The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-04-07
THE PAsCHAL CANDLE
Blessed in Catholic Churches On
Holy saturday-Ifs Significance.

Holy saturday-Ifs Significance
The manner in which the Catholic
Church attaches mystic signIhcations
to many Of her sacred rites and esre-
monies leads some people 10 inquire
into the symbolical meaning OF the
paschai candle, blessed on Holy satnr-
day, and lighted each Sunday from
Easter until the feast Of the Ascension.
when II is eztinguished at the reading
Of the Gospel In the first plaes n
represents the Divine Redeener Kim
self. dead. and then risen 10 a navy lie
20 die no more. as the apostle declares.
for the candle is not at first lighted
but only after the performing Of a mart
Of the blessing Five grains Of incense
are inserted into II before IL is Lighted
10 represent the wounds which caused
the death of the Saviour OF the world
The virginia. wax Of the candle tvnffes
His sacred body while the flame ana
the light show Him 10 be the Word n
the Father, eniightenlng every one that
cometh into the world Hence II burns
on sundays from Easter 10 the Ascsn-
sion, Sunday being the especial dav n,
which the Word is preached for the
enlightenment Of the people. but IL
extinguished when the Saviour leaves
the earth and intrusts the diffusion or
His light 10 the apostles It also tvpi-
fies the cloud and the fiery pillar bv
which the chosen people were guided
IN their wanderings. during forty wears
IN the desert, on their way 10 the
Promised Land
Some OF the paschaI candles are very
large, weighing So so, and even 18a
pounds. A favorite weight IN many
churches Is thirtV-three poun,4s n
honor of the thirty three years of fb.
life Of Christ upon earth. In earIv
times the Offices OF the entire wear
which began with Easter. were fu
scribed on the pasehal candle. Later
as their number increased. they were
written on parchment and attached
10 It. This custom continued in Ger
tain dioeeses OF France as late as the
middle OF the last century. But with
the multiplication OF the feasts tba
practice became impossible. and with
the invention Of printing. unnecessary.
The five grains Of incense. blessed
and inserted in the candle, represent
by their number and arrangement the
I'VE wounds OF our Lord inflicted be-
fore His death, the cicatrfces Of which
were retained by Him after His resur-
rection. and the material OF the grains
represents the spices with which His
sacred body was prepared for the sep
ulcher.
The origin and custom OF blessing
the paschal candle has been attributed
by some writers to Pope St Zosimus
who assembled the throne OF Peter in
the year Az; but it seems probable that
the rite had been introduced .befora. his
time. II Is not mentioned OF this Pope
that he instituted the ceremony. but
that he permitted the paschal candle to
be blessed in the parish churches. Car
dinai Wiseman says that what pleads
for the antiquity of this rite IS the ex-
istence of it in distinct churches, and
some Of these in the far East; for St
Gregory NaZianzen. who was a con
temporary of ST. Z0simus. mentions IT,
as do other fathers also therefore. il
may be said 10 have been in general
use in the fifth century. Il is the dea-
con, and not the celebrant-or. in
smaller churches. the celebrant as dea-
con, and not as pTiest-who bIesses the
paschal candle. TO signify that not to
the apostles. but to others was intrusted
the privilege OF preparing the dead
iblf tL our CaAlDuE-NEitu the candle
not as yet lighted typiffes-for the holy
sepulcher.
OF the Exultet, chanted for the bless
ing Of the paschal candle. some writer's
/ hold that the composition is the work
Of St. Augustine, but that the chant it.
self IS Anbrosian, said 10 be the only
chant of pure AmbrOsian found at pres
ent in the liturgy of the church
Seldom is the paschal candle entirely
consumed before the feast OF the As
eensi0n, and In early ages il was not
the custom to remold the remnant OF
the candle left when finally extin>
guished. but the faithful were accus-
toned to procure small portions of It,
and keep them in their homes as A
sacred amulet 10 protect them against
evils. especially against tempests. An
authors agree that IL was from this
pious custom that the Agnus Del, now
universally worn by devOut Christians,
derives its origin
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