Light is a symbol for Christians of holiness, wisdom, grace, hope, and God's revelation. Darkness has been associated with evil, sin, and despair. As Jesus said:
“I am the light of the world: he that follows me shall not
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life”.
John 8 v 12.
Before the 13th-century your thought
could be given a new understanding with the intervention of God and this was
described as an illumination. A divine light would provide revelation; it was
supernatural. Slowly theologians changed this to grace; by the grace of God
something was achieved. On occasion a lightbulb moment is still used to explain
how someone has come to a new understanding. The common view now is the process
of acquiring knowledge and understanding through rational and analytical thought,
measured experience and the senses. Christians would add that a spiritual understanding
involves seeing the light in the form of Christ.
Candles lit for remembering Ukraine |
Consequently, much that occurs in
religion has a context of light. It was an important issue in the 7th-century. The
Synod of Whitby settled several issues, especially the dating of Easter. It was
established that at the Spring Equinox, falling on the 19, 20 or 21 March, the
length of day equalled the length of night. At the first full moon that followed,
the 24 hours for that day was filled with full moonlight and full sunlight
(assuming no clouds) and thus light had overcome darkness. Easter was then the
first Sunday to follow. This calculation, Computus, emphasised Jesus’s
words. It was an important aspect for both Wilfrid and Bede. If Easter was the
hope in resurrection then it needed much light.
Bede
Early baptised Christians were known to have been illumined and Easter was the time for this life changing event. The apostle Paul wrote:
“For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated,
have tasted also the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost”. Vulgate Hebrews 6 v 4.
In modern translations the word inluminati becomes
enlightened and it has been questioned whether a light was physically present
at baptism and instead is synonymous for understanding. Some think it likely
those baptised were given a lighted taper in the way a candle is given today.
The orthodox church presents it as with baptism you are illumined with the
grace and power of the Holy Spirit.
There is no evidence of any
ceremonial use of lights in Christian worship during its first two or three centuries,
which is unsurprising since it had to be a secretive religion.[1]
There were Christian practices occurring in some of the catacombs and for this
purpose small terra-cotta lamps, plain or decorated with Christian symbols,
were used, as is attested by the numerous discoveries in the catacombs.
Paschal
candle lit either in the late Saturday or early Easter Sunday morning service.
It is also used for lighting baptismal candles.
Aldhelm, Abbot of Malmesbury and Biship of Sherborne, wrote a poem, 689–709, and described the church of St Mary built by Bugga, possibly his sister, and it gave an insight into a late 7th century church. It was described as rectangular, lofty and with 12 altars. It glowed within with gentle light, presumably from oil lamps or bee’s wax candles. It had glass windows. The altar cloth glistened with gold twisted threads. A gold chalice had jewels attached and the paten was silver. A main cross was burnished gold and silver and had jewels attached. A metal censer embossed on all sides hung down by chains and through openings, it let out the smell of frankincense.
Choir stalls with candles and overhead electric lighting. |
High altar candle. Candles on the altar did not occur before the 12th-century. |
Eighth century Gospel books, such as St Chad’s Gospels, were illuminated. They had painted pages to illustrate symbolically parts of the Bible. Some hold such texts must be enhanced with gold and silver pigments which can reflect the light. The presence of such metals in the St Chad’s Gospels has still to be proved analytically, but if the Gospels follow the convention of the time they should be present.
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