Candles Question

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mwcob

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I taught Liturgics in the Anglican Church for years before we converted. (I did not come over as a priest.)

We taught that two candles were required on the altar because (a) this was a recognition of the Shabbat/Sabbath lights from our Jewish roots, and accordingly they represent (b) the Old and New Testaments and (c) the dual nature of Christ.

However our parish has 6 enormous “pavement” candles - 3 on each side of the high altar. I was curious what official teaching was on the symbolism? Days in creation?

My son is going to become an altarboy in May and I want to make sure he understands the detail of what he’s supporting.
 
mwcob said:
I taught Liturgics in the Anglican Church for years before we converted. (I did not come over as a priest.)

We taught that two candles were required on the altar because (a) this was a recognition of the Shabbat/Sabbath lights from our Jewish roots, and accordingly they represent (b) the Old and New Testaments and (c) the dual nature of Christ.

However our parish has 6 enormous “pavement” candles - 3 on each side of the high altar. I was curious what official teaching was on the symbolism? Days in creation?

My son is going to become an altarboy in May and I want to make sure he understands the detail of what he’s supporting.
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I have never read or don’t recall any symbolism in the number of candles?? Only recall that the GIRM specifies that at least two must be there during Mass. A certain number for a Mass celebrated by a Bishop/Cardinal. A certain number for exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
 
Here is a detailed explanation of the uses of altar candles for specific Masses and the basic background information on them.

I’m not sure if it is what you’re looking for, or whether it’s overkill, but here goes…

newadvent.org/cathen/01347a.htm
 
The GIRM states that there must be at least two candles on or near the altar during Mass. However, it also states that there must be six candles on or near the altar on Sundays and Holy Days and seven when a Bishop is presiding.

Interestingly, at Masses where Pope Benedict is celebrating you can see the seventh candle placed on the other side of the altar crucifix from where the celebrant stands.

I have always wondered how this part of the GIRM goes so often unnoticed by parishes who own plenty of candles and candle stands/sticks yet only place two candles near the altar on Sundays.
 
mwscott said:
The GIRM states that there must be at least two candles on or near the altar during Mass. However, it also states that there must be six candles on or near the altar on Sundays and Holy Days and seven when a Bishop is presiding. …
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I do not think it requires six candles for Sundays, it is more like a suggestion “even four or six”.

From the 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) approved for the USA, which can be accessed from romanrite.com/girm.html :
“117. The altar is to be covered with at least one white cloth. In addition, on or next to the altar are to be placed candlesticks with lighted candles: at least two in any celebration, or even four or six, especially for a Sunday Mass or a holy day of obligation. If the Diocesan Bishop celebrates, then seven candles should be used. …”.

This is the only place where the word “six” appears in the GIRM.
 
So, when the Holy Father celebrates Mass at St. Peter’s, the 7th candle is there because he is the Diocesan Bishop, not because he is the Pope of Rome. What about when he celebrates Mass outside the Diocese of Rome?
 
MusicMan said:
So, when the Holy Father celebrates Mass at St. Peter’s, the 7th candle is there because he is the Diocesan Bishop, not because he is the Pope of Rome. What about when he celebrates Mass outside the Diocese of Rome?
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Still 7 candles, because as universal shepherd, he’s never outside his territory.
 
Before Vatican II, there were 2 candles for a Low Mass and 6 candles for a High or Sung mass in the Roman rite.

Before Trent, any number of candles might be used, depending on local cusom, degree of solemnity, funds available, and taste of the altar guild. (At least, according to Dix.)

Cranmer ordered in the Second Book of Common Prayer that only two candlesticks were to be on the Altar. This has generally been Anglican use since. (Other candles, if any, would be placed on gradines behind the Altar.)

To some people candles beside the altar look better than candles on the altar, especially a more cubical altar, or if the priest faces west.

There is also an old custom (especially followed in the East) where NOTHING (except the altar cloths) are placed on the Altar except the Gospel Book and what is actually needed for the Eucharistic Sacrifice. This means that candles go BESIDE or BEHIND the altar, not on it.

But does it really matter?
 
It matters because in my 20 years of Youth Ministry, I have always focused on teaching kids WHY they do things. The Presbyterians, for whatever errors they make, got one thing right in the old Westminster Catechism: What is the chief end of Man? To Glorify God and enjoy Him forever.

If we have 6 candles - how do those 6 candles glorify God? How do they help us enjoy God forever?

When we teach that history and legacy to the kids, and they begin to understand that these are deep traditions that are biblically rooted and help reveal to human eyes the mystery and divinity of God. That does far more to contribute to their appreciation, enjoyment and respect of worship than any threats/reward system I can put into place as a parent or lay minister.

