Why is the paschal candle important
What is the Paschal Candle? What does it symbolize & its importance? Let's find out w/ Fr. Marinello
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allow me then to explain to you not only
why it symbolizes there is in Christ but
why we have it in due honor and in
reverence during the Easter season
notice that the Paschal candle is the
tallest candle in the whole sanctuary it
is made out of pure beeswax from top to
bottom because beeswax is only produced
by virgin bees beeswax is only produced
by virgin bees therefore the body of
Jesus had to be produced by and
conceived and given form in the Virgin
Mother of God Mary and so that is the
body of this candle the wick that is
burning from top to bottom is a symbol
of the soul of Christ because the wick
is consumed and the more that the past
the candle is burning the more that that
candle that light gets brighter and
brighter
Jesus was consumed and the more he was
consumed the more he got brighter and
brighter to become the light of the
world that's why he even says it I am
the light of the world then you notice
that there are particular images that
are on the Paschal candle the first
image is the Greek letters Alpha and
Omega these are the first green the
first and last letters of the alphabet
in Greek and we know that the first and
last letters of the Greek alphabet are
used by the letter of Saint Paul when he
says Christ is yesterday today and
forever Christ is the same he is the
beginning and the end he is the Alpha
and the Omega God who breathed creation
in the beginning
breathed Adam and Eve formed Adam and
Eve from the from the ground from the
earth is the same God who at the end of
time will bring everything back to
himself he is the beginning and the end
and he is the same throughout
notice that the Paschal candle is
incised
with the cross because the cross is how
we were saved on Good Friday you notice
that we reverenced the cross we kissed
it we adored it
well the cross is what saves us and then
you notice that there are five nails
five nails I'll pull one out of here
there are five nails that are filled
with incense and this is nailed into
this pure beeswax flesh because it's to
symbolize that the body of Christ was
pierced that the body of Christ was
nailed to the cross in his hands on his
feet on his head was crowned a crown of
thorns and his side it was pierced he
was pierced for our offenses and so the
body of the candle is pierced with these
nails but in the nails are incense
grains why because when they were
preparing the body of Christ for burial
they placed perfume and myrrh they
prepared the body of Christ for death
and so the body of the candle is also
prepared with incense with that perfume
and then lastly you notice that on the
four quadrants of the cross there is the
current year 2020
if God is the god of the beginning and
the end the Alpha and the Omega God
Jesus Christ is the god of today 2020
that he is the God of the present and
that we should never take the present
moment for granted because he has so
many graces to give us and that is what
the disciples will experience in these
50 days the disciples eyes were open to
see the working of Jesus in their life
the candle is seen for us so that we can
see that Christ is lighting our way that
Christ is illuminating our path so that
every single day we can be better every
single day we can be kinder a little bit
more respectful a little bit kinder a
little bit more just so that we can
change the world this candle is not only
lit during the Easter season every year
but the candle is lit at baptisms of
every child and adult the candle is lit
on the day of our funeral Mass the
candle accompanies you and I on our own
journey of faith and we're called to
deeper faith who is this risen Jesus for
you and I who is this Jesus for us
he is the savior of the world who came
to suffer and die to save us but he
tells us I hold you in the palm of my
hand you're mine
I will never let go of you that is the
power of Easter Sunday so my dear
friends I invite you during these 50
days as we continue to pray for the
world as we continue to pray for our own
country and our own City and our own
homes and families and friends that we
may continue to see and to believe
