Candlemas candles - beeswax?

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I am planning on attending my local EF (Tridentine) mass for the feast of the Purification/Presentation tomorrow, and the priest has invited the faithful to present their own personal candles for blessing during the rite that evidently precedes the mass.

I am aware that the old rubrics (see New Advent, for example) specify that the candles must be of beeswax for the Candlemas blessing, but I don’t know if that only applies to the candles meant for use during the year in the church (which I am assuming are blessed in the same ceremony) - -i.e. the candles lit during mass - or also for those for just private home use.

So, my question is: do my own candles I bring have to be of beeswax, too, to receive the blessing, or will any kind of ordinary wax candles do? (I was thinking of plain white ones, since it would be difficult - if at all possible - for me to obtain beeswax ones by tomorrow). Maybe I’m a little overly detail-oriented, but I would appreciate any guidance - thanks!
 
As far as I know, yes. Beeswax candles used to be affordable but, as I’m sure you know, they are no longer. I’ve never had a priest question me as to the beeswax content of the candles I have asked him to bless. The only difference is that candles you would purchase in a religious goods store burn better than those you would purchase in a supermarket.
 
Just out of curiosity do you plan on burying those candles once you are finished using them?
 
I usually end up burning them to the point of non-existence… I always endeavor to treat blessed objects with reverence.

Why do you ask?
 
The reason I ask is that the candles I use come in glass and am wondering if you feel the need to bury the glass. In other words, do you consider the glass blessed, too? I have not been asking Father to bless my candles because of the “glass” problem. What do you think?
 
Jane11 said:
The reason I ask is that the candles I use come in glass and am wondering if you feel the need to bury the glass. In other words, do you consider the glass blessed, too? I have not been asking Father to bless my candles because of the “glass” problem. What do you think?
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I have never heard of burying blessed objects. I was taught that if they are no longer to be used, they should be destroyed, but there are some postings about blessings over in the “religious art” thread that discuss the difference between home-use sacramentals and liturgical sacramentals. See post #3: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=420516

There are different classifications of blessing, and I think, maybe, you could consider that the candle itself and not the glass is blessed.
 
I completely understand the concern about the glass. I think it’s a bit of a scrupulous tendency, however - but a good remedy, as you mentioned, is to ask the priest beforehand to have the intention to bless only the candle itself. I am pretty sure all the prayers say “candle,” and since often times candles come without glass, you can safely assume that the glass is not included in the blessing.

Anyway, you could say a little prayer to God before throwing out the remnants (or glass), expressing appreciation for his blessings and expressing your intention to do only that which is reverent toward sacred things. Then I am sure you can safely throw it out. After all, a blessed thing is said by the Church (as far as I have read in many places by sources that have imprimaturs) to no longer be blessed when it loses its integrity/identity as an object - such as if I were to break my rosary into pieces, or when a candle is reduced to just a little pool of wax in the bottom of a glass, etc. and is no longer recognizable as a “candle.”

Hope that helps! And happy Candlemas!
 
littlequestion said:
I have never heard of burying blessed objects. I was taught that if they are no longer to be used, they should be destroyed, but there are some postings about blessings over in the “religious art” thread that discuss the difference between home-use sacramentals and liturgical sacramentals. See post #3: forums.catholic-questions.org/showthread.php?t=420516

There are different classifications of blessing, and I think, maybe, you could consider that the candle itself and not the glass is blessed.
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Sometimes Catholic funeral homes will place discarded blessed objects - threadbare old vestments, badly damaged chalices, etc. into the foot of the coffins of those about to be buried.

It is customary to bury sacred things as a way of disposing of them respectfully. For example, if holy water becomes tainted (green, etc.) it can be reverently poured out into the ground.
 
Jane11 said:
The reason I ask is that the candles I use come in glass and am wondering if you feel the need to bury the glass. In other words, do you consider the glass blessed, too? I have not been asking Father to bless my candles because of the “glass” problem. What do you think?
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If the glass were blessed a few quick blows with a hammer will render it unrecognizable, and hence no longer blessed.
 
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