There are no strict rules in the church determining which icons to place candles on.

Why and what kind of candles should be placed in front of icons?

A candle is an essential attribute of serving God. This church tradition symbolizes the offering to the Lord and his temple, the love and reverence of the one asking. There are no strict rules about which candles to place in front of the icon and in what quantity - their acquisition is voluntary. For God, the size and price of such a sacrifice are not important; only purity of intentions, faith, hope and an open heart matter. Buying the most expensive candle that was sold in a church shop is in vain if it is placed with empty thoughts.

It is important to understand that a candle is not only a symbol of prayer, but also a sacrifice to a holy place, at the expense of which people exist. Orthodox churches. It must meet church standards and have a certain color and smell. Therefore, it is better to purchase it immediately in the temple.

To which icon do they put a candle for health?

For funeral candles, intended to honor the memory of a deceased person, there is a special table in the church. In gratitude or with a request for help (for health), candles are placed near icons. You can choose any one, it is much more important what thoughts the candle is placed with. In this case, you must definitely read a prayer, even a simple one or even formulated in your own words.

Candles can be placed near the icons of Jesus Christ and the Mother of God in any situation - in case of illness, trouble or, conversely, joyful events, as a sign of gratitude.

It is customary to pray for the well-being of the family to the holy martyrs Aviv, Samon, and Guria. For a person addicted to alcohol or drugs, you can light a candle in front of the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon of the Mother of God. Before the operation, you should contact the healer Panteleimon.

You cannot pray for the remission of your sins in front of an icon; this can only be done in confession. For prosperity in business, it is not enough to light candles - it is important to build your life according to the commandments and observe the instructions of the Gospel.

Instructions

Come to the temple dressed modestly: women - with covered shoulders, chest, legs, covered heads and preferably without makeup, men - in trousers and a shirt, without a headdress.

To light a candle for health, you must come to church before the start of the service or after it ends: during the service you cannot walk around the temple or pass candles through other parishioners. If you do not have time to stand at the service, choose hours during which liturgies are not held.

According to established tradition, candles are placed in this order: first for the Feast or a revered temple icon, which is located directly opposite the entrance to the altar, for the relics of the Saint, if they are in the temple, for the icon of the Saint whose name you bear, and then for health. You can choose any of the candlesticks, with the exception of the one on which candles for repose are placed - a rectangular funeral table with a crucifix.

Candles for health are lit to the Savior, Mother of God, the healer Panteleimon and those Saints who, by the will of God, heal diseases and help in different situations. For example, infertile couples can light a candle for health to the Righteous Godfathers Joachim and Anna - parents Holy Mother of God, and pregnant women - to the Feodorovskaya Icon of the Mother of God. With any ailments, people turn to Matrona of Moscow, Seraphim of Sarov and other revered Saints.

Buy a few candles from the temple or its church shop. Their cost may be different, but it does not matter: both a cheap and an expensive candle are equally pleasing to God if they are placed with sincere prayer.

Approach the icon of the Savior, the Mother of God or the Saint, cross yourself twice, bow, light and place a candle, then cross yourself again, bow and venerate the image. Before the icon of the Savior, read the prayer “Our Father”, and before the Saint you have chosen, mentally say: “Holy Servant of God (name), pray to God for me, a sinner (or the name of the one for whom you are asking).”

If all the places on the candlestick are occupied, simply place your candle on it or in the box next to it: ministers churches They will put it up themselves when others burn out.

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Sources:

• how to light candles in a temple

The candlesticks symbolize spiritual height, and the lighting of the entire temple is Divine light. A burning candle speaks of purification, and a “melting” candle under the flame candles wax characterizes a person’s pliability to faith. The fire of the lamps burning in symbolizes love for God and neighbor.

Instructions

If you want to put candles V temple, try to arrive early, before the start of the service. It is not recommended to light a candle during the service, because you distract not only the clergy, but also the rest of the believers. Try not to bother them with requests to light a candle in your place, especially if you don’t have to squeeze through other people to get to the icon yourself. It is better to wait until the end of the service at temple and only after that light the candle.

