar.  Now, Christ has come and it is the New Testament; yet, the practice of lighting candles has not gone away.

We pray while lighting a candle. As we go through this action before entering the sanctuary, we can pray for the fulfillment of our needs, our salvation, and those who have passed away. Furthermore, the action itself of lighting a candle is an expression of our prayer. For example, on Holy Friday, we hold candles to express our ardent love for Christ and joyful gratitude for the sacrifice He made. During the midnight service on Holy Saturday, we light candles to join in Christ’s triumph over death. Since candles are a symbol of prayer, the premature blowing out of the candles by Onesiphorus, was, in a way, a blowing out of the faithful’s prayers.  

The candle can also be a representation of a Christian’s life. The soft, yellow wax can represent the bodily flesh. The flame is the divine light of Christ. “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) In order to let the Uncreated Light of Christ shine within us, we must put off the flesh. In the same way, the beeswax melts away as the flame is nourished and continues.

The candle can also symbolize another fundamental belief in the Orthodox faith: Christ’s divine and human nature.  In the full structure of a lit candle, the flame represents his divinity and the beeswax, his humanity. Thus, we have two symbols at either end of the candle.

Many Orthodox candles also share a common physical characteristic. Whether they are long or short, yellow or white, thick or thin, all are made of beeswax, or at least contain beeswax. Why? Compared to other materials, beeswax is a clean material that is produced by bees, which are insects known for their diligence.  Beeswax candles also have a pleasant, subtle scent and a warm glow that contribute to the atmosphere of prayer in a church.

A candle is more than an object one lights in the narthex.  It can be part of a prayer, and it symbolizes the way a Christian achieves salvation. –All of this in the candle one lights every time in church.

References:

“The Meaning of Candles in the Orthodox Christian Tradition.”  Athos Guide.  Mount Athos, Greece, pp.4. https://athos.guide/en#gsc.tab=0

“Why Do Orthodox Christians Light Candles?”, February 25, 2025, pp. 3. www.saintjohnchurch.org.

“The Candles & Their Symbolism.”  St. Herman of Alaska Orthodox Church, pp. 3-4. https://www.sthermansoca.org/