Candlelight Reflection

   

Gather:      

          Light the Paschal candle, then begin a familiar song such as Companions on the Journey.

 

Listen:        

          Let us attend to God’s most holy Word (Matthew 5:13-16):

           “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored?  It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

          “You are the light of the world.   A city built on a hill cannot be hid.  No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.”

 

Candlemaking:

           Each of us carries a light within you.  It is the light of what you believe, the fire of your faith.   The spark of this light was lit while you were still in your mother’s womb, and it was fueled by your baptism.  It is a gift from God; it is also a great responsibility.   You are the sole bearer of your fire; it is your responsibility to carry it, to let it shine forth, and to share it with all those you meet.  Candles are perfect symbols of who we are as human beings created by God to witness to his love.

Jars: 

          Each of you has brought a jar.  And like all of you, every jar is different: Different shapes, sizes, widths, heights, etc.  You, too, come in all sorts, shapes and sizes, from different families, different cultures, different backgrounds.

Crayons:      

          But our diversity goes beyond just the colours of our skins, our eyes, our hair... There are colours of our souls, our personalities.  What kind of colours could we use to describe different personality types?  Now choose from your pack of crayons that represents you well.  Break them to pieces.

          But we’re not just of our own making.  Who we are depends upon the people around us, the influences in our lives.  Think of those people who have the greatest influence on you life.  Family.  Friends.  Teachers.  Community.  Choose colours to represent them, and break those to pieces, too.  Mix all the chunks of crayon and put them in the jar.

Wicks:

          What’s missing to make this a candle?  The wick, the center and core of it all, the thing that makes it all work.  Our core and center is God.  Runs through us and gives us life, fire.  We live and burn with energy because of God.  And so now we insert our wicks into the center of the candle, making sure that it runs all the way through, straight to the bottom.  (Might have to take out the crayons pieces first, put in the wick, then place the crayon pieces around it.)

Melted wax:

          But there’s still something missing.  Right now, everything is still separate bits, touching but not being held together.  If you dropped it now, everything would spill out.  Nothing’s connected.  For that, we need to pour in melted wax to bond it all together.  For us, what holds everything together—us, the people in our lives, God—is the HOPE that God promises, that He’ll always be there for us.  It’s our relationship with God and God with us, our faith journey.  It is the Spirit at work in our lives.  It’s what gives everything meaning, what enables us to share the flame of faith, the fire of God, with others.

          Once the candles have been made, place them aside in a safe place to cool and harden.  Then gather the pilgrims together again...

 

Listen:        

          Let us attend again to God’s most holy Word (Jeremiah 1:5-9):

          “Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you.  Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work....