Liturgy Lesson for the Twentieth Sunday after Trinity: Lights

November 6, 2011

I once talked with someone who told me they thought most of the tools we use in worship were inventions of men and not reflected in Scripture! Actually, with 21 centuries to research and grow our worship tradition, there is ample Holy Writ to underpin nearly every furnishing, vestment, ceremonial action, and liturgy we use. For example, the candles—sometimes called lights—we use in every liturgical service symbolize the Divine Presence and the Gospel’s spiritual enlightenment. The two groups of candles on the Holy Table during Communion signify the two natures of Christ—human and Divine. His words “I am the Light of the World” (ref St. John 8:12; St. Matt 4:16; St. Luke 2:32) also amplify why we use candles to honor His ministry—and ours. They were first used by early Christians for illumination, as they were forced to meet secretly under cover of darkness to elude persecution. We retain them, even in our electrified age, to remind us of those days, making our parishes bright and beautiful and driving away darkness—just as the Gospel does in our lives. There is other authority for their use, of course, found in Ex 25:31, 40:25; Levit 24:2 and II Chron 13:11. In addition to the assurance of Scriptural basis for their use, as we light the candles for our service, we can consider praying this devotion to the Lord: may God the Holy Ghost make the fire of the Gospel burn brightly front and center in our lives, as it does on the altar during worship.