If there are obstacles to ignition candles no, go to the shrine, cross yourself twice with prayer and bow. After this, light the candle from the flame of another candles. To secure your candle in an empty space in the candlestick, lightly scorch the bottom of it over another burning candle. Do not remove or simmer candles who lit before you. If there is no free space in the candlestick, leave your candle unlit next to it. In every temple monitor the condition of the lamps and candlesticks, which means your candle will also take free place. After you have placed the candle, cross yourself again (for the third time) and make a bow from the waist. If there is free space at the shrine and you are not disturbing anyone, venerate yourself.

Candles for health can be placed at any shrine. The main thing is to think about what exactly you wish for this person: recovery, a happy journey, happiness in motherhood, success in education, etc. For example, if the person for whom you are praying is preparing to enter a university or does not know what profession to choose, it would be more appropriate to light a candle to Sergius of Radonezh; if a person is sick - to the healer Panteleimon. Remember that a lit candle is a symbol of love for God and at the same time for the one to whom it is placed. Don't light it candles thoughtlessly, because “that’s the way it is,” because a candle without love and favor has no meaning.

Related article

We are so accustomed to the phrase “a family is a unit of society” that this “unit” has gradually degenerated into a civil marriage and a “legal” family into modern life has a “contractual” basis. But once upon a time...

Until the 9th century, the wedding ceremony consisted of participation in the Eucharist (communion) at the Liturgy. According to the ritual, the Christian couple took part in the Eucharist, and the seal was the communion of the Holy Mysteries. Starting from the 4th century, a solemn rite accompanying this sacrament came into use -. Matching the ritual is the prayer during the Liturgy: “O Master... send down to them... a combination of minds; make their marriage honest; crown their flesh together; keep their bed undefiled; ...so that theirs is impeccable.”

In the ritual traditions of the Church, the Eucharist was the “true seal” of marriage, which is done once and cannot be canceled, remember - “What God has joined together, let no man separate,” i.e. church marriage was considered inextricable. In 912, according to a new law of Emperor Leo VI, the Church was obliged to give marriages legal status.

200 years earlier, in 691, the Ecumenical Council of Constantinople, convened by Emperor Justinian VI, based on the provisions of the Gospel of Matthew, decided that it was possible to get married, and “the reason permissible for divorce” could be adultery, “obvious demonic possession or insanity,” one from spouses. In such cases, it was prescribed that “the marriage should not be considered firm, and illegal cohabitation should be dissolved,” since this is interpreted by the church as the destruction of the marriage by one of the spouses, which gives the right to consider the issue of dissolution. Formally, this is not a divorce, but a statement of the absence of marriage. This ideology of divorce - debunking - has survived to this day.

In order to get debunked, you must:

• submit documents to the Diocese where the wedding took place: passport, wedding certificate, petition, divorce certificate.


• priests from a special commission will interview both parties, listen to arguments for divorce and within 10 days, no later, make a decision.

Motivations for debunking – adultery, incapacity, death of one of the spouses.

Despite our earthly passions for debunking, the Orthodox say that once a wedding has been created, eternal life also remains - there is no divorce in heaven...

Video on the topic

The light of the candle in the temple represents the image of the light of the Divine. The candle carries a reflection of Jesus Christ as the Light that illuminates the path of any true believer. When a person first comes to church and begins to get acquainted with church institutions, he often has a question - how to light a candle in health?

Instructions

Before you put the candle in health, ask yourself the question: “What do I wish for the person for whom I want to offer a prayer?” The answer to this question will help you choose the right icon to which to place a candle. health.

Do not hesitate to contact the people who serve in the temple with clarifications. Usually they cordially respond to requests from inexperienced parishioners and will help answer any question. They will also explain to you which ones are in the temple, which saints and which prayer should be addressed in your particular case.

Everyone knows that candles are supposed to be lit in church, but not everyone knows how to do it correctly. Why is this necessary at all and how should you actually handle candles?

