The Paschal Candle

The Paschal Candle represents Christ, the Light of the World. It is blessed and solemnly processed into a darkened church at the Easter Vigil, bringing the Light of the Risen Christ into the church. The beeswax of which the candle is made represents the sinless Christ who was formed in the womb of His Mother, as is paralleled in the Exsultet, a proclamation chanted at the Easter Vigil: "a fire into many flames divided, yet never dimmed by sharing of its light, for it is fed by melting wax, drawn out by mother bees to build a torch so precious."

Five grains of incense, attached to the candle by nails and inserted in the form of a cross, recall the aromatic spices with which His Sacred Body was prepared for the tomb and of the five wounds in His hands, feet, and side. Inscribed on the candle are the Greek symbols Alpha (A) and Omega (Ω), meaning the Beginning and the End, which is a way Jesus is referred to in the Book of Revelation. At the Vigil, the candle is lowered into the Easter Baptismal Water, to bless the water and symbolize those buried with Christ by Baptism into death may rise again to life with Him.

Our candle was designed and decorated with hand-applied gold leaf by an artist named Gina in Washington State. The design she has painted features the Paschal Lamb and is entitled “Agnus Dei,” which means “Lamb of God” in Latin.

This is how she describes the design: “It is a visual quotation from one of the paintings in the famous series of Agnus Dei images by the Spanish artist Francisco de Zurbarán. The design is intended to be “read” from the Lamb up to the Sacred Heart, then back down again as a visual meditation on the Eucharist. The lamb represents the unblemished lamb of the original Passover, along with the staggering number of animal sacrifices in the Temple. The eye then moves up to the crucifixion scene on the base of the chalice, which depicts Christ as the final sacrificial Lamb. To finish the meditation, we see Christ’s Sacred Heart superimposed on the unbloody host.

The pierced heart drips Jesus’ precious blood into the chalice for the nourishment of the faithful. Many years ago, in an art appreciation course, the professor commented on the Agnus Dei by Zuburán. He pointed out that the image was likely part of a reredos (artwork behind the altar), and the placement was such that as the priest elevated the host, the white host visually blended with the wool of the lamb, graphically illustrating for the congregation, “Behold the Lamb”. That visual remains strong in my mind’s eye and forms a central part of my own contemplation of the Eucharist at every Mass, a kind of visual shorthand on the gift of the Eucharist. I chose to depict the pierced Sacred Heart naturalistically. This refers to the numerous Eucharistic miracles that are evidently actual cardiac tissue.”

The Paschal Candle is present and lit in the sanctuary of the church throughout the season of Easter and then is reserved in the Baptistry, lit only at baptisms and funerals until the next Easter season.