I will put candles in the church in front of the icons. Instructions for an Orthodox Christian about a church candle.

The church is considered a place where you can turn to the Higher powers, ask for help and thank you for your support. For this, people read prayers and light candles, but only a few know how to do this correctly. There are clear rules that allow you to figure this out.

Before you find out why candles are placed in churches, it is worth saying that it is best to buy them in the temple itself and you should give preference to wax products. This material has a specific smell that is similar to honey. The thing is that wax is a substance that has the ability to attract negative energy and information, which disappears when the candle burns. In Christianity, lighting candles is a symbol of repentance and faith.

Today you can find almost everything on the Internet, including online chapels where you can light a candle and read a prayer. Of course, her righteousness is very doubtful, but the fact that such a possibility exists is a fact.

How to properly attend church and light candles?

It is worth saying that for God it does not matter how much a purchased candle costs, because the main thing is with what thoughts it is offered. It is recommended to light several candles: for gratitude, congratulations, wishes, as well as for expressing requests and problems.

How to properly light candles in church:

1. The first candle must be lit near the Temple icon, which protects and preserves the church itself. Each has its own image, so when purchasing candles, ask which icon you need to approach from the very beginning.
2. If you visit church on a holiday, then you should light a candle for the holiday.
3. If there are relics of a Saint in the church, then you need to read a prayer in front of them and light a candle.
4. Next place, where candles are placed in the church - an icon of the Saint whose name the believer bears. Where it is located in the temple, you can ask the spiritual educator.

If you came to the temple on a holiday or during church service, then there may be no empty seats in the candlesticks. Under no circumstances should you extinguish or remove other people's candles. The solution in such a situation is either to wait until the hole is free, or to place candles near the candlestick, and then the clergy will certainly light them. Candles in church must be lit from already burning ones, but, as a last resort, you can use matches or a lighter.

It is worth mentioning the existing prejudices that appeared thanks to people’s imagination. For example, it makes absolutely no difference which hand you use to place the candle. It is not a sin to scorch one end of the candle, since this action is simply aimed at ensuring stability in the candlestick. There is also that if a candle falls, it is bad luck. This is actually not true.

How to light candles for the repose in church?

To light a candle for the dead and newly deceased, you need to find the eve table, which is placed on the left side of the church near the crucifix. First go to this place and read the prayer Lord, then, for a while, watch the flames of the already lit candles and only then light them and install your own. You can light one candle for all the dead or for each one separately. After this, read a prayer in which you can address these people.

Where in the church to light candles for health?

All icons of saints that are located on the right side of the entrance are suitable for this purpose. It is best to choose the image of the Savior and the Virgin Mary. After the candles are installed, you need to read a prayer for the person or people for whom you are performing the ritual. It is important to list them by name, starting with men and ending with women.

Oddly enough, the list of rules will begin from the very threshold on which a person steps before directly entering the temple. And, before you learn how to properly place candles in a church, you must first purchase them correctly. After all, in order to learn how to properly place candles in a church, the sequence must begin with the purchase; Few people know that a candle is material proof to God of his recognition of his religion. Something like a sacrifice, for which you will not have to repay a debt equivalent to your own karma. So, candles purchased outside the temple should not be taken into account, since otherwise this is not considered any offering to God. Buying from a church store is the only right decision, especially if a person really believes and visits the temple with a pure soul, and not for the sake of a “tick” or the approval of society.

The second step should be taken while already in the church building itself. Usually, as you know, people come to light candles for the health of their relatives or the repose of their loved ones, and this is done mainly for great Orthodox holidays. A person is free in his choice, and if he is sincere about his religion, then it does not matter how accurately he observes each of the religious duties. But for overall development, you still need to know that there is no need to rush across the entire hall to “stick” a candle for the health of your loved one. The first thing you need to do is go to the central analogue and pay your respects to the saints with the candles placed, so to speak. If we're talking about about some special service held in honor of the brought significant icon, then you should direct your attention to it.

