Ever since the days when Christianity, stepping outside the borders of Palestine, illuminated many countries and continents with its unfading light, the candle has become an inalienable attribute of the rite of worship, regardless of whether it was performed in a temple or at home. At the same time, her fire always personified the warmth and light of the human heart, filled with love for the Lord, His Most Holy Mother and those saints, before the images of which he was kindled.
Words coming from the heart
However, it should be remembered that a person who puts candles for health (or repose) with a cold and indifferent heart is like a pagan who makes a sacrifice and expects to receive reward for this. In order not to fall into such a grave sin, you should first of all direct your feelings and thoughts to someone whose image is imprinted on the icon, and then with reverent awe say a prayer.
And it doesn’t matter if her words are taken from a liturgical book, say, “A Prayer Book”, or were born in one’s own heart, the main thing is that they be sincere and full of deep faith. If it is not there, but the soul longs to find, one should prayerfully ask the Lord for the granting of this highest grace, without which a person is not able to become a partaker of eternal life.
What every parishioner should know
In addition, you need to know how to light a candle for health in a church or at home, and to understand what this tradition that has passed through the centuries contains. It is also useful to have an idea of when and to which of the saints it is customary to place a candle in order to fully gain the grace that gives mental and physical strength to us and our loved ones.
And even more so, it is necessary to know how to behave in those cases when external circumstances, for example, an extinct candle, become the reason for their interpretation in the light of various popular beliefs, sometimes filled with superstitions that are completely alien to church teaching. Although there are no specific rules that dictate how to light a candle for health in the church, there is a tradition that has been established since ancient times and sanctified by the names of the holy fathers of the church.
Where to start?
Usually, upon entering the temple, the first candle is placed on a candlestick located near the images of the Savior and His Most Holy Mother. As a rule, it is located in the central part of the room. In many churches, it is also customary to place the first candle in front of a particularly revered icon.
It is also recommended that before lighting a candle for the health of a particular person, light it in front of the image of his heavenly patron, of course, if he is in the church, and only then go on to the icon (or icons) before which a prayer for getting rid of ailments. This rule fully applies to those cases when candles are placed behind the repose of the soul of the deceased.
What icon to put a candle for health?
According to the Orthodox tradition, which rests on the whole order of the sacraments performed by us, prayers for health, as well as for any other needs, are offered before the icons of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Eternal Son - Our Lord Jesus Christ. Candles are placed in front of them. However, it should be remembered that the Savior granted the grace of His saints to petition Him for the help to people in which they themselves excelled in the days of earthly life.
That is why, asking yourself the question of which icon to put a candle for health, you should stop the choice of saints, who were once famous for the healing of not only human souls, but also teles. Among them, the most famous by right is the holy healer and great martyr Panteleimon. Let us dwell on this name and in a few words we will talk about what he won for himself with unfading glory.
Holy healer Panteleimon
Born in 275 in Nicomedia (Asia Minor), then mired in paganism, the future saint in his youth became a student of the famous doctor Euphrosynus. Under his tutelage, he comprehended the secrets of human flesh and became such a skilful healer that Emperor Maximilian brought him closer to the court. Despite the idolatry reigning around, he joined the Christian faith early, the preacher of which was secretly living in Nicomedia, the future great martyr Presbyter Yermolai.
Having been baptized, Panteleimon stepped on the path of gratuitous service to the afflicted, whose ailments he healed, without requiring any payment. He often visited in prison, where he assisted prisoners, among whom were many Christians. His art, reinforced by the grace of God, he delivered them from bodily and mental anguish.
However, soon the pagan emperor became aware of the true faith professed by Panteleimon, and he placed it in the hands of the executioners in order to force him to renounce Christ, but his efforts were in vain. The holy great martyr, having endured all suffering, ended his earthly path and gained eternal life. For the firmness in faith and the selflessness with which Saint Panteleimon healed the sick, the Lord always bends His hearing to his intercessions for those who pray for the sending of spiritual and physical strength. That is why it is recommended to put candles for health before the image of the holy healer and great martyr Panteleimon.
