Why Do Orthodox Christians Light Candles When They Enter the Church.

Use of candles are essential in Orthodox worship and prayer. Orthodox faithful enter an Orthodox Church to enter into communion with God. The entry area called the Narthex is a space to prepare and quiet your mind for worship and prayer.  In the Greek Orthodox Church there will be a candle stand there where it is a common practice to first light a candle, or even several candles, before entering into the sacred space called the nave for worship. This is part of the process of preparing for worship, of quieting our mind, leaving the hectic secular world behind, preparing for communion with God.

There is significant symbolism in the use of candles in Orthodox prayer and worship. Here are some of the symbols candles represent:

A Natural Beeswax Candle: A beeswax candle is normally used because it represents the purity of our soul. It is even aery free and burns cleanly. It can also represent Divine grace because the candle comes from nectar of fragrant flowers that the bees have carefully gathered to produce the wax. 

Desire for Union with Christ: A burning candle represents our aim of deification or Theosis, because the candle is mixed with fire, like your burning desire to be united with Him. 

A Symbol of Christ: Light is a symbol of Christ and His divine presence. In the Gospel of John (8:12), Jesus says, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Therefore, the act of lighting a candle can be seen as an affirmation of your faith in Christ as the light in your life.  

Prayer and Intention: When an Orthodox Christians lights a candle, it's done with a specific prayer or intention in mind.  When you place your candle in the candle holder you should offer a prayer. This may be a prayer of thanksgiving, asking for forgiveness, help for you or someone in need. This act of lighting a candle becomes a visual representation of your prayer. Even after you have left the church, the burning candle symbolizes that your prayer continues. Also the smoke from the burning candle symbolizes your prayer rising up to heaven to be heard by God.

Symbol of the Individual's Light in the World: Lighting a candle also represents your own light in the world, a reflection of Christ's teaching in Matthew (5:14-16): "You are the light of the world... let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." The candle, as it burns, illuminates its surroundings. Thus when you sacrifice yourself for the love of God, you enlighten your fellow human beings and are showing them the way of salvation.

Part of the Liturgical Experience: The physical act of lighting a candle engages the believer in the liturgical experience more fully, involving not only their mind and heart, but also their body in worship. The flame also adds to the overall aesthetics and ambiance of the worship space, further enhancing the spiritual experience. Candles used in the processions of the Divine Liturgy and when the Gospel is read, symbolizing the light of Christ. There is always a candle burning on the main altar in the sanctuary indicating the presence of Christ in the reserve communion kept in the Tabernacle that sits there. Additional altar candles are lit at the beginning of each servicer, again representing the divine presence of God in our worship. In many churches there are candles in front of the icons on the iconostasis that are lit. Some have grand chandeliers over the nave which are lit at the beginning of the Divine Liturgy. Often they are made to sway and rotate creating an mystical environment for the service.

Remembrance of the Deceased: Candles are also lit in memory of those who have passed away during memorial services. This act is seen as a way to honor and remember the departed, and to pray for their souls. 

Love and peace: Finally, a lit candle represents the love and peace which are attributes that every Christian should have because the candle burns and comforts everyone with its light in the darkness. The gentle flame of a candle quiets the mind as you focus on its delicate and flickering light. When lighting a candle, remember that you must live in the light that you received with your baptism and now Holy Communion.

All Orthodox believers should light a candle(s) when they enter the church. Light one for the living and a candle for your deceased relatives and acquaintances. But if some of the living have particular problems, then you should light a candle for each one. The lighting of the candle should always be accompanied by words of prayer. For the living, we will ask for God’s mercy and protection, while for the deceased, we will ask for God’s compassion and eternal salvation.

Why Are Icons So Important In Orthodox Worship and Prayer?

Icons have a significant role in Orthodox Christianity, often raising questions from non-Orthodox observers. Icons are seen as sacred images, not merely as decorations. They serve as profound conduits to the spiritual realm, aiding believers to encounter and participate in the transcendent beauty of God.

Windows into Divine Beauty: Icons help believers experience and grasp the divine beauty of God, acting as windows into the spiritual realm, expressing the transcendence of God. They are also channels of grace, conveying spiritual truths and facilitating encounters with God’s presence. 