Symbolism

The burning candle symbolizes the divine light that Jesus brought into the world. One of the first commands to the prophet Moses from God was to build a lamp with seven lamps. With its radiance, the candle disperses the darkness in souls, and the melting wax is a symbol of repentance and obedience of believers before the face of the Lord. By lighting a candle, we express our love for God and make a sacrifice to Him. The flame of a candle always points upward, so a person should always turn to God with his thoughts and feelings.

How to place candles correctly?

There are no specific rules about which icons and how many candles should be placed. Candles in the church are placed according to for various reasons: for example, for health and peace. For repose, candles should be placed on a special funeral table ik - eve. You can light candles when making a request to any saint, in gratitude for what you have received from Higher powers help on the eve of an important task or trip. Candles are often lit for patron saints.

Depending on your need, you can turn to one or another icon, which serves as an assistant specifically for your problem. When lighting a candle, you must at least say a prayer to yourself - even the simplest one, in your own words.

What not to do

It is advisable not to bring candles to church that were purchased in another temple: it is believed that the candle for which you pay money should be a small donation to this particular temple.

Candles should be lit before starting church service. If you are late for the service, you must do so at the end of the service. You need to light a candle from another burning one. It is better not to light it from a lamp, as you can accidentally extinguish the latter. If there are no free cells, then it is better to put the candle on a candlestick. It is not allowed to put two candles in one cell or to remove someone else’s candle to put your own.

It is customary to stand with lit candles only at funeral services and during some special types of services. In all other cases they must be placed on a candlestick. If you are holding a burning candle in your hands, handle it carefully: make sure that the wax does not drip onto the floor and that the clothing of the person standing in front does not accidentally ignite.

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to light candles for the unbaptized. This is completely acceptable, as is praying for these people, but you cannot submit notes about them in church.

Is it possible to take away church candles home? This question cannot be answered unambiguously. Sometimes blessed candles you need to light it in the house, for example, if you need to clean your home or someone is sick at home. You can take with you the candles left after the blessing of Easter cakes and eggs. They should be lit on holiday and during home prayer. But you can also place them in the temple in front of any icon.

How to light candles
and pray « About health»

A candle lit in front of the images is our meager sacrifice to God. Today, when churches are illuminated by electricity, the lighting of candles under the images has fully acquired its main purpose - prayerful burning before God, the Virgin Mary, and the saints of God.

In the temple, it is customary to place candles for health in any candlesticks (usually they are like in the picture, but on a high leg, except for those that stand on the eve table and are intended for candles that are placed for repose (see material below). But there are churches , in which there are no eve tables and candles for health and repose are placed in any candlestick, because the main thing is prayer:

Save, Lord, and have mercy on my spiritual father (name), my parents (names), relatives and benefactors and all Orthodox Christians.

In this prayer we do not mention our name, but: “pray for others and you will be rewarded” - this is how we can briefly characterize the statements and instructions of the holy fathers of the Church of all times. The same applies to our ill-wishers and enemies: “Pray for those who use you and persecute you,” said Jesus Christ (Matthew 5.44).

Don't forget to pray to your patron saint:

Pray to God for me, Saint (saint's name), as I diligently resort to you, a quick helper and a prayer book for my soul. Guardian Angel: Angel of God, my holy guardian, given to me from God from heaven for my protection, I diligently pray to you: enlighten me today, and save me from all evil, guide me to good deeds and direct me on the path of salvation. Amen.

There are quite a lot of prayers for health, and they are in any Orthodox “Prayer Book”. Just buy the “Prayer Book”, “Bible”, “Gospel” and in general - spiritual literature and icons in Orthodox churches. Today there is a lot of “samizdat”, which contains not only distortions, but also cuts, i.e. Entire phrases are missing even in the texts of prayers.

How to light candles
and pray « About repose»

To commemorate the dead, eve tables are set up in churches. Such a table can be easily recognized by the rectangular candlestick on which the Crucifix is ​​installed (in the picture). If you have brought any food so that the church ministers can pray with you to remember your family and friends, put it in the baskets that stand right here on the table, and then go to the candlestick.