I want my children, and any I work with, to be truly steeped and invested in the traditions of the Church. I think a lot of Protestants left tradition behind because they forgot the meaning…

Whether legend or tradition - kids really eat up symbolism when they can understand it. Maybe it’s candles around the altar, the 12 Days of Christmas, the stripes on candy canes, etc. Before I converted (and when I should have known my Protestant days were numbered) I showed a bunch of non-denominational kids actual burning frankincense and they were HOOKED. It brings worship and scripture and tradition alive for them in a way that a classroom lecture can’t.

They may respect worship, but do they LOVE it? Teaching this kind of information to them helps them become personally invested in their faith and worship. I agree it’s not the end-all/be-all of their worship, but it is very powerful nonetheless.

Pax,

Todd
 
mwcob said:
I taught Liturgics in the Anglican Church for years before we converted. (I did not come over as a priest.)

We taught that two candles were required on the altar because (a) this was a recognition of the Shabbat/Sabbath lights from our Jewish roots, and accordingly they represent (b) the Old and New Testaments and (c) the dual nature of Christ.

However our parish has 6 enormous “pavement” candles - 3 on each side of the high altar. I was curious what official teaching was on the symbolism? Days in creation?

My son is going to become an altarboy in May and I want to make sure he understands the detail of what he’s supporting.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don’t have time to link to it now, but if you go to the Internet Archive, and search for Liturgia Historica by Edmund Bishop, there is a paper on the use of 6 candles. It doesn’t provide much in the way of symbolism, but considers suggestions of how the number 6 came about. Fr. Gihr, in the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” (also available at the Internet Archive) provides a summary of some meanings. IIRC, 3 on one side represent the Magi and 3 on the other represent the Jews.

Off hand, another book really high on symbolism and symbolic meaning of everything right down to wicks and lighters is Durandus’ Rationale - you can find a translation on GoogleBooks - I think it’s called “The symbolism of churches and their ornaments” or something like that. If memory serves correctly though, at that stage (13th century), it was still not very common to have more than 2 candles.

Remember that, per se, the allegory was supplied after the fact, not vice versa. So really you could make the candles represent anything with the number 6, or its factors and their products. So for example, it could be that 3 represent Faith, Hope and Charity which are kept burning alive in the heart, and there are 3 on both sides to indicate that it shines on all people, men and women, or Jew and Gentile, etc.
 
mwcob said:
I taught Liturgics in the Anglican Church for years before we converted. (I did not come over as a priest.)

We taught that two candles were required on the altar because (a) this was a recognition of the Shabbat/Sabbath lights from our Jewish roots, and accordingly they represent (b) the Old and New Testaments and (c) the dual nature of Christ.

However our parish has 6 enormous “pavement” candles - 3 on each side of the high altar. I was curious what official teaching was on the symbolism? Days in creation?

My son is going to become an altarboy in May and I want to make sure he understands the detail of what he’s supporting.
Click to expand...
Sorry, I don’t have time to link to it now, but if you go to the Internet Archive, and search for Liturgia Historica by Edmund Bishop, there is a paper on the use of 6 candles. It doesn’t provide much in the way of symbolism, but considers suggestions of how the number 6 came about. Fr. Gihr, in the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” (also available at the Internet Archive) provides a summary of some meanings. IIRC, 3 on one side represent the Magi and 3 on the other represent the Jews.

Off hand, another book really high on symbolism and symbolic meaning of everything right down to wicks and lighters is Durandus’ Rationale - you can find a translation on GoogleBooks - I think it’s called “The symbolism of churches and their ornaments” or something like that. If memory serves correctly though, at that stage (13th century), it was still not very common to have more than 2 candles.

Remember that, per se, the allegory was supplied after the fact, not vice versa. So really you could make the candles represent anything with the number 6, or its factors and their products. So for example, it could be that 3 represent Faith, Hope and Charity which are kept burning alive in the heart, and there are 3 on both sides to indicate that it shines on all people, men and women, or Jew and Gentile, etc.
 
\If we have 6 candles - how do those 6 candles glorify God? How do they help us enjoy God forever? \

**The general idea is the more solemn or festive the Liturgy, the more candles you light.

This applies even to simple human social activities. When are you more likely to light candles at a meal: over soup and sandwiches at the breakfast nook, or at a Thanksgiving banquet.

Dix also had some trenchant remarks about sacristy orthodoxies and tests of theological allegiance based on the number of candles and such things that never meant anything special at the times they were adopted.**
 
It is my understanding that it is two sets of three - with all the meanings that the number 3 has in the Catholic Faith. I’ve also seen references to six as the “perfect” number because it is only divisible by three numbers 1, 2 and 3. The sum of which is six. But I must admit I’m not certain what weight sacred numerology has in our faith.
 
I’m surprised nobody has mentioned the seven-branched light thingies in the Temple which were supposed to look like almond trees.

Re: extra candles that are around the altar but not actually Mass candles

You still see this in many Latin Rite churches. Spain, for instance. On big feastdays, they love to go wild with the candles in cathedrals. Hundreds of candles. A wall of candles. I’m not kidding.
 
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