Beauty of the Incarnation: Icons express the beauty and mystery of the Incarnation—the belief that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully human. In icons His divine beauty is reflected in human form. Icons of Christ invite believers to reflect on the profound mystery of God becoming man and encounter the radiant beauty of the Son of God.

Communion of Saints: Icons also depict the beauty of the saints who have dedicated their lives to God and attained union with Him—Theosis.  These icons remind us of their virtuous lives and indescribable faith. Icons help believers connect with the saints to seek their intercession, guidance and spiritual assistance through prayer.  Saints are alive and with us in the heavenly realm and close to God. Venerating icons of saints affirms the unity of the Church, transcending temporal boundaries aiding a personal connection between the living and the departed.  

Aid in Worship: Icons play an important role in Orthodox worship and prayer. Their spiritual artistic style, symbolism, colors, and composition draw the viewer into a contemplative state, guiding their thoughts towards the divine to participate in spiritual contemplation and prayer. This is why you see Orthodox churches covered with Icons, including a large screen that separates the Nave of the temple from the Sanctuary. While you are worshiping in the temple and your mind wanders, it is immediately brought back to the divine as you encounter various icons. Orthodox faithful will also have a personal icon corner or altar table serving as a place of daily prayer in their homes. Being an integral part of Orthodox worship, icons facilitate a sense of continuity between heaven and earth, between the living and the departed, affirming the unity of the Church with the heavenly, transcending the boundaries of time and space.

Communion with Saints: Many icons found in Orthodox churches depicting the beauty of saints. They are there as a means to help us know and experience a saint. The departed saints, are considered to be alive in Christ, and continue to participate in the life of the Church. This is founded on the belief in the resurrection and the victory of Christ over death. Orthodox Christians often seek the intercession of saints, asking them to pray to God on their behalf. The saints are believed to have a special closeness to God and are seen as powerful intercessors. Icons of saints thus serve as focal points for prayer and as reminders to ask for the saints' prayers, seeking their support, guidance, and spiritual assistance.

Transfiguration of Matter: Creating icons is considered a sacred act involving prayer, fasting, following traditional guidelines and materials. Icons are also seen as vessels of divine grace. All this helps to contribute  a spiritual quality to them. They provide a bridge between the visible and the invisible, bringing the presence of the divine into physical matter. Icons are a conduit to God’s divine presence.

Teaching the faith: Icons are also seen as a visual catechism, teaching and conveying theological truths to the faithful. Through the artistic style, symbolism, and composition of an icon, important aspects of the faith can be communicated, allowing for contemplation, meditation, and instruction. They played a vital role in instructing believers, particularly during early church up until the time of the invention of the printing press and when literacy rates were lower and Bibles were not available for personal study. Icons could effectively communicate theological concepts, such as the Trinity or the life of Christ, and help believers grasp and internalize these teachings. They served as visual aids that reinforced and supplemented the oral teachings of the Church.

Misconceptions: When discussing icons with non-Orthodox, it is important to clarify common misconception. Orthodox do not worship icons as physical objects but show honor and reverence for the sacred realities they represent. Orthodox will venerate an icon involving acts such as kissing, bowing, or even prostrating before them as expressions of love and respect toward the Holy images depicted. It is a process similar to the way many honor pictures of loved ones who are separated from them when they pick up a photo and hug or kiss it. This act is not a veneration of the physical photo, but a loving way to honor, venerate, the person represented in the photo. This is the same for venerating Icons. It is not the physical material holding the image that is being venerated, but the person represented in the image on it that we are venerating. The icon provides a bridge between this world and the heavenly realm where the saints are currently active. 

Also there are some who view icons as “graven images,” citing the Commandment in Exodus 20:4-6. These objections came out of the Protestant reformation in the 16th century. Reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin raised concerns about what they saw in the Roman Catholic Church of their time. The reformers sought to emphasize that worship was due God Alone (sola Leo gloria) and the Christ is the sole mediator between God and humanity (sola Christus). They also sought to emphasize the importance of Scripture over tradition in all matters of faith and worship. They thought images and statues were distractions from what should be the primary focus of worship. 

The reality is that Orthodox Christians do not worship icons as physical objects, but see them as windows to a divine realm, as an aid in connecting with the heavenly realm, directing attention to God and His kingdom alone.

