The Paschal Candle.

Standing close to the Font throughout the year, except during the Easter Season, is the Paschal or Easter Candle. This is blessed, lit for the first time and carried into a darkened church at the Service of Light that begins the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday Night. The candle, which remains on the sanctuary until Pentecost, and is lit at all liturgical celebrations, represents the Risen Christ. Outside of the Easter Season it remains close to the Font and is lit when the Sacrament of Baptism is celebrated, or stands at the head of the coffin during Funerals signifying Christ's presence at the beginning and at the end of a person's journey of faith.

The use of the Paschal Candle can be traced back to the early centuries of the Church. At the end of the fourth century, in 384, in a letter to Presidius, deacon of Placentia, St. Jerome (c.341-420) replies to a request to compose a carmen cerei or 'poem of the candle' similar to our Exultet which presupposes the existance of the candle that was to be blessed by the deacon. The form of St. Jerome's reply makes it probable that the practice was neither new nor restricted to the church in Placentia. St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430) makes casual mention in his City of God of composing a laus cerei in verse believed to bear a smilarity to our Exultet. Eusebius (c.264-340) writes that in the time of Constantine the emperor "transformed the night of the sacred vigil into the brilliancy of day, by lighting throughout the city pillars of wax, while burning lamps illuminated every part, so that the mystic vigil was rendered brighter than the brightest daylight". Other Fathers of the Church, like St. Gregory Nazianzus (329-389) and St. Gregory of Nyssa (c. 330-c. 395) also give vivid description of the illumination of the Easter Vigil. In the early Church the Easter Vigil also saw the reception of the catechumens after their lengthy period of preparation. In evidence that stretches back to Tertullian (c. 160-220) and Justin Martyr (c. 100-c. 165) the ceremony of Baptism was being spoken of as photismos or 'illimination'. Whether consciously or not, the Paschal Candle came to symbolise Christ, the true light, surrounded by His illuminated, the newly baptised, each holding a smaller light. In the virgin wax a later symbolism recognised the most pure flesh which Christ derived from His Blessed Mother, in the wick the huma soul of Christ, in the flame the divinity of the Second Person of the Trinity.

During the middle ages the tendency was to glorify the Paschal Candle by making it bigger and bigger. THe Sarum Processional of 1517 directs that the Paschal Candle, presumably that of Salisbury Cathedral, is to be thirty-six feet in length, while, in 1588, under Queen Mary, there is a record of three hundred weight of wax being used for the Paschal Candle of Wesminster Abbey. Today, the stipulation is that the candle should be large, but not impossible for one person to lift. Because of what the Paschal Candle represents, the Risen Lord in His Glory, the candle should be made of fine quality wax, preferably pure beeswax. A new candle is used each year, never a previous year's candle re-cycled or part of a candle mounted on a false candle or an artificial candle. The decoration of the candle varies according to local culture but this should not detract from the principle symbols: (1) space for a cross to be incised in the wax; (2) five points where the "grains of incense" are inserted; (3) space for the date, preferably set within the four quarters of the cross; (4) above the cross the Greek letter alpha [A]and below the cross the Greek letter omega[W]. The "grains of incense" should be significant objects, made from any suitable material, usually hollow brass studs, with pins so that they hold firm in the wax.Msgr. Peter J.Elliott - Ceremonies of the Liturgical Year. pp.130-131.

At the Easter Vigil itself, after the blessing of the fire, the still unlit candle is brought to the celebrant along with the stylus and the grains of incense. The celebrant then takes the stylus and saying "Christ yesterday and today...", traces the vertical arm of the cross. Saying, "...the beginning and the end..." he traces the horizontal arm of the cross; then "...Alpha..." above the cross and "...and Omega..." below the cross. He then inscribes the first numeral of the year in the upper left corner of the cross saying' "...all time belongs to him...", "...and all ages..." as he inserts the second numeral in the upper right corner, he says, "...to him be glory and power..." as he inserts the third numeral in the lower left corner concluding with "...through every age and for ever. Amen." as the fourth numeral is inserted in the lower right corner. The Venerable Bede, speaking of the year 701, mentions that in Rome it was customary to inscribe the date and other particulars of the calendar on the candle itself or on a piece of parchment affixed to it. The five grains of incense are then brought - these will symbolise the five wounds of Christ. The first is inserted at the top of the vertical arm of the cross with the words "By his holy...", the second in the centre with "...and glorious wounds...", the third at the base of the vertical arm with "...may Christ our Lord...", the fourth at the left end of the horizontal arm with "...guard us..." and the fifth at the right end of the horizontal arm with "...and keep us. Amen." A light is now taken from the Easter Fire and the celebrant lights the candle, saying,
"May the light of Christ, rising in glory, dispel the darkness of our hearts and minds."

Then, led by the thurifer, the celebrant, carrying the lit candle, processes in to the darkened church. At the church door, the procession pauses, and, facing the door, the celebrant raises the candle high and intones, "Lumen Christi" (Christ our light), to which all respond "Deo gratias" (Thanks be to God). All then process into the middle of the church where the "Lumen Christi - Deo gratias" exchange is repeated. Servers take lights from the paschal candle and light the candles of those in the procession, the light being passed back until all the congregation's candles are lit. The procession continues to the sanctuary where the celebrant again turns to face the people and intones, "Lumen Christi" for the third time to which all again respond "Deo gratias". The candle is then placed into the stand and all go to their places either on the sanctuary or in the body of the church.

The Paschal Candle is used once more during the Easter Vigil - to bless the Baptismal water during the Liturgy of Baptism. The deacon, or in his absence the person appointed, takes the Paschal Candle from its stand and in procession leads the book bearer, a second candle bearer, the MC, concelabrants and celebrant to the font. The procession commences with the following prayer:
"Dear friends in Christ, let us ask God, the almighty Father, to bless this font, that those reborn in it may be made one with his adopted children in Christ.
The Litany of the Saints is then sung, all standing as is customary in the Easter Season. At the conclusion of the Litany, attended by the book bearer, the celebrant sings or says the Blessing of Water - a prayer that reminds the faithful of both the destructive and life-giving nature of water:
"Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament. At the very dawn of creation your spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. The waters of the great flood you made a sign of the waters of baptism, that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness. Through the waters of the Red Sea you led Israel out of slavery, to be an image of God's holy people, set free from sin by baptism. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptised by John and anointed with the Spirit. Your Son willed that water and blood should flow from his side as he hung upon the cross. After his resurrection he told his disciples: "Go out and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." Father, look now with love upon your Church, and unseal for her the fountain of baptism. By the power of the Spirit give to the water of this font the grace of your Son. You created man in your own likeness: cleanse him from sin in a new birth of innocence by water and the Spirit."
The lower part of the Paschal Candle, the symbol of the resurrected Christ, is lowered into the water, either once or three times: "We ask you Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font." The candle is held in the water until the end of the prayer: "May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to the newness of life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen." The choir and congregation sing the following, or a similar acclamation: "Springs of water, bless the Lord. Give him glory and praise for ever." The Paschal Candle is returned to its stand and all return to the sanctuary.