Well, it’s time to get down to what, in fact, the person decided to visit church for. No, it's early! The third step is offering a candle to the relics of the saint, if there are any in the temple. If a person does not live in rural areas, where the church does not have the opportunity to keep such a significant relic within its walls, then this action must take place. Also, do not forget that before each icon you should cross yourself, which also applies to the pallet with relics. Typically, the design of the church is made in such a way that the parishioner, getting inside the building, has the opportunity to easily get to that very central lectern, and then move on to the relics, if any. Therefore, while maintaining decency, you should not enter the temple and try to get straight to the tables “for health, for peace,” as this can greatly disturb other visitors.

And finally, this is the step in which you can already light candles for your living and deceased relatives. But even here there are several details that are best not to be overlooked. Firstly, everyone should know that you can light candles for health at any icon, and this does not depend on what exactly for past life answered one or another great martyr. This is done always and everywhere by definition. Secondly, if you want to light candles for the repose of your relatives or close friends, you need to look for a square or rectangular tray with a towering Crucifix above it. In the church lexicon it is officially called the eve - the place on which it is customary to place candles for the repose of the soul. And the main thing is not to forget that it is customary to do this at the very end, which, however, the arrangement of objects in the hall will tell the parishioner about.

This is pretty much the end of the sequence, except for a few more rules you should know. First of all, this concerns the period of time in which it is usually customary to perform this action. Under no circumstances should you light candles during the service, and if you were unable to do this before it began, the next time is after the end of the prayer service. And even a person who knows nothing about this will immediately understand that making your way from the candles through the crowd to the central lectern, when the employees are reading a prayer and the parishioners are humbly listening, is at least ugly. You also need to discard any stereotypes about candles, which are so long time for many they have become a kind of signs. If the candle goes out, it’s not good, and you should only put it on right hand. No, all this is gossip that should not be believed, since it does not matter at all which hand is more convenient for a person to light a candle and other similar things.

It is also worth remembering that sometimes in churches there are services when you need to hold the candle directly in your hands. In this case, for the sake of your own safety, you must carefully handle this item, first bringing it with you. paper napkin so that the wax flowing from the burning candle does not drip onto the floor or hands, which in most cases can cause very discomfort or even pain.

How to light candles in church: yourself, family, enemies?

For health or any need, candles are usually lit for the Savior, Mother of God, the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, as well as those saints to whom the Lord gave special grace to heal illnesses and provide help in various needs.

When praying for yourself or for the health and well-being of your loved ones, after lighting the candle, you must definitely invoke the name of the saint or saint in front of whose icons you place the candles.

How to light candles in church for yourself:



4. Lighting a candle for the health of ourselves (and/or loved ones), we say the following words (whatever we like):

• “Lord Essus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner (my name), I have sinned without number, Lord, forgive me.”
• “Holy servant of God (name of the saint), pray to God for me, a sinner (or the name for whom you are asking).”
• “Most Holy Mother of God, save me!”- If we light 1 candle for ourselves and those close to the saint:“Reverend St. (name), pray to God for me and for the servants of God (name1, name2...)”
• to his patron saint:“Pray to God for me, Saint (name of the saint), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and prayer book for my soul.”
• Guardian Angel: “Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection, I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen."
• To the Saint: “Holy saint of God Nicholas (or holy martyr Tatiano, blessed prince Alexandra, etc.)! Pray to God for me, a sinner (sinner), may the Lord forgive me all my sins and grant me through your holy prayers to reach the Kingdom of Heaven.”

6. If you have prayed slowly, crossed yourself and bowed, you can also say another one, or carefully move away to a place convenient for you.

Usually, they light a candle for themselves at the end, after everyone else has lit a candle.

How to light candles in churchfor loved ones:

1. Approaching the icon that suits your spirit (the Mother of God, St. Nicholas or another saint), we cross ourselves 2 times.

2. Light a candle from a lamp (make sure that wax does not drip there) or from other people’s candles.

3. Place a candle in free space and secure it so that it does not fall and come into contact with the other candle next to it.

