Will a Candle Be Blessed if It's Made from Recycled Wax?

[kieron123]

Hello Everyone,

I have a bit of a weird question. Lets say I have a group of blessed candles, and they burn and leave their wax behind. Now If I took this wax from these burnt blessed candles and proceeded to melt the wax into a new candle> Is the new candle also blessed, as it was made from the wax of a molten blessed candle?

Please advise, Thanks.

 

[Ladygem]

I’m not a priest, but I was taught that something looses its blessing when it looses any resemblance to what was originally blessed, so melting down the wax might have removed the blessing. Although I prefer the Eastern Rite take on blessed objects, where they become blessed through use in prayer, so the candles would certainly still be ok for that purpose and I don’t think God would hold it against you if you prayed with an blessed candle. On the other hand Agnus Dei relics are made from blessed candle wax, so it could be that wax is a special case and the candle would still be blessed.

 

[POJIUJH]

It’s still usable, I would say so. If you were disposing of the wax it would be presumed to be blessed.

Can’t hurt having it blessed again anyway though, if you wanted to be sure

 

[kieron123]

Thanks for the replies. I guess Ill just use it as a regular candle then, or get it blessed again if I need a blessed candle.

 

[POJIUJH]

Thanks for the replies. I guess Ill just use it as a regular candle then, or get it blessed again if I need a blessed candle.

I would assume it to be a blessed candle, though. It’s true that things can lose their blessing by severe damage or dilution, but not as far as just losing it’s appearance. For instance, blessed Rosarys, statues and the like all need to be burned and/or buried if disposed of no matter how damaged they are. The candle might only lose it’s blessing if it were to stop resembling wax as opposed to a candle. Best to play it safe!

 

[kieron123]

I would assume it to be a blessed candle, though. It’s true that things can lose their blessing by severe damage or dilution, but not as far as just losing it’s appearance. For instance, blessed Rosarys, statues and the like all need to be burned and/or buried if disposed of no matter how damaged they are. The candle might only lose it’s blessing if it were to stop resembling wax as opposed to a candle. Best to play it safe!

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind.

 

[porthos11]

I would assume it to be a blessed candle, though. It’s true that things can lose their blessing by severe damage or dilution, but not as far as just losing it’s appearance. For instance, blessed Rosarys, statues and the like all need to be burned and/or buried if disposed of no matter how damaged they are. The candle might only lose it’s blessing if it were to stop resembling wax as opposed to a candle. Best to play it safe!

I probably wouldn’t since technically, it’s a new candle and therefore needs to be blessed (not again, but for the first time). My gut tells me the blessings applied to the candle (as an object), not the material (the wax).

 

[billcu1]

I would assume it to be a blessed candle, though. It’s true that things can lose their blessing by severe damage or dilution, but not as far as just losing it’s appearance. For instance, blessed Rosarys, statues and the like all need to be burned and/or buried if disposed of no matter how damaged they are. The candle might only lose it’s blessing if it were to stop resembling wax as opposed to a candle. Best to play it safe!

I did not know that. It would seem like the earth might dilute the blessing. How long would a disposed of rosary need to be buried? For good?

Bill

 

[Cristiano]

A blessing is given to an object, an object is defined by its substance and its accidents, when the substance is not there then the object is no more. There is a major difference in substance between a candle and melted wax.

 

[POJIUJH]

I did not know that. It would seem like the earth might dilute the blessing. How long would a disposed of rosary need to be buried? For good?

Bill

Yep, for good. You can’t ever throw blessed objects in the bin, they need to be either buried, burned and buried (as ash) or respectfully broken up into smaller pieces and buried.

It might be just safest to assume that it’s blessed. After all, you will still be doing good out of reverence by treating it as though it’s holy, even if it isn’t. But the other way around isn’t always the same.