Are people who light those candles (votive candles) supposed to take a vow?
Upvote:0
Are people who light those candles (votive candles) supposed to take a vow?
Some Catholics may do so; but the vast majority do not.
Votive candles are sometimes seen as the same concept lines as an ex-voto, but not always. For most Catholics it merely signifies the intention is merely to give honor and to seek help from the saint before whose images the candle is lit.
A votive candle or prayer candle is a small candle, typically white or beeswax yellow, intended to be burnt as a votive offering in an act of Christian prayer, especially within the Anglican, Lutheran, and Roman Catholic Christian denominations, among others. In Christianity, votive candles are commonplace in many churches, as well as home altars, and symbolize the "prayers the worshipper is offering for him or herself, or for other people."
Use by Christian denomination
Candles are lit for prayer intentions. To "light a candle for someone" indicates one's intention to say a prayer for another person, and the candle symbolizes that prayer. Many times, "a board is placed nearby with names of those for whom prayer is requested." A donation box is usually placed near a votive candle rack in order that Christians lighting the votive candles can help defray the cost of votive candles, and make a votive offering to the church.
Catholicism
In the Roman Catholic Church, candles are at times placed before a statue of Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or of some other saint. Often, in older or traditional churches, this will be before a side-altar.
A votive candle signifies literally that the lighting is done in fulfillment of a vow (Latin, votum), although in most cases the intention is merely to give honor and to seek help from the saint before whose images the candle is lit.
Candles used may vary from long, taper-type candles to tealight candles. Tealight candles are either placed in holders or just on a platform in front of the statue. Long candles may be placed in a special holder.
The Catholic Encyclopediahas the following to say about candles:
Candles were, and are, commonly used to burn before shrines towards which the faithful wish to show special devotion. The candle burning its life out before a statue is no doubt felt in some ill-defined way to be symbolical of prayer and sacrifice. A curious medieval practice was that of offering at any favoured shrine a candle or a number of candles equalling in measurement the height of the persons for whom some favour was asked. This was called "measuring to" such or such a saint. The practice can be traced back to the time of St. Radegund (d. 587) and later right through the Middle Ages. It was especially common in England and the North of France in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.
Upvote:1
In Catholicism, a votive candle signifies literally that the lighting is done in fulfillment of a vow (Latin, votum), although in most cases the intention is merely to give honor and to seek help from the saint before whose images the candle is lit.
Roman pagan culture used candles in religious practice. Lit candles were used in religious and military processions, showing the divine presence, aid, or favor of the gods. With the development of emperor worship, candles were also lit near his image as a sign of respect and reverence. The emperor was considered divine and even given the titles Pontifex Maximus (High Priest) and Dominus et Deus (Lord and God).
Christians adapted the use of lit candles (or even oil lamps in the Eastern Roman Empire) for Mass, liturgical processions, evening prayer ceremonies, funeral processions, and to show reverence.
More post
- 📝 Are scientific findings a test to Christians' Faith?
- 📝 Did Jesus have wealth and mansion's?
- 📝 Trinitarian Christianity and Numbers 23:19 - Was Jesus a man?
- 📝 Why does Iglesia ni Cristo use the Lamsa Bible?
- 📝 Did John Calvin believe there was no salvation outside the visible church?
- 📝 Married man becoming Latin Rite Catholic priest if giving up sex?
- 📝 Was William of Ockham the first sedevacantist?
- 📝 Catholic Church's History Reflects The life of Christ?
- 📝 Does the Bible say for sure that Daniel was a eunuch?
- 📝 Protestant Interpretation of John 20:23 in Light of Matthew 9:8?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, does the Old Law justify?
- 📝 Does the Old Testament foretell the time in history in which the Messiah would come (the first time)?
- 📝 Does an act being intrinsically evil ensure culpability?
- 📝 What are the six original sons of Israel that Exodus 28 speaks off?
- 📝 Meaning of cross with Jesus on both sides
- 📝 What is the biblical basis for the priesthood of all believers?