4. Lighting a candle for the health of loved ones, we say the following words:

• “Lord Essus, Son of God, have mercy on the sinner (name of a loved one), he (she) has sinned without number, Lord, forgive him (her)”

• Or we turn in prayer to the saint who is on the icon with the words:

• “Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives and benefactors and all Orthodox Christians.”

• If we turn to the Mother of God: - If we light 1 candle for all those close to the saint:

5. After reading the prayer, stay close to the person(s) for whom you prayed. Remember their faces, their speech... Don’t be shy about tears if you cry.

3. Place the candle in a free place and secure it so that it does not fall and come into contact with another candle next to it.

4. Lighting a candle for the health of our enemies, we say the following words in spirit:

• “Lord Essus, Son of God, have mercy on the sinner (name of the enemy), he (she) has sinned without number, Lord, forgive him (her)” You can add words of your own while looking at the candle:“I forgive him (her) everything and wish him/her well, happiness and health”
• Or we turn in prayer to the saint who is on the icon with the words:“Holy servant of God (name of the saint), pray to God for the sinner (m) (name for whom you are asking).”
• If we turn to the Mother of God:“Most Holy Theotokos, save (name for whom you are asking)!”
• If we light 1 candle for all the enemies of the saint:“Reverend St. (name), pray to God for the servants of God (name1, name2...)”

5. After reading the prayer, stay close to the person(s) for whom you prayed. Remember their faces, their speech... Don’t be shy about tears if you cry. The main thing is to forgive everyone who has offended you.

6. If you prayed slowly, crossed yourself and bowed, you can also put another candle, or carefully move away to a place convenient for you.

Enemies are those who do not love us, hate us, those who constantly harm us, or those with whom we want to make peace. In other cases, it is better “ bad people”, if you feel, bypass and not provoke conflicts, try not to react.

The custom of lighting candles in churches came from Byzantium, but it arose in Old Testament times. In the Tabernacle of Moses, lamps were a necessary accessory to the priestly service: they were lit in the evening before the Lord and served as a symbol of God’s guidance, that the Law of God is a lamp for man in his life.

“We never perform divine services without lamps,” said the teacher of the Church Tertullian, “but we do not use them only to disperse the darkness of the night—our Liturgy is celebrated in daylight; but in order to depict through this Christ - the uncreated light, without which we would wander in darkness even at midday.” Our Lord Jesus Christ said: “I am the light of the world” (John 8:12).

Gradually, rules for lighting candles in churches were developed. First, a burning candle preceded the bringing out of the Gospel, and during the reading, all the candles were lit. Subsequently, candles began to be placed in front of other sacred objects, in front of the tombs of martyrs, in front of icons. The custom of lighting candles has survived to this day. Moreover, it has become so familiar to us that when lighting a candle, many do not think about what this action means?

A candle lit in front of an icon is a symbol of prayer, a sign of spiritual aspiration towards God. Pure wax, from which candles are made, is a symbol of the fact that a person repents of his sins and is ready to obey in the face of God. Speaking about how to place candles correctly, it is worth starting with the fact that this should not be done automatically, but with awareness and with a feeling of love in the heart for the one to whom the candle is placed. When you buy a candle in a temple, it becomes your voluntary offering, a symbol of your faith and love.

External action is accompanied by internal action - prayer. A praying person often cannot find words to accurately convey his state, to express everything that he wants to say to the Lord, especially when he is surrounded by other people. And here a candle helps him, the flame of which is a symbol of this prayerful feeling, inexpressible until the end in words.

How many candles to place and in front of which icons depends on the desire of the believer. But they always light a candle with a prayer. If this is an icon of our Lord Jesus Christ or the Crucifixion, then you can say: “Lord, have mercy on Thy servant (name)” or “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.” Or you can also read this prayer: “Lord, accept this sacrifice for Your servants (for whom you put your name).”

If this is an icon of the Mother of God, then with the words: “Most Holy Theotokos, save us, Thy servants (names),” before the icon of the saint: “Holy servant of God (name), pray to God for me (or for us and list the names).”

It is very good to add to these prayers a prayer in your own words, expressing your request and thanksgiving.

