On the Lighting of Candles and Prayer #

Deacon Alexander Govorov:

Today, I will explain when and which candles are lit, when they are extinguished, and why this is necessary.

Saint Arseny of the Urals, who lived just a hundred years ago, traveled across our dioceses, visited various parishes, and gathered liturgical data everywhere. As a result, he published his Typikon, which explains different church services. It also contains a section titled On the Lighting of Candles in Church.

In the time of Saint Arseny, Old Believer monasteries still existed, and thus he describes how candles were lit in monastic settings as well. We must keep in mind that there is a difference between a monastery and a parish church. For example, the Typikon states that at Small Vespers, only two candles are to be lit—one before the icon of the Savior and one before the icon of the God-bearer. However, here in a parish setting, people come in haste—they may have an urgent matter, even a scheduled operation. They rush in, light a candle, offer a prayer, and leave. Naturally, some leniency must be shown, and thus, a relaxation of the rule is permitted.

The fundamental rule is as follows (we shall take the Sunday service as an example): on Saturday at three o’clock in the afternoon, Small Vespers begins. All oil lamps are lit. An oil lamp is the lamp that hangs before an icon. It burns with oil and has a wick. The oil lamp remains burning throughout the entire service and is only extinguished at its conclusion. As for candles, the directive for Small Vespers is to light only a minimal number—one candle before the icon of the Savior and one before the icon of the God-bearer at the Royal Doors. The same applies to Small Compline, which follows Small Vespers. Then, when Great Vespers begins, more candles should be lit—that is, before additional icons. However, in our parish, as well as at Rogozhskoye Cemetery, it is customary at this moment to light all the candles placed in the candelabra. Lighting all the candles signifies the greater solemnity of Great Vespers. The candles should be extinguished before the Six Psalms.

Thus, we transition smoothly into Matins, which begins with the reading of the Six Psalms. At this moment in the service, only one candle remains lit on each candelabrum. The candles are extinguished to create a fitting atmosphere in the church, as the Six Psalms should be read and listened to with a penitential disposition. A large number of burning candles, on the other hand, symbolizes not repentance, but a kind of festivity.

Candles are not lit during the reading of the Kathismata. After the Kathismata, the Polyeleos begins. The word Polyeleos can be translated as “much oil,” meaning that at the beginning of the Polyeleos, all the candles in the church are lit, except for the panikadilo. The panikadilo is only lit on special Great Feasts of the Twelve. Now, all the candles in the church burn until the third ode of the canon.

Then, the candles are extinguished again, except for one candle on each candelabrum. The canon is prayed almost without candles. They are relit at the ninth ode of the canon and continue burning until the Great Doxology. After the Doxology, the candles should again be extinguished, and they are not relit until the end of the service.

There is, however, one exception: in parish and cathedral churches, many candles are brought as offerings, so they are sometimes kept burning beyond the prescribed times. Additionally, on great feast days, we light candles and hold them in our hands, which also emphasizes the festal nature of the occasion. Likewise, at funerals, it is customary to hold burning candles in our hands. However, this depends on the devotion and spiritual fervor of those participating in the burial rite.

In all cases, the directives of the Typikon of Saint Arseny of the Urals should be observed. This also ensures that the candles last longer. If they are not extinguished at the proper times, they burn out quickly, and by the time of the Polyeleos, there will be no lit candles left in the church. Yet, at the Polyeleos, the church should be fully illuminated.

Question: In the church at Belorusskaya, for example, all the candles are extinguished when the First Hour begins. When does the Typikon explicitly prescribe that all candles must be fully extinguished?

Deacon Alexander Govorov: There is no sin in extinguishing all the candles entirely. The fact is that the Typikon does not mandate that any candles remain burning during the Hours—oil lamps are sufficient. I repeat: according to the Typikon, after the Great Doxology, all candles should be extinguished, even those held in hand. However, in our parish, this is not the custom. It is very difficult to convince people that leaving candles burning is a violation of the Typikon, especially since by that point, they do not have much time left to burn. It is simpler to let them burn out naturally rather than disrupt the atmosphere of prayer in the church.

I would also like to note that during the most solemn moments of the service, such as the Polyeleos, it is undesirable to light candles. I myself have been in situations where, while singing the Polyeleos, someone steps onto the solea, lights candles, and then bows three times before each icon. This greatly distracts from communal prayer. If one arrives too late to light a candle, it is best simply to hand it to the kliros. There, they are collected in a special pouch and placed on the candelabra at an appropriate moment.

Lighting candles should not be a distraction to those in prayer, because candles are not the most important thing in the church. What matters most is that we ourselves burn with zeal for the Lord. A candle is merely a symbol of our spiritual burning, of our faith. Why do we light candles? Does the Lord need our candles? He does not. Candles are meant to remind us of what we ourselves should be: souls burning in prayer, pliant to the will of the Lord. Therefore, there is nothing grievous if someone fails to light a candle. What is needed is fervent and sincere prayer so that we ourselves might correspond to the meaning of this symbol. This is the offering that the Lord expects from us.