- 📝 Was David mainly upset about Uzzah's death?
- 📝 Can you give air-kisses to icons in the Eastern Orthodox church instead of physical kisses?
- 📝 What is the hope in Roman Catholicism?
- 📝 Was Elohim the Saviour and Redeemer of his world?
- 📝 Psalm 144:5 Bow Your heavens, O LORD, and come down; Touch the mountains, that they may smoke
- 📝 If you promise or swear to do something evil or sinful, do you have an obligation to fulfill that promise?
- 📝 What do Jehovah's Witnesses teach about resurrection, marriage and reproducing on the paradise earth?
- 📝 What is the theological significance of the label "Christian", according to evangelicals?
- 📝 From a Thomistic perspective, why is there h*m*sexuality among animals?
- 📝 What is the significance of Lamech's boast?
- 📝 How did the church calculate Sunday as the day of the resurrection?
- 📝 What was it about the death of Jesus that allows God to forgive us?
- 📝 Why is the Bishop of Jerusalem still Greek?
- 📝 What is the difference between mind and soul (if any)
Source: stackoverflow.com
Search Posts
Related post
- 📝 Are people who light those candles (votive candles) supposed to take a vow?
- 📝 Who are these people in this Catholic Reformation meme that are considered more influential than Martin Luther?
- 📝 Why does Justin Martyr say that those who are unworthy of seeing God will become imprisoned in animal bodies?
- 📝 Why do those who take Matthew 23:9 literally not emphasize 23:8 and 23:10 similarly?
- 📝 According to Catholic doctrine, what effect does the Last Judgment have on those who are already in heaven?
- 📝 Do those who pray to saints ascribe to them the quality of being able to hear many people at once?
- 📝 What is the biblical basis that people who are attracted to the same sex were not created by God that way?
- 📝 In the tradition of Jehovah's Witnesses, does Romans 6:23 mean that all people who are resurrected have their sins blotted out?
- 📝 When it seems a Pope has heretical beliefs, who determines whether those beliefs are Magisterial?
- 📝 Purgatory for those who are saved outside the Church?
- 📝 If only those who died after Jesus death are among the ones that go to heaven, how do JWs view the ascension of Elijah?
- 📝 What manuscripts did people use to create the NIV and KJV? Are the manuscripts used to fashion the NIV older than those used for the KJV?
- 📝 According to Catholicism, will those who are alive on the Day of Judgement die physically?
- 📝 Who are the "extreme Anabaptists" who believed that regeneration makes people incapable of sin?
- 📝 How are the bread and wine explained by those who forbid images of Jesus?
- 📝 How many writings of those who were disciples of the first 12 apostles (plus Paul) are available today?
- 📝 What are Jehovah's Witnesses beliefs on how those who died before Jesus, or before JWs existed, will gain salvation?
- 📝 What is the difference between the two creations of humans, according to those who believe they are in chronological order?
- 📝 Are those who have a history of eating disorders excused from obligatory Roman Catholic fasts?
- 📝 Are there any saints or mystics who had a vision of hell, and based on that made a judgment about how many people are in hell? (Catholic perspective)
- 📝 Who are the people depicted in Dionisius' famous icon of Christ's descent into hell?
- 📝 Does God forgive those who take his name in vain?
- 📝 What are the arguments of those who believe that the prerequisite stated here by John is yet not sufficient for being born of God?
- 📝 Who are innocent people according to Bible?
- 📝 As Christians are we called to convert people who have no Faith in anything or Faith in different religion. Baptist/Methodist
- 📝 How are people who were not approved by Jesus (Matthew 7:21-23) still able to expel demons?
- 📝 Who are the origin of Hebrew people and the land ? Genesis 40:15
- 📝 Are there published testimonies from people who had experiences with the Christian God of which they had no prior knowledge?
- 📝 How do those who believe that the dead are conscious explain passages in Psalms that seem to suggest otherwise?
- 📝 An Original Source Containing the Sermon of St. Leonard of Port Maurice: The Little Number of Those Who are Saved