Are the prayer candles that people light only for the deceased or do people light candles for the sick as well?

Thanks

For the sick as well.

Why do Catholics Light Prayer Candles?

The Sight of burning votive candles -real or electronic - is common in most Catholic churches. The candles are usually placed before statues of saints or at shrines. But how did this tradition get its start?

According to A Handbook of Catholic Sacramentals, by Ann Ball (Our Sunday Visitor Books), the practice of lighting candles in order to obtain some favor probably has its origins in the custom of burning lights at the tombs of the martyrs in the catacombs. The lights burned as a sign of solidarity with Christians still on earth. Because the lights continually burned as a silent vigil, they became known as vigil lights.

Vigil Lights (from the Latin vigilia, which means "waiting" or "watching") are traditionally accompanied by prayers of attention or waiting. Another common type of candle offering is the votive light. Such an offering is indicative of seeking some favor from the Lord or the saint before which the votive is placed.

Lighting a candle is a way of extending one's prayer and showing solidarity with the person on whose behalf the prayer is offered.

After the 9/11 tragedy, lit candles figured prominently in a televised concert affirming the power of goodness over the darkness of evil. The symbolism was similar to the Catholic custom of lighting candles as a form of prayer.

Source: "St. Anthony Messenger" Septmber 2003, Page 26


In the lighting of candles we remember and truly live the words of Our Lord: "I am the Light of the World." In the lighting of candles we not only pray, but our prayers become smaller symbols of the One Light of Christ. In burning candles, our prayers rise up to Heaven day and night; prayers for the saint's intercession are also common because of their friendship with God in Heaven. Saints are powerful intercessors. The lighting of candles has been observed since the early the time of the early martyrs.

https://acatholiclife.blogspot...-prayer-candles.html

Ok, thanks.

I have a sick friend. He's in his 40s and fighting stage 4 metastasized lung cancer. He responded better to his initial treatment than what anybody had expected and is now on a regimen of maintenance chemo and pain killers. His wife is a very Catholic Latina.

I'll be visiting Vatican City in late September and thought I would "light" a candle for him at St. Peter's Basilica. I know he'd appreciate it, but I think it would mean more to her.

^^ very thoughtful of you. Prayers for your friend.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Ok, thanks.

I have a sick friend. He's in his 40s and fighting stage 4 metastasized lung cancer. He responded better to his initial treatment than what anybody had expected and is now on a regimen of maintenance chemo and pain killers. His wife is a very Catholic Latina.

I'll be visiting Vatican City in late September and thought I would "light" a candle for him at St. Peter's Basilica. I know he'd appreciate it, but I think it would mean more to her.

It is a nice thing to do, regardless of your own beliefs.

quote:

It is a nice thing to do, regardless of your own beliefs.

Not only is it a nice thing to do... but your visit to Vatican City in late September will be a great opportunity to take in a lot of the history on display at the Vatican and the "Eternal City" of Rome. Enjoy!

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:
Ok, thanks.

I have a sick friend. He's in his 40s and fighting stage 4 metastasized lung cancer. He responded better to his initial treatment than what anybody had expected and is now on a regimen of maintenance chemo and pain killers. His wife is a very Catholic Latina.

I'll be visiting Vatican City in late September and thought I would "light" a candle for him at St. Peter's Basilica. I know he'd appreciate it, but I think it would mean more to her.

I am sorry to hear about your friend.
Good on you, Sir.
Your friend will be recieveing prayers from here as well.

On a side note for your visit. The Vatican is a VERY busy place during the day and the hustle and bustle can take away from it.
I highly suggest walking the area long after everything is closed down as well. We were there during the day for all the normal enjoyment and it was quite the place. I was there in July of 2005 so it was extra busy as Pope John Paul II had just passed.
Our flight out was at 8am so we spent the night before wandering The Vatican and Rome.
We walked down the middle of Via Della conciliazion (main road to the Basilica), likely well after midnight, between the illuminated street lamps, while I am not Catholic I am a Chistian the reverence I felt on the approach is something I will likely not feel so strongly ever again until I reach Heaven.

It is truely a powerful and amazing place in every sense of the term.

My prayers for your friend. One does not need to be a Catholic to feel and appreciate the solemn and reverent aura that surrounds many of their religious spaces--I believe that one can truly feel closer to God in such environments (which is a good thing).

flashguy

Prayers Sent

Black92LX, I'm going to book us on a night time guided tour of the Museums and Sistine Chapel. Doors open at 7pm and are open till 11pm. It's supposed to not be as crowded.

I've never been to Rome before so it's going to be a new experience for me.

Any more advice about Rome would be appreciated. We'll be there 3.5 days. We fly from Munich to Rome early on a Friday. We'll get into Rome at about 8am. I figure we would get into Rome, see the Colosseum then chill at our rental place before we tour the Vatican museums and Sistine Chapel that night. That leaves Saturday open to see other stuff. On Sunday at noon the Pope will be giving his Angelus. I'll be traveling with two other guys that happen to be Catholic so we thought we'd go to this.

After you get done with your guided tour just walk around the streets.
The Collesium is another sweet place at night.

The best views of Rome are from The American University. I think most of it’s entries were gated.
My buddy knew a professor there so we got to go on the roofs of a couple of buildings. Their views blew away the public overlook.

The big cities are quite a bit touristy as one would expect.
If you have a day to get to a smaller less known city I suggest it highly.

Scanno is a wonderful little town where Americans are few and far between.
The Park Hotel is the place to stay right on Lago Di Scanno.
Only rub is the hotel is at the bottom of the mountain and it is quite a trek up the mountain to town.
Will give you a true look into most of the Italian life not just what you see in the big city and touristy stuff.

quote:

Originally posted by Skull Leader:

I'll be visiting Vatican City in late September and thought I would "light" a candle for him at St. Peter's Basilica. I know he'd appreciate it, but I think it would mean more to her.

If you want to, across the plaza there are some small souvenir shops. You can pick up a rosary that was blessed by the Pope. It is inexpensive and would be a nice gift considering the circumstances.

quote:

On Sunday at noon the Pope will be giving his Angelus. I'll be traveling with two other guys that happen to be Catholic so we thought we'd go to this.

St. Peters is also a parish church. Your Catholic companions can attend mass on Sunday morning and receive communion. The masses are read in Latin or Italian.

I was baptized Catholic but raised Episcopalian. A few years ago I went to Rome on a whim for Christmas, which happened to fall on Sunday that year. The crowds were light all morning. About 9 or 10 I wandered past the Papal Altar and found a mass being read. They let me in to worship. The mass was in Latin or Italian, so I had no clue what they were saying. But to sit in a pew in St. Peter’s Basilica on a Christmas morning and attend mass was INCREDIBLE. Then to be offered the sacrament....

At about 12Noon, the Pope came out on the balcony and gave his Christmas message. It was a very powerful sight. And to see 250k people of all nationalities speaking dozens of languages and cheering like it’s a football match each time he called on them and said a blessing for them in their native tongues. WOW.

Wander Rome when it isn’t crowded. See the city without all of her makeup. You’ll fall in love with the eternal city.

Prayers sent for your friend.