Third Sunday of Easter

The Paschal Candle
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The Paschal Candle is one of the most sacred and enduring elements in Christianity. Made of beeswax to represent the purity of Christ, the candle’s wick signifies Christ’s humanity, and the flame His Divine Nature. It is adorned with one or more Christian symbols, often the cross to represent His redemptive sacrifice; the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet - Alpha and Omega – to signify that He is the beginning and the end;
The Paschal candle is a rich symbol of our faith. It reaches its pinnacle at Easter. Each year during the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday a fire is kindled and blessed and from this fire the Paschal candle is lit and carried in procession into the dark church. The “new” fire serves as an image of the Resurrection. The candle, which represents Christ himself, is placed on a special Paschal candle stand near the altar. Five grains of incense are inserted into the candle to recall the aromatic spices that were used to prepare Christ’s body for the tomb, and the wounds in His hands, feet and side, which remained after His resurrection.
The Paschal candle remains in the Sanctuary during the full 50 days of the Easter season. After Pentecost the candle will be placed next to the baptismal font. The candle is lit during all baptisms throughout the year, passing the light of Christ to each person baptized. The candle is also used at funeral services, and placed next to the coffin during a funeral Mass, a reminder that the sacrament of Baptism is itself a death and resurrection in Christ, and testifies to Christian certainty in the resurrection of the dead and life with Christ in the world to come.
This candle, also called the Easter Candle, originated in the earliest days of Christianity, when evening prayer began with the lighting of a candle. This practice was probably inspired by the Jewish custom of lighting a lamp at the conclusion of the Sabbath. Historical references mention the Lucernarium, the evening prayer rite with which the early Christians began each Sunday vigil. The lighting of the candle dispelled the darkness and represented Christ – the Light of the World.
This solemn rite was carried out with even greater reverence during the Easter Vigil. In the time of Constantine we are told by the historian Eusebius that the emperor "transformed the night of the sacred Easter Vigil into the brilliancy of day, by lighting throughout the whole city pillars of wax, so that this mystic vigil was rendered brighter than the brightest daylight.”
In Italian basilicas the paschal candle stand was made of marble and designed as a permanent attachment to the ambo. Several of these candle stands still survive, as in the Basilica of San Lorenzo fuori le Mura (Saint Lawrence outside the Walls) in Rome, which was built in the 3rd century.
By the second half of the 4th century, a hymn in praise of the candle and the Easter mystery was sung, as referenced by Saint Jerome in 384 AD. Saints Ambrose and Augustine are known to have composed these hymns of praise.
 The precise use of the Paschal candle has varied over the centuries. Initially it was broken up after the Easter Vigil and fragments were given to the faithful, but from the 10th century onward it was kept in a place of honour near the Gospel until the Feast of the Ascension, 40 days after Easter. By the 12th century, it was common to inscribe the candle with the current year. Over time the candle grew in size to merit the description of “pillar”. By the mid-sixteenth century, some Paschal candles weighed as much as three hundred pounds, and, after use, were melted into tapers to use at the funerals of the poor.
The word "paschal" is the equivalent of the Greek paschs, derived from the Aramaic pasḥā and Hebrew pesaḥ, meaning the passing over. In the Old Testament it refers to the night the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, when God struck the houses of the Egyptians but left the Israelites untouched, thus “ passing over” or sparing them.With Christianity the word “paschal” took on a new meaning, referring to Our Lord’s passion, death, resurrection, and glorification. These events stand at the center of our faith. God's saving plan for us was accomplished by the redemptive suffering and death of Jesus. His resurrection and glorification are our assurances of eternal life - if we follow His words and His way.