Church candles are one of the more important things that are used in church ceremonies and the Church religion. They are usually taken to represent many things about the Christian faith. For example, the Catholics hold the candle as representative of the body of Jesus Christ.
In Christian baptisms, it remains a belief that candles represent the child or person being baptized as receiving the light of the Lord.
In wedding ceremonies, the mother’s of the couple lights up two candles that are taken to symbolize their union. These are some of the main roles that candles do during worship and ceremonies.
The use of candles as a way for lighting the path of darkness has been imbedded in the Christian viewpoint as significant in an unbeliever’s transition into finding the Lord.
Moreover, the candles are not only taken to symbolize the light of the Lord, but it also symbolizes the Lord’s love.
Using Church candles crosses all kinds of denominations. Each denomination usually has a requirement on the kind of candle used or allowed within its walls.
For example, Roman Catholic Church candles have to be strictly made of beeswax, at least 51% of it. If you go to an Orthodox Church, however, the candles should be made of 100% pure beeswax.
Beeswax is a pricey ingredient. Because of this, the stubs of these beeswax candles are usually recycled and made into new candles. On the other hand, some denominations only require that candles be organic.
One ideal church candle used by other sects would be the vegetable wax candles. They are very efficient since these candles burn cleanly, have long burning hours plus they are relatively inexpensive.
Using church candles haslong been a tradition for thousands of years. These same candles that are used in various activities and ceremonies today were also once used to celebrate equally important traditions in the past.
Let’s take a look at a brief history of how these same candles evolved and were used during ancient times.
Originally, Egyptians were the ones who used candles to carry out exorcisms, look for treasures and other rituals. Thus, using church candles were not exactly something that the Roman Catholic Church was keen about.
The church was hesitant since it was a primary tool in pagan religions. However, the 4th century arrived and it slowly integrated the use of candles in Christian rituals.
By this time, it was admitted to the church, however, despite of this, they were still prohibited from being used in the altar since it also had strong associations with witchcraft.
Only during the Middle Ages when the church decided that they would consecrate and bless the candles so that it can be used in the altar. The candles were then also used for blessings and absolving sins as well as driving out demons.
The candles usage has certainly treaded a long path. People have used these candles in so many ways for a very long time that its meaning has become amalgamated into our lives and special events that we celebrate. In addition, the church candles of today serve a great function in our faith and will continue to do so as long as we allow it to be.
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For the ordinary layman hearing about communion cups, the first thing that comes to mind is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Popular culture has depicted some of the most significant religious artifacts in a very unorthodox manner, but the good thing is that it helps ordinary people to get acquainted with these religious items.
In Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the main character was hunting for the Holy Grail or the ultimate communion cup that Jesus Christ had used in ancient times.
In most literary works, you will find that the Holy Grail came to be portrayed as the cup that Christ had used; this also stood for the plate and dish that was used in the Last Supper he had with his disciples.
However, over the centuries, the Holy Grail came to stand for the cup that Jesus used and what we now call the communion cup.
Of course, even if people are familiar with it, the usage of communion cups varies all over the world. Most cups are also created using different materials depending on the country and people that are using it.
Today, we have come a long way from the glass communion cups that were used before during communion masses. Some small congregations still use glass cups, but it’s a very time consuming process to have to wash each cup after service. Hence, most churches, especially big ones, go for plastic communion cups instead.
Today, most churches hardly use glass cups. Big churches of today now prefer to use plastic communion cups.
Communion cups have had a long history. From the Holy Grail to the silver chalices used by the Egyptians and Sumerians to the plastic communion cups we use today. They are all significant for the people that use them in their practice.
In the end, one important purpose for the communion cups that we use is to represent the blood that Christ shed on our behalf. Thus, no matter what they are made of, they are an integral part of the Christian faith.
Even if the Bible does not offer the cup during the Last Supper dinner or make any significance about it, believers still uphold it as a sacred item. Pilgrims in Jerusalem believed that another significant cup was still venerated in the Church of the Holy Sepulcher.
The chalice or a symbolized form for the Holy Grail is definitely a major part of the church. In fact, for some churches, they are often blessed before they are used.
Even though the cup in the Last Supper was hardly mentioned, people still gave it plenty of significance and uphold it as a sacred item. Another cup was also revered by Pilgrims in Jerusalem which was supposedly stored in the Holy Sepulcher.
It is thought to contain the sponge that Christ had used during Calvary. This is different from the tradition and actual belief surrounding the cup from the last supper.
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