Show Religious Symbols Candles Assume Major Malor Role In Many Church Services B By STAN BO BOWMAN Fires torches oil lamps candles and even electric lights are used as part of religious ceremony or merely for religious atmosphere in In many Salt Lake churches each week That light or flame in one form or another has been burning burning burning burn burn- ing in inmost most churches since the dawn of recorded history but few know the tradition behind its use In most Protestant churches when candles are used at all all all- the candles candIes are purely to in increase increase increase in- in crease devotional atmosphere However in the Episcopal Catholic Greek Orthodox and Jewish religions candles have a fairly well-traced well historical or Biblical background In both the Catholic and Episcopal Episcopal Episcopal Epis Epis- copal church all candles used in services are of beeswax and are similar in meaning but used in ina ina ina a somewhat different manner The wax wax coming from the virgin bee symbolizes the Virgin Mary fary or the flesh of Christ born of a virgin mother The wick in these cases symbolizes symbolizes symbolizes sym sym- Christs Christ's soul and the flame His divinity In Catholic belief thic thi flame or divinity absorbs or dominates both the body and soul wax and wick In Catholicism candles are blessed and distributed for home and church use on day Feb 2 In the Episcopal church generally generally generally gen gen- candles symbolize the Lord light of the world During Eucharist communion services two candles are used to represent represent represent sent Christ divine in human na na- na- na ture The seven-branch seven or vesper vesper ves yes per lights tell of the seven gifts of the holy spirit or the seven In- In Inthe the Jewish church and and the Old Testament the first mention of candelabra was when they were to be used in the sanctuary sanctuary sanc sane in the wilderness When the tribe left Egypt Moses commanded commanded com corn the branch seven candelabra can can- delabra delabra delabra-at at that time filled with oil oil oil-be be used in the sanctuary i- i I I iI II I 1 h- h T ji g r j I f 4 h y I The Triumph of Light Over Darkness I The triumph of light over darkness kno knowledge and I learning over oer ignorance things of or the spirit over o those of the bod body All these and man many more I I are arc symbolized through use of ot candles candIes in r religion |