The Use of Candles in Worship

By Rev. Rebecca

Jesus Christ is “the light of the world.” A candle lighting the darkness has a way of communicating this truth symbolically much more powerfully than a room filled with fluorescent light bulbs. And like all other aspects of liturgical worship, candles and lamps attended the worship of Israel. There is a natural beauty and power of candle light that communicates joy and illumination in a way no artificial light source can.

There are not many rules on candle requirements for worship in the Anglican/Episcopal Church, however, two for the altar (either on or near it) are always called for, one for the Epistle and one for the Gospel side. If the Reserved Sacrament is present (Communion), a candle (presence lamp) must be lit near it. (It’s often in red glass and burns continuously.) Also, the Paschal Candle (symbolizing the Resurrection and Christ's presence) is required to be lit during the 50 days of the Easter season, at baptisms, and at funerals. In Advent, if a church uses an Advent Wreath, the wreath has 4 or 5 candles to represent each week of Advent. If there is more than one altar, there should be at least 2 candles for each altar but if one of the altars is a High altar, there are often 6-8 candles (from traditions when High Mass is or was celebrated).