Approaching the candlestick, you need to light a candle from other candles or from a lamp on the candlestick (if there are no burning candles around), then put it on a free place (or, if all the places are occupied, just put it next to it - they will definitely put it on the vacant place). After this, you should cross yourself twice, venerate the shrine, cross yourself again and bow.

Questions also arise: Why can’t you light a candle from a lamp and place it on a candlestick? There are no religiously or theologically explainable prohibitions on lighting candles from lamps, and any discussions on this matter do not go beyond the scope of “grandmother’s folklore,” which is very common among non-church people, and sometimes, alas, is found inside the temple. We see the only reasonable reason for the ban on the issue under discussion is that when lighting a candle from a lamp, it is very easy to drip wax into it, which is then very difficult to clean off. Perhaps it is precisely this struggle for purity that forces the keepers of the candlesticks to pull back the worshippers.

The candles that believers buy in church have another very important spiritual meaning: they are a person’s voluntary sacrifice to God and the Church. This has been the case since ancient times: at first, believers themselves donated wax for candles, then the production and sale of candles became one of the income sources for monasteries and churches. The proceeds from the sale of candles are spent on the maintenance, repair and decoration of the temple, on the maintenance of the choir, Sunday school, on the salaries of clergy and workers. Therefore, candles should be purchased only in the temple where a person came to pray. You cannot bring candles purchased outside the walls of the temple with you and place them in front of icons, because they may not be consecrated.

Since the level of well-being of believers is different, they can donate different funds. An expensive large candle is not at all more beneficial than a small one. It is better to put down a small one with humility and pray fervently than to put up an expensive one with grumbling and regret. And remember at the same time that the most important thing is the burning of a believing heart. If we do not have ardent love and reverence, then the candles have no meaning, our sacrifice is in vain.

So, where and to which of the saints to put candles is up to you to decide for yourself. But it is advisable to maintain order. If you are going to light several candles, then the first one should be placed to the Lord Jesus Christ and in front of the icon of the holiday (usually it is always located in the center of the temple on a lectern). Then a candle is lit for the Mother of God, then for the Archangel and the saints, to whom the Lord has given special grace to heal illnesses and help us in various needs.

It is customary to light candles for the saint whose name the person bears and for the Guardian Angel.

To commemorate the repose of the deceased, one should light a candle on the eve - a special rectangular candlestick with a Crucifix.

If the desired icon is not in the church, then you can put a candle in front of any image of the Lord, the Most Holy Theotokos or in front of the icon of All Saints and say a prayer. And pray in your own words, as long as they are sincere. Let the clear fire of candles help build a warm, bright prayer in your heart!

It is good to light church candles and at home in the red corner, in front of the icons. Candles and lamps are lit not only during morning and evening readings prayer rule, but also when solving important life problems(choosing a life partner, choosing a profession, getting a job, purchasing a house, car, etc.) when we are overcome by illness, grief, sadness, or when demonic forces clearly act on a person.

During the Six Psalms (when the reader comes out into the middle of the temple and all the lamps in the temple are extinguished), the candles are extinguished. But after finishing this reading, the candles are lit again. Therefore, having lit your candle during this period of time, there is no need to look for any bad sign in this, much less swear.

ABOUT CANDLES IN QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

How to place a candle correctly?

The candles are lit one from the other, burning, and placed in the socket of the candlestick. The candle should stand straight. It is PROHIBITED to use matches and lighters in the temple if there are already burning candles in the temple candlesticks. You should not light a candle from a lamp, so as not to drip wax into the oil or accidentally extinguish the lamp.

Who should light candles and how many?

There are no mandatory rules about where and how many candles to place. Their purchase is a voluntary sacrifice to God. First of all, it is good to light a candle for the “holiday” (central analogue) or a revered temple icon, then for the relics of a saint (if they are in the church), and only then for health (for any icon) or for repose (on the eve - square or rectangular table with a Crucifix).

Is it possible to put a candle on a candlestick if there is nowhere to put it?