Historical Context and Iconoclasm: The history of the use of icons in the Church includes a period during the 8th and 9th centuries when there were attempts to eliminate icons from the Church. This was not just an argument, there were many priest and monks who were killed protecting them from destruction. Those who wanted to get rid of them were called iconoclasts, thinking the veneration had become excessive and distracted from worship of God alone. They were also influenced by the onslaught of muslim invasions who denied any use of images in their form of worship.

The Seventh Ecumenical Council was called to resolve this conflict. The believers in icons, called Iconophiles, successfully argued for their use based on Tradition and the belief in the Incarnation. They pointed out that denying to display the image of Christ, denied the reality of the Incarnation. Saint John of Damascus  (676-749) was one who offered a clear defense of their use. (His arguments can be found in Book IV of “Exposition of the Orthodox Faith”)

Icons hold a central and revered position in Orthodox worship and prayer, serving as windows to the divine realm and facilitating encounters with the transcendent beauty of God. They embody the mystery of the Incarnation, connect believers with the saints, and provide aids for contemplation and prayer. Icons transfigure ordinary matter into vessels of divine grace, bridging the gap between the visible and the invisible. While addressing misconceptions, it is important to emphasize the distinction between veneration and worship. Icons have a rich historical context, including the challenges faced during iconoclasm. They are part of the Holy Tradition of the Church. For Orthodox Christians, icons play a central role, inviting believers into the transformative encounter with the divine beauty that transcends time and space.

Fr. Maximos Constas puts it beautifully: “In light of creation and Incarnation, icons reveal and convey the vision of the Divine Glory in which our world is immersed, and of which our world is a reflection, as if all things were enfolded within some great Living Being, whose tracks we see everywhere — of which we ourselves are the tracks and traces, because we too are images of the unimaginable. We too are images and icons of that for which no image or icon can be made.”

Saint Simeon the Myrrh-Gusher was the founder of the Athonite Monastery of Simonopetra in the 13th century.  This monastery is dedicated to the Nativity. Saint Symeon had spent many years living as a hermit in a cave.  As the feast of the Nativity neared he exited the cave and saw an bright light that appeared like a star that stood about a rock outside his cave.  He had this same vision for several nights.  On the eve of the nativity he again say this star but this time he heard a divine voice say, "Here , you must lay the foundation of your ceonobium for the salvation of souls... I desire you to be my helper. Heed well and doubt not, lest you should suffer evil"  He heard these words three times.  He was in ecstasy and felt himself to be in Bethlehem beside the shepherds. Like the shepherds at the Nativity of Jesus Christ he was comforted by angels and was rejoicing.  It was only three days later that, like the wisemen of the Nativity, miraculously three wealthy men came to visit him. They became monks and they established the new monastery at this place.


Saint Simeon taught his bothers to have the greatest respect for the feast days of the Church. His teaching applies to us to this day.


Saint Symeon the Myrrh-gusher said as he drew near to the end of his life,,

Be diligent and attentive to keep the feasts in a spiritual manner and not a worldly holiday, lest you should busy yourself with gossiping, chattering, laughing, and joking.

It is important for us to keep in mind that we need to make an extra effort to help lift those of our family above this commercial din that surrounds many of the feast days.  We need  to make a special effort to approach them with a spiritual orientation and not one based on commercial or social activities of this world. We are fast approaching the Feast of Epiphany.  See if you can make this a spiritual experience for those you love.


He also gave us the reason,  

This is because the sacred feasts are enlightenment and sanctification of the soul that is borne from silence, prayer and the reading of holy books.  In the services of the church, chant with reverence, devotion, and piety, and not with voice wanting in discipline and rhythm. 

Simonopetra Monastery on Athos

The Feasts of the Lord are for the enlightenment and sanctification of the soul.  we need to remember to approach them with an inner attitude of reverence and to attend the services associated with them.  It is so unfortunate today to see our Churches almost empty on feast days that fall during the week. Clearly worldly cars have over taken many.  Lets not forget that our worship on these special days are for out spiritual benefit and important to our attaining union with God and life eternal in His Kingdom.


Reference: The Great Synaxaristes of the Orthodox Church - December, trans. Holy Apostles Convent