Decide in advance how many candles you will put. It's difficult to advise anything here. You can light one candle for everyone you remember, or you can light it for each one separately.

Before lighting a candle, cross yourself and bow. Light your candle on a burning one, melt the bottom and place it in the socket of the candlestick. She should stand straight without falling. If it doesn't work the first time, melt the bottom again and put it in the nest again...

To renounce earthly things, look at the flickering light for a while, calm down, forget about the worldly and read the prayer mentally or in a whisper. If you don’t remember by heart, then do it on a piece of paper.

Rest, O Lord, the souls of Your servant (names) and all my deceased relatives and benefactors, and forgive them all their sins, voluntary and involuntary, and grant them the Kingdom of Heaven.

After reading the prayer, stay close to those for whom you prayed. Remember their faces, their speech... Don’t be shy about tears if you cry. Before you slowly move away, enlighten yourself sign of the cross with a bow.

It may happen like this: the candle you just lit was extinguished for some reason. church minister. Do not be indignant not only in word, but also in spirit. Your sacrifice has already been accepted by the All-Seeing and All-Knowing Lord.

When there is a Divine service, and because of the crowd of people you cannot get through, then there is no need to push your way to the eve table. You will disturb those praying. Hand over the candles and food, saying that they put it “for the dead.”

It happens, especially on weekends and holidays, that all the slots in candlesticks are occupied. In this case, put your candles in a special box (drawer). Candles sacrificed will definitely be burned. The attendant monitors this. But, after placing or passing the candles, do not forget to pray. The main thing is prayer. Read from the heart, it will reach the Lord and be properly accepted by Him.

THE CUSTOM OF PLACED A CANDLE IN FRONT OF AN ICON IS VERY ANCIENT. EVERYONE KNOWS THAT THIS SHOULD BE DONE, BUT NOT EVERYONE KNOWS ABOUT THE REASONS FOR WHICH THIS RITE IS PERFORMED. ONE OF THE FIRST DIVINE COMMANDMENTS FROM THE LORD TO MOSES WAS TO BUILD A LAMP WITH SEVEN LAMPS. AND AFTER THIS, SERVICES WERE OFTEN HELD BY CANDLE LIGHT. BUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS IS MUCH MORE DEEP THAN JUST LIGHTING THE PLACE WHERE THE SERVICES WERE HELD, ALTHOUGH DURING THE PERIOD OF PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIANS, WHEN THEY HAD TO CONDUCT THEIR MEETINGS SECRETLY, THE CANDLE LIGHT REALLY BECAME A GUIDING LIGHT.

This ritual of lighting a candle has many meanings. The light from it is the divine light that Jesus brought into the world. The life of people in sin and ignorance is darkness, which the Savior will dispel. Likewise, a candle with its radiance drives away the darkness around.

Pure wax, from which candles are made, is a symbol of the fact that a person repents of his sins and is ready for obedience before the face of God.
Speaking about how to place candles correctly, it is worth starting with the fact that this should not be done automatically, but with awareness and with a feeling of love in the heart for the one to whom the candle is placed. When you buy a candle in a temple, it becomes your voluntary offering, a symbol of your faith and love.
Candles are lit for health and peace. “For the repose” are usually placed in the church on a special memorial table - eve, to honor good memory a person who has passed on to another world.
Candles “for health” are lit for various reasons: in gratitude for something, to help with a difficult decision, before a serious trip, a risky undertaking, and so on.
The question often arises: which icons and which saints should we light candles for? Of course, the main thing is the emotions and thoughts with which the candle is lit. With kind thoughts and love in your heart, you can light a candle for a person to an icon of the Savior or the Virgin Mary. Your good wishes will be heard.
If you don’t just want to light a candle for a person, but express special wishes, you need to decide which saints to light the candles for.
So, for example, if you are worried about a loved one suffering from a disease, pray in front of the icon of the Mother of God “Healer”, with which you can light a candle.
If a person has taken the path of alcoholism, then a candle can be placed on the “Inexhaustible Chalice” icon. Knowing what miraculous properties are endowed with certain holy images, you will know which icons to light candles in order to protect, preserve and help your loved ones in Hard time and in difficult life decisions.
They often light candles for their patron saints. If you have in your house personalized icons, you can light a candle and pray to your guardian angel.