Often, we encounter people who take pride in being “true-born Old Believers.” They consider this an achievement, elevating themselves above others—especially those who are “not native” Old Believers. This is a mistaken attitude. Today’s Gospel reading confirms this very point. Before God, there are no “native” and “non-native” people. The Lord does not look at our lineage, even if we have saints among our ancestors. He looks at our hearts—at what we ourselves have become. If we lead an unworthy life, unbecoming of a Christian, no praise will be due to us, even if our parents were martyrs. On the contrary, we will face even greater condemnation.

This is why the Canaanite woman, though a pagan, demonstrated a faith greater than that of the Jews and surpassed them.

The Lord deliberately delayed His response, wishing to reveal this woman’s faith to all. He allowed this pearl to shine forth as an example for us, teaching us to be persistent in prayer. Yet how often do we act differently? We pray for a day, two days, a week, and expect results. If they do not come, we conclude that the Lord does not hear us. And if that is the case, we reason, why waste time on prayer? We decide it is better to spend our time on other things. This is how weak our faith is.

The Canaanite woman, however, acted differently. She cried out, calling upon the Lord. But the Lord seemed to ignore her, walking on His way. In reality, He heard her perfectly well and was already showing mercy to her in His heart. He did not answer her immediately because He wanted to reveal her faith to His disciples. He heard her just as He hears each of us now. Wherever we are, the Lord fills all things with His presence. If He knows every thought of our hearts, then He surely hears our prayers—but He does not always hasten to fulfill them.

Moreover, even the apostles began to intercede with the Lord on her behalf. Yet He declined their request, explaining that He was sent not to the Gentiles, but to the lost sheep of Israel—the children of God. But she persisted in faith, falling at His feet and pleading for mercy, for she was suffering from the torment of her demon-possessed daughter. Even then, the Lord seemingly rejected her, addressing her directly: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and cast it to the dogs.” (Matt. 15:26).

Any other woman in her place would have taken offense and left. But this woman possessed great humility. Seeing this, the Lord had mercy on her: “And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.” (Matt. 15:28).

For us, this is a beautiful example of how persistent we must be in our prayers to God. We should approach Him not merely with our routine rule, but with fervent prayer. Everything used in our divine services carries symbolic meaning. The censer is no exception. When we place incense on hot coals, it melts and transforms into fragrant smoke. If we place it on cold coals, nothing happens. The same is true of prayer: if we pray with soul and heart, it rises to God like sweet incense. But if we pray with a cold heart, merely “reading through” the rule, nothing happens. And before prayer, it is good to first “warm up” our hearts. After all, we warm food for children so that it may be pleasant to eat.

How, then, should we “warm” our hearts? By recalling our sins. By reflecting on how the Lord endures us with great patience and how many mercies He shows us. The late Bishop Alimpy also advised that one should not begin a prayer rule without first making several full prostrations. Reading the writings of the Holy Fathers is also beneficial. Nothing else can so clearly illuminate our dimmed vision and soften our hearts. These texts are now widely available on the internet. However, in the beginning, one should avoid reading the works of modernist theologians, as they often contain heretical ideas. Here, one must be very cautious and read only trusted pre-schism or our own Old Believer saints. For example, the writings of Bishop Mikhail (Semyonov) are ideal reading.

All these are means to prepare us for prayer, so that we stand before God consciously, repentantly, attentively, and not mechanically. Let the prayer be short, but let it be correct. We must strive not for quantity, but for quality. As the Apostle Paul said: “Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.” (1 Cor. 14:19). However, in the beginning, quantity is also necessary to develop the habit of prayer.

Even a small, but sincere, prayer will eventually grow into something greater. When a person truly prays, he desires to pray even more, to continue his communion with God, to preserve this state of soul, and to return to it again. But if a person has never truly prayed, he cannot understand what the true fruit of prayer is. Such a prayer benefits no one.

These are the conclusions that can be drawn from today’s Gospel passage. We must not take pride in our lineage. The Jews did the same, calling themselves the descendants of Abraham. This is a mistaken attitude. Far more astonishing are those whom the Lord draws to Himself from godless or heretical backgrounds. They are often even stronger in faith than the so-called “native-born.” This is why the Lord requires not “native” heritage, but a fervent soul and heart. This alone makes us Christians.

Question: Some people pray at such a speed that it is hard to imagine their prayer as a heartfelt address to God. What is the optimal pace for prayer?

Deacon Alexander Govorov: Praying too quickly is, of course, not good. But excessively slow prayer can also be harmful to us. Therefore, we should adopt a moderate pace. Just as we normally speak with people, so too should we pray—at a speed that allows us to understand the words of the prayer and pass them through our hearts. Each person must determine this pace for themselves.

In communal prayer at church, the text should be read clearly, distinctly, and without haste, so that every worshipper understands what is being read and has time to pray along. In public prayer, one should not go back and reread lines. However, when praying alone, this is permissible.

Transcript prepared by Evgeny Khebnev.

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