That's how it should be done. As a last resort, you can light the candle wick, extinguish it and place it on the candlestick. Those who put two candles in one cell or remove someone else's candle to put their own do it wrong.

Is it possible to hold a burning candle in your hand and stand with it?

It is customary to stand with lit candles at a memorial service during the service of Great Heel Matins. Candles are also lit on polyeleos, but this tradition is mainly preserved only for clergy. A burning candle must be handled with care: make sure that the wax does not drip onto the floor, and that the clothes and hair of the person standing in front do not accidentally ignite. The rest of the time, it is more correct to place the candle on a candlestick that is specially designed for this purpose. In the temple one must follow the established order, and not do as one pleases.

Who should I light a candle for remission of sins and what should I read?

— Sins are forgiven only at Confession after a sincere, detailed confession of all of them in the presence of a priest and the reading of a prayer of absolution to him. A candle is a symbol; in itself it does not free one from sins and does not connect one with God.

Is it possible to light a candle for an unbaptized newborn baby who is sick?

You can pray for the unbaptized with your personal prayer and light candles for them, you just cannot write their names in church notes, since the Church does not pray for the unbaptized. A sick child should be baptized as soon as possible. If the child is seriously ill, you can call the priest home or to the maternity hospital. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the child will receive a special grace that will help him. If a child dies unbaptized, the parents will bear the sin. And a baptized child can be given communion, order magpies, prayers for health - this is first aid in illness.

Is it possible to light a candle for yourself?

Of course, you can light candles and pray for your health. A candle is a symbol of prayer to God. And most prayers are written in the first person.

Is it possible for a pregnant woman to light candles for her repose?

Everyone can and should light candles and pray for the departed.

Is it possible to light a candle for the tragically deceased and, in general, for the repose of the unbaptized?

You can light candles and pray for the unbaptized yourself, but you cannot give notes in church with the names of the unbaptized.

Is it possible to light candles for health and repose on Easter?

You can always light candles for health and repose, but the Church does not perform prayers for the departed on Easter and Bright Week; they are transferred to Radonitsa - the second Tuesday after Easter.

Is it possible to put candles purchased in another temple?

Candles are usually purchased in the temple where they come to pray - this is small sacrifice this particular temple.

What to do with a candle after blessing Easter cakes and eggs? Can I take it home?

You can take it home and light it during home prayer, or you can put it in a church in front of any icon.

When is incense used and can it be used at home?

Incense is used in the Church during divine services, as well as during funeral services for the dead, and during the consecration of dwellings by the priest. You can also use incense during home prayer.

Church candle:
A sign of fervent faith
or
an attempt to pay off?

What is a candle in a temple? This small lamp is one of dozens and hundreds that burn in front of icons every day.

When we come to church, we go to the church shop to buy candles and then place them in front of the icons. Why? Such a tradition, they will say, is accepted as such. And it is not surprising that many people come to church just to “light a candle.” Not for worship, not for prayer. And by lighting a candle in church we mean some kind of magical act, which in itself brings happiness. A kind of consumer, basically pagan, form of communication with “higher” forces, like a deal: I give you a candle - you give me “so that everything will be fine for me.” And such people come to church only on great holidays, or because of a major everyday need. They put a candle, as if a tick in an imaginary “book of good” deeds,” and, confident that they did everything in a Christian way, with a clear conscience they forget about this very Christianity until the next candle.

There are also those who understand something about Orthodoxy, go to church more often, and can even stand for an hour, listening to the singing and looking at the icons. Such Christians prefer, once they have reached the temple, to go around all the icons as much as possible, at least the most beautiful and largest ones, and light a candle in front of each one, asking for themselves and their loved ones. Some kind of icon will help - they reason practically - the main thing is to put candles everywhere, so that for sure... And they leave the temple, satisfied with the work done and quite pleased with themselves: “Oh yes, I asked for so much goodness, it should work! Plus the benefit - I saved on buying candles.” Yes, practical people come to church with their own bunch of candles, purchased cheaply somewhere at a funeral agency or other retail outlet. And they don’t even think that, in essence, they are making Cain’s sacrifice. Yes, fat, abundant, but insincere, selfish, greedy.