WHAT DO CHURCH CANDLES MEAN? WHY ARE THEM PLACED IN THE TEMPLE? - A candle is a symbol of prayerful burning before the Lord, His Most Pure Mother, before the holy saints of God. A candle is a sign of voluntary sacrifice to God and His temple and a symbol of a person’s involvement in the divine light.
A burning candle is a visible sign that expresses ardent love and goodwill towards the one to whom the candle is placed. And if there is no this love and favor, then the candles have no meaning, the sacrifice is in vain. Therefore, you cannot light a candle formally, with a cold heart. External action must be accompanied by prayer - at least the simplest one, in your own words.

WHAT DOES THE CANDLE PUT IN FRONT OF THE ICON SYMBOLIZE? - The fire of a candle symbolizes eternity, a prayerful appeal to God, to the Mother of God, to the saints. The fire always rushes upward, no matter how the candle is tilted, so a person, in any life circumstances, must turn all his thoughts and feelings to God.

WHEN SHOULD YOU LIT CANDLES? - Those who come to the temple must light candles before the service begins. It is not good to disturb the decorum of a church by passing candles during a service or by squeezing your way to a candlestick, distracting those praying. Those who are late for the service should light candles after it ends.

HOW TO PLACE A CANDLE CORRECTLY? - The candles are lit one from the other, burning, and placed in the nest of the candlestick. The candle should stand straight. You should not use matches or lighters in the temple if there are already burning candles in the candlesticks. You should not light a candle from a lamp, so as not to drip wax into the oil or accidentally extinguish the lamp.

WHO SHOULD LIT AND HOW MANY CANDLES? - There are no mandatory rules on where and how many candles to put. Their purchase is a voluntary sacrifice to God. First of all, it is good to light a candle to the “holiday” (central analogue) or to a revered temple icon, then to the relics of a saint (if they are available in the church), and only then - about health (to any icon) or about repose (on the eve - square or rectangular table with a Crucifix).

IS IT POSSIBLE TO PLACE A CANDLE ON A CANDLESTICK IF THERE IS NO WHERE TO PLACE IT? - That's how it should be done. Those who put two candles in one cell or remove someone else's candle to put their own do it wrong.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO HOLD A BURNING CANDLE IN YOUR HAND AND STAND WITH IT? - It is customary to stand with lit candles at a memorial service during the service of Great Heel Matins. Candles are also lit on polyeleos, but this tradition is mainly preserved only for clergy. A burning candle must be handled carefully: make sure that the wax does not drip onto the floor, and that the clothes of the person standing in front do not accidentally ignite. The rest of the time, it is more correct to place the candle on a candlestick that is specially designed for this purpose. In the temple one must observe established order, and not do as you want.

TO WHOM SHOULD I LIT A CANDLE FOR REMOVAL OF SINS? WHAT TO READ ABOUT REMOVAL OF SINS? - Sins are forgiven only at Confession after a sincere, detailed confession of all of them in the presence of a priest and the reading of a prayer of absolution to him. A candle is a symbol; in itself it does not free one from sins and does not connect one with God.

WHICH SAINT IS BETTER TO LIGHT A CANDLE IN THE EVENT OF FAMILY DISORDER, WHEN THE HUSBAND WANTS TO LEAVE THE FAMILY? - ABOUT family well-being They pray to the Mother of God, Saints Guria, Samon and Aviv, and Saint Blessed Xenia of Petersburg. It is also useful to remember and realize your guilt towards your husband, ask for forgiveness, and try to reconcile.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIGHT A CANDLE FOR AN UNBAPTIZED NEWBORN CHILD WHO IS SICK? - You can pray for the unbaptized with your personal prayer and light candles for them, you just cannot write their names in church notes, since the Church does not pray for the unbaptized. A sick child should be baptized as soon as possible. If the child is seriously ill, you can call the priest home or to the maternity hospital. In the Sacrament of Baptism, the child will receive a special grace that will help him. If a child dies unbaptized, the parents will bear the sin. And a baptized child can be given communion, order magpies, prayers for health - this is first aid in illness.

