Comparative religion: candle usage

Just over seven weeks until I get married, and I’m terribly excited!

I’m putting the ceremony together myself, with some up-front assistance from H. Now I’m at the point where I need to give things one more polishing, fill in some holes that I left earlier. And a big hole, right at the beginning, has to do with how candles are used in different faith traditions: Catholicism, Judaism, and Unitarian Universalism.

Here is the research I’ve done so far. Can anyone, in looking at these links/quotes, tell me if they think any of these are on the mark or way off in left field somewhere?

• Candles (Catholic)
  
  

  Light is pure; it penetrates darkness; it moves with incredible velocity; it nourishes life; it illumines all that comes under its influence. Therefore it is a fitting symbol of God, the All Pure, the Omnipresent, the Vivifier of all things, the Source of all grace and enlightenment.

  Even the use of wax has its symbolic meaning. The earlier Fathers of the Church endeavored always to seek out the mystical significance of Christian practices, and one of them thus explains the reason for the Church’s law requiring candles to be of wax:

  “The wax, being spotless, represents Christ’s most spotless Body; the wick enclosed in it is an image of His Soul, while the glowing flame typifies the Divine Nature united with the human in one Divine Person.”

• Paschal Candle (Catholic)
  
  

  The Paschal Candle is a large, white candle used liturgically in the Western Rite of Christianity (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, etc.). A new Paschal Candle is blessed and lit every year at Easter, and is used throughout the Paschal season and then throughout the year on special occasions, such as baptisms and funerals.

• Judaism 101: Shabbat (Judaism)
  
  

  Shabbat candles are lit and a blessing is recited no later than eighteen minutes before sunset. This ritual, performed by the woman of the house, officially marks the beginning of Shabbat. Two candles are lit, representing the two commandments: zakhor (remember) and shamor (observe).

• The Mystery of Jewish Candle Lighting Rituals (Judaism)
  
  

  The flame is a primary Jewish metaphor for the soul. Judaism enjoins us to be careful lest we put out the flame of someone’s soul through careless or deliberate words or acts.

  (This is the one I like best, and yet I’m most hesitant about it’s source, so if anyone can confirm/dispute this information in particular, I’d be most appreciative!)

• Jewish Candles – The Power of Discernment (Judaism)
  
  

  The candles should be lit on the table where the Shabbat meal is eaten, and should be large enough to burn during the meal and well into nightfall, because ultimately the reason for the lighting of Sabbath candles is to create an atmosphere, a cohesive family unit.

• Unitarian Universalism (UU)
  
  

  The most common symbol of Unitarian Universalism is the flaming chalice, often framed by two overlapping rings that many interpret as representing Unitarianism and Universalism (the symbol has no official interpretation). The chalice itself has long been a symbol of liberal religion, and indeed liberal Christianity (the Disciples of Christ also use a chalice as their denomination symbol). The flaming chalice was initially the logo of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee during the Second World War. It was created by Austrian artist Hans Deutsch, inspired by “the kind of chalice which the Greeks and Romans put on their altars. The holy oil burning in it is a symbol of helpfulness and sacrifice.”

• The Healing Cup: The Story of the Flaming Chalice (UU)
  
  Specifically, reference to WWII and the beginnings of the USC, and the need for a symbol to identify documents, etc.

• The Flaming Chalice (UU)
  
  

  At the opening of Unitarian Universalist worship services, many congregations light a flame inside a chalice. This flaming chalice has become a well-known symbol of our denomination. It unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work.

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Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Creating a Chalice: Part 1: History