Catholic Exchange

Smells and Bells and Stuff Like That

Written by

Bill Donaghy

in

OK America, I know you've seen 'em. And I think it's time we talked about this.

They're all the rage in churches these days. According to Abbott Church Supplies, they're "authentic, safe, and convenient." And they cost about $2890 for a set of 40. They're electric candles. That's right, electric candles.

A few years ago, someone felt that we should no longer waste time and money on real candles in our churches because they discovered that candles:

1. burn down, and then you have to buy more;

2. require expensive matches;

3. make fire, which, as helpful as it's been for humanity in the last ten millennia, is downright dangerous.

This is the 21st century. You want to light a candle and offer up a prayer? Plug it in! Flick the little switch to symbolize your aspirations before the altar. It's that simple! No fuss, no muss! (Just add a prayer that there's not a power outage, because "poof" there goes your intention.).

Now it may seem that I have my "cranky pants" on about this issue. I know. But mostly, I'm befuddled. Who encouraged Electric Candle Inventor Guy by buying his product? Now any pastor whose church has a handy set of votive techno candles is probably upset with me right now. Yes, I know. Real candles do occasionally cause fires. Insurance is pricey. But uh… I think in our effort to be "safe" and "secure" we're missing out on a real sacramental moment. Ponder this from the Catechism:

As a being at once body and spirit, man expresses and perceives spiritual realities through physical signs and symbols. (CCC, n. 1146).

Remember the old days (for me this was the glorious 1970's and 80's) walking into a church and getting smacked in the nose with the warm, beeswaxy smell of the Holy? And if you were lucky enough to have a church that had Adoration from time to time, the sweet smell of incense still hung in the air like a veil to the Holy of Holies. I realized I was on holy ground. The very air was different. This wasn't my house, this was God's House, and He was happy to have me over. The flickering candles and the incense and the cool water in a marble basin and the wood varnish of those ancient pews and the scent of Murphy's Oil and the sunlight streaming through the stained glass all spoke. All whispered words that lifted my mind to the Word, that pointed my heart to the Other Who had descended into our midst. It was He Who took on the physical sign of a body, of flesh and blood.

Walking into a church today that has electric candles always gives me the creeps. It feels like that cold, clean, antispetic feeling of a hospital: sterile, neat… boring.

I say bring on the danger of real candles! Give us the real with all of the risk involved! That's all I have to say about that…

Next time I'll share my brilliant idea to reinstate the sacramental experience: The "Scratch and Sniff" Bible. Think of the possibilities.

Comments

  1. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    I used them a couple of times because I got snagged. First I thought that the little ignitor switch on top was like the one on a grill, that it actually ignites a real flame that burns in a controlled container. Then another time I really didn't look, I just said my prayer and reached into my wallet… then I saw it but it was too late to pull back. It would have been a greater sin to withhold the money. Now my eye is trained, I will only pray and pay at the real flame.

  2. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    As we know, the light of the candle symbolizes Jesus as the Light of the World.  But for the candle to be able to shine with the light of Christ, it must gradually die to itself.  The very same may be said for us.  This theology is lost with electric candles, and even with the "re-fillable" types we see in many modern churches.  It is a shame when the "bean counters'" concerns take precedence over important theology.  We sometimes lose the fact that windows, art, candles, and the "smells and bells," are all there to help teach and form our faith.  Electric and re-fillable candes only teach about money, and what the secular world is attempting to force-feeding us as to what is important.

    John 3:30 "He must increase; I must decrease."

  3. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    I, too, miss real candles — and I'm a CONVERT!

    However, I'm also a liturgical musician, so sometimes I hear what goes on "behind the scenes" at our parish.

    Some of the candles which appeared in our church were causing a problem. Our church always provided the usual complement of candles, large and small, available to be lit for prayers. These were manufactured specifically for church use, and the glass surrounding them could withstand the heat buildup from a large number of lit candles. Unfortunately, parishoners were bringing in their OWN candles because they loved the beautifully decorated glass. We had multiple instances of these grocery-store candle glasses exploding, causing a danger to both humans and the church building itself.

    Our pastor tried repeatedly to get parishoners to use the church's candles. He made multiple announcements and posted signs in both English and Spanish. Still, the grocery-store candles appeared — and exploded. The danger from these grocery-store candles finally forced our pastor to make a decision based on the safety of his flock, and electric candles were installed.

    I'm not fond of these electric candles, but I do appreciate my pastor's concern for our safety.

  4. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    I think there can be some valid reasons for using electric candles. I remember seeing them used in Europe in some very old churches.  I would hate to see a priceless historic cathedral burned down, and these churches have many, many pilgrims. It did make me sad not to smell the beeswax, but I could understand the reason.  Now in a regular American church, I can't imagine why this would be important.

     

  5. Guest Avatar
    Guest

    Electric votive lights have been around since at least the early 1970s.  A friend of my grandmother had them at her parish at that time, and I believe I saw them at St. Peter's in the Chicago Loop around 1980.  They've been advertised in The Catholic Directory as far back as I have ever seen them.

    Still…

    Some years ago, there was a television series on traditional handicrafts still practiced in Ireland.  In an episode devoted to a candlemaker, the narrator, with some horror, noted reports of electric votive candles being used.  At this point the narrator said, "if this keeps up, we'll end up lighting a flashlight to the divul!"

    Can't say I disagree with the narrator.

    If safety is a concern, I would say better to not have any votive candles than to have electric ones. 

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