Do you light Votive Candles?

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JamalChristophr

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They are quite beautiful shining their light in the church when everything else is dark. I’ve never lit one myself. Is it correct they represent a prayer continually being offered for the duration the candle burns? What kind of things have you lit a candle for? Any other information is welcome.(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
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I light them frequently for myself, husband and a close friend, also for the souls of our deceased parents and a deceased close friend.

I also light them sometimes just to honor a saint. St. Jude and St. Therese were my parents’ patron saints and St. Anthony helps me find lost items a lot so they each get candles from me frequently. But if i see a saint who doesn’t have many lit candles, sometimes I light one for them because it’s not fair that Therese or Anthony have 25 lit candles and Mother Seton has one.
 
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There is one Marian shrine near me that has all the candles in a separate small fire-proof building so the main building is safe from fire, and there are so many lit candles in the candle building it feels like a hot kitchen with a bunch of ovens on.
 
How does that work about the saints, though? Can you explain? All I see is a bunch of red candles that all look the same. Do you mean putting candles by statues?
 
I do it all the time. I am not sure what the right answer is but I light them for the memory of those who have passed, or are sick, or that I am praying about for any other reason. World events, tragedies. I light them for myself when I am dealing with things, but also when everything is just fine - as thanks, to God (or Mary or a saint). Praise to God. I have always done it. Even when I was not a practicing Catholic or even a Christian. I actually used to light candles and pray in Catholic Churches on occasion as an atheist. 🙂 At the other extreme, I recently lit a candle in prayer for the Catholic Church.
 
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I light a couple for family,special intentions when I visit the church during the week sometimes
 
Yes I light candles and believe it keeps my prayers before God.

I have little candles for special intentions at home too.
 
Yes, I do whenever I’m at the cathedral downtown. They have several stands of candles set up, one in the Adoration Chapel and another by the tomb of St. Vibiana. I always offer prayers for my family and special intentions, and I hope the few dollars helps to support the church too.

My parish church is small and never had votive candles. Another nearby church put in the electric light votive “candles” which is just not the same as lighting fire to a real wax candle 😠.
 
In the churches I go to, the candle racks are often in front of a statue or shrine to Jesus, Mary or a particular Saint, so you choose which one you wish to light the candle in front of, and light a candle in that saint’s rack.

St Patrick’s Cathedral in NYC has at least a dozen or more such racks, all in front of different saint shrines, quite a choice…certain saints are very popular and others not so much.
 
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I’ve lit them for the same type of intentions that I normally have, or if I have any special intentions I’ll light them, too. 🙂

It just depends…

I could be praying for family members, friends, a special intention, and so on, and I’ll light a candle for those intentions. 🙂
 
I have a few people in my life with some serious troubles so I try to find time to light a votive candle for them as soon as I can.
 
I light a votive candle daily at my Church. Usually for the intentions of family & friends.
 
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Hi…yes i light candles at Church and home for my intentions and prayers. At home i use the latino candles that have the pictures and prayers for the intercession of those Saints. Very comforting. I always make the Sign of the Cross before i light it with my prayer…then before i blow it out.
 
In my church all the candles are always lit. I have been attending for over 10 years and have never seen one not lit. Don’t know what that means. But, on special occasions I drive down to a little church a few miles away, pray and light candles.
Since I could not visit my mom’s grave on All Souls Day this year, I lit a candle for her at that church.
 
I do not light candles. I understand the symbolism of the prayer going up as long as the candle is burning, but my way of keeping a prayer going is to bring it back to mind from time to time throughout the day. There are several rack of candles in our church, and they do make those areas pretty.

D
 
I do light a candle at home for a special intention also,on my
mantelpiece beside Our Lady’s picture and statue of Jesus.
Something my mum always does 🙂
Also when we’d pray the rosary as a family.
 
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