What is a candle in a temple? This is our humble material offering to God.

You need to understand that a candle bought outside the walls of the temple and then brought to the temple is not a sacrifice, but an attempt to pay off. And you can’t put such candles near icons. Asking the Omniscient Creator for something for yourself and being cunning at the same time is the same as playing fools with yourself. Such a game is not worth the candle.

It’s better to buy only two candles for twenty rubles in the temple than to come with a dozen bought for the same amount outside the temple. Buying candles is a small sacrifice to God and his temple, let it not be burdensome, most importantly, voluntary. The number of candles cannot “appease” the saints. You can ask for spiritual help by bringing your own only from pure heart. A pure heart is the best sacrifice to God. With a pure heart, light a candle in front of the image, even if it is small, but pleasing to God.

What is a candle in a temple? This is an earthly light that, in combination with prayer, can ascend to the heavenly world, like a searchlight beam cutting through the night sky.

In church tradition, a candle is an integral attribute of worship. A burning candle is a visible sign of warm, light combustion human heart, ardent love for God, the Mother of God, for the saint to whom the candle is placed. But if all this is missing, then the candles have no meaning, the sacrifice is empty. Lighting a candle formally, with a cold heart, is a sin. When lighting a candle, you need to pray, at least in your own words, but carefully, reverently, with faith. Turning all your thoughts and feelings to God.

Saint righteous John Kronstadtsky warns: “If you light candles, but do not have love for God and your neighbor in your heart: you are stingy, you do not live peacefully, then your sacrifice to God is in vain.”

What is a candle in a temple? This is a tiny beacon of our participation in prayer appeal church to the Creator.

Explaining symbolic meaning candle wax, the 15th century liturgist, Blessed Simeon, Archbishop of Thessalonica, says: “Pure wax means the purity and innocence of the people bringing it. It is offered as a sign of our repentance for perseverance and readiness to continue to obey God, like the softness and pliability of wax. Just as wax produced by bees after collecting nectar from many flowers and trees symbolically means an offering to God, as if on behalf of all creation, so combustion wax candle, like the transformation of wax into fire, means deification, the transformation of earthly man into a new creature through the action of fire and warmth Divine love and grace."

The holy righteous John of Kronstadt speaks of church fire as follows: “The fire of burning... candles and lamps, as well as the censer itself with hot coals and fragrant incense, serve for us as an image of spiritual fire - the Holy Spirit, who descended in tongues of fire on the apostles, burning away our sinful defilements, enlightening our minds and hearts, igniting our souls with the flame of love for God and for each other: the fire in front of the holy icons reminds us of the fiery love of the saints for God, because of which they hated the world and all its delights, all untruths; It also reminds us that we must serve God, pray to God with a fiery spirit, which for the most part we do not have, for we have cold hearts. “So in the temple everything is instructive and there is nothing idle or unnecessary.”

There are no mandatory rules about where and how many candles to place. Their purchase is a voluntary sacrifice to God.

First of all, on the advice of the monks of the Holy Trinity Lavra, it is good to light a candle to the “holiday” (central analogue) or a revered temple icon, then to the relics of the saint (if they are in the temple), and only then about health (to any icon) or about repose (on the eve - a square or rectangular table with the Crucifixion). What is important is not the number of candles placed, but the sincerity of faith and prayer.

There are many superstitions associated with candles, and they are all meaningless. They are spread mainly by unchurched, religiously illiterate people. You should not believe the talk that you should light a candle only with your right hand; that if it goes out, it means there will be misfortunes; that the lower end of the candle should not be scorched to ensure stability in the hole, and so on.

But what is definitely not allowed is purchasing church candles for some magical actions, divination, witchcraft. In itself, all this is a monstrous sin. And if you committed it, even foolishly, in childhood, not to mention conscious participation in these ungodly deeds, then confess as soon as possible and bring deep repentance.

And let the candles that you light tell the sky only about your godly intentions.