Saint Luke
Another saint who has become a tradition of lighting candles for health is Saint Luke, canonized in the face of the new martyrs and confessors of Russia. In the world, his name was Valentin Feliksovich Voino-Yasenetsky. After graduating from the medical faculty of Kiev University in 1904, over the years of medical practice he gained fame as an outstanding surgeon who gave life to many thousands of his patients. His scientific works, written almost a century ago, have not lost their relevance to this day.
But Valentin Feliksovich devoted his life not only to the healing of human bodies. Being a deeply religious person, he combined medicine with the ministry of the Orthodox Church. Having been ordained to the priesthood, he received monastic tonsure with the name Luke and, without stopping his work in the hospital, already in the dignity of the archbishop he headed the Tambov and then the Crimean diocese.
The heyday of his spiritual activities fell on the 30s, that is, the period in which the atheistic authorities waged an anti-church struggle with particular cruelty. Saint Luke repeatedly fell victim to repressions and spent almost 11 years in camps and exiles. In 2000, for his religious asceticism and for the work put into healing the sick, he was ranked among the saints of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Is it possible to put a candle for the health of enemies?
The answer to this question can be obtained by opening the 5th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. There, in verse 44, the commandment of the Lord is laid out in which He commands us to love our enemies and pray for those who offend us. Only such a comprehensive love will help people become true sons of the Heavenly Father, who commands the sun to equally send their rays to all people - both good and evil.
These words of the Savior are one of the expressions of the greatest humanity embedded in Christianity and not known to any other religion of the world. Accordingly, the candle placed for the health of the enemy is our fulfillment of God's commandment.
How to put a candle?
Sometimes people who rarely attend church do not know how to light a candle for health. This is a simple matter, but you still need to know the basic rules. First of all, you should approach the icon, which depicts the image of the one to whom the prayer will be addressed, and overshadow yourself with the sign of the Cross. As mentioned above, it can be our Savior Jesus Christ, His Most Holy Mother or saints who became famous for their intercession for us before the Throne of God.
You can light a brought candle from a lamp or from any other candle. Just note that the popular belief that there are some prohibitions on this subject (for example, that you can’t light it from the lamp), have no basis.
After the fire caught fire, you should choose a free place in the common candlestick, and it does not matter which side you put the candle for health. Having brought its lower end to the flame of one of the burning candles, it should be slightly softened. After that, the candle is placed in the chosen place, and this is done in such a way that it does not come into contact with the people standing nearby and does not fall.
Prayer for neighbors and for oneself
The next part of the priesthood is the most important - this is the prayer offered to the saint to whom the candle is placed. The importance of investing sincerity and faith in spoken words was discussed at the beginning of the article. We only note that at the end of the prayer one should not immediately depart from the icon and be shy of external manifestations of surging emotions, for example, tears that appeared in front of the eyes. You need to take your time to overshadow yourself with the sign of the Cross and put a deep bow. After this, you can step aside, giving way to other worshipers.
According to the tradition accepted in Orthodoxy, one can also light a candle for oneself, but this should be done at the very end, after candles are set and prayers are said for the health of relatives, friends and even enemies. All sacred action ends with the reading of the prayer “Our Father” before the image of the Savior.
Afterword
Often you hear the question of whether it is possible to put a candle at home for health? The answer to it is not in doubt: of course, it is possible, since believers do home prayers only before consecrated icons that have the same graceful power as those in the church.
At the end of the article on how to put a candle for health, I want to refute one false opinion. It exists among people, although attending church, but, nevertheless, prone to superstition. One often hears from them that if a candle for health went out, then this is a bad omen.
We can say with full confidence that such a statement is an idle fiction, because nowhere - neither in the Holy Scriptures, nor in the writings of the church fathers - this is said. For the most part, the reason for this is a bad wick or simply a draft.