WHO SHOULD LIGHT A CANDLE ABOUT A PERSON WHO IS ADDITED TO DRUGS? - You can pray for deliverance from this passion and light a candle in front of the icons of the Mother of God “Inexhaustible Chalice”, the martyr Boniface, righteous John Kronstadt.

WHO SHOULD I LIT A CANDLE IF A CHILD IS SERIOUSLY ILL? - A candle can be placed to any icon: the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the holy saints of God. In addition, you need to know that a child’s illness is a time of prayer and repentance for the whole family. It seems to stimulate spiritual life. The baby should be given holy water and washed with this water. And the most important thing is the communion of the sick child with the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Communion can take place at home, in a hospital, or in a church, depending on the condition of the baby. If a child already knows how to pray, let him do it himself, but if he doesn’t know how, then his parents and godparents should do it for him. And of course spiritual work must be combined with treatment that a professional doctor can recommend.

WHICH ICON IS BETTER TO LIT A CANDLE BEFORE THE UPCOMING OPERATION? - You can light candles and pray to the holy great martyr and healer Panteleimon, the holy unmercenary doctors Cosmas and Damian. You also need to prepare for Confession and Communion, order a prayer service for successful outcome operation, find out the name of the doctor and pray that the Lord will control his hands.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIGHT A CANDLE FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH? - Of course, you can light candles and pray for your health. A candle is a symbol of prayer to God. And most prayers are written in the first person.

IS IT POSSIBLE FOR A PREGNANT WOMAN TO LIT CANDLES FOR THE RIP OF THE REST? - Everyone can and should light candles and pray for the departed.

WHOM SHOULD I LIGHT A CANDLE ABOUT WELL-BEING IN BUSINESS? - Anyone who wants to receive anything from the Lord or from the saints must not only pray to them, but also build his life according to the commandments. Through the Gospel, God appeals to everyone with a request to be kind, loving, humble, etc., but people often do not want to listen to this, but themselves ask Him to help them in business. For prayers to be successful, you must pray with words coming from the heart, with faith and hope for God’s help. And it should be remembered that not everything that a person asks from the Lord is useful for him. The Lord is not a machine that fulfills all desires, you just have to press the right button, that everything He sends is aimed at the benefit and salvation of the soul, although sometimes people think this is unfair.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIT CANDLES FOR A TRAGICALLY DIED UNBAPTIZED ONE AND IN GENERAL ABOUT THE REST OF UNBAPTIZED PEOPLE? - You can light candles and pray for the unbaptized, but you cannot give notes in church with the names of the unbaptized.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIT CANDLES FOR HEALTH AND REST ON EASTER? - You can always light candles for health and peace, but prayers for the departed on Easter and Bright Week The church does not perform them, they are transferred to Radonitsa - the second Tuesday after Easter.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO LIT CANDLES PURCHASED IN ANOTHER TEMPLE? - Candles are usually purchased in the temple where they come to pray - this is a small sacrifice to this particular temple.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE CANDLE AFTER THE Blessing of Easter cakes and eggs? CAN I TAKE IT HOME? - You can take it home and light it during home prayer, or you can put it in a church in front of any icon.

WHY DO THEY REMOVE CANDLES THAT ARE ONLY HALF BURNED, BECAUSE WE PAY MONEY FOR THEM... - Because large quantity Those who want to light candles are sometimes removed not completely burned out. There is no need to be embarrassed by this, or by the fact that the candle that was not completely burned out was extinguished after the end of the service - the sacrifice has already been accepted by God.

WHEN IS INCENSE USED? CAN I USE IT AT HOME? - Incense is used in the Church during divine services, as well as during funeral services for the dead, and during the consecration of dwellings by the priest. You can also use incense during home prayer.

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