A church lamp is considered one of the main symbols of a person’s unquenchable faith in God.

In ancient times, Christians illuminated dark caves with it, where local residents gathered to perform Divine services. There they hid from possible attacks from enemies and pursuers.

Later, lamps began to be used as decoration for churches and temples, as well as for various church sacraments.

In simple words, a lamp is a modified candle, the flame of which does not go out for a long time. Depending on the dimensions, methods of use and application, there are several types of lamps:

• table and wall;
• hanging - found only in churches and temples;
• extinguishable;
• inextinguishable (with continuous burning) - located near icons, relics of saints, revered shrines;
• for church processions - short candles of wide diameter are used, inserted into an oblong vessel, which promotes long and even burning;
• for home use.

The main components of the lamp are a paraffin reservoir, a stand of any shape, and a colored crystal glass on it. Red is used for Easter, blue or colorless is used during Lent, green is used daily.

The meaning of a church lamp

The smoldering lamp symbolizes the outlines of Divine light emanating from heaven. The luminous attributes of temples were never used for their intended purpose. They personify spirituality and make a believer think about the most intimate things.

Thinking begins about what has been done in this life and how much remains to be done, about the meaning of existence and the afterlife. At such moments, enlightenment comes, and all bad deeds are revealed, for which you must repent.

A lamp burning in front of the image of a saint means sincere gratitude to him for the forgiveness and salvation of the soul. Cemetery lights mean a kind of prayer for forgiveness of the sins of the deceased. In a home setting, a lamp indicates observance of the rules of God's law.

It is worth noting: You cannot approach the lamp with a bad mood and a closed heart. A person must be determined to communicate with God. What happens in the soul at this moment is considered especially valuable.

How to make a lamp

Making it yourself is not at all difficult. First you need to decide on the basis. It can be any kind of tin can, for example, coffee or cookies. The color can also be absolutely any.

So where to start:

1. Prepare medium-hard wire and a ballpoint pen.
2. Place the rod crosswise on top of the wire. Wrap it with wire to form a spiral, and each curl fits tightly to each other.
3. Take out the rod and place the resulting holder exactly in the center of the can on the side of the hole. The protrusion beyond the base should not exceed 0.5 cm.
4. Punch small holes on the sides of the jar with an awl through which the holder will pass.
5. Pull it through the holes, bending the protruding ends.

To make a wick, you will need a small piece of medical bandage, which must be cut into two equal parts. On one side we tie the resulting strips into a knot, roll them up well and tie them.

We drag the wick into the holder with a thin wire, pulling out 2 cm, and cut out the top knot. Then fill the lamp with oil and carefully light it.

When can you light a lamp at home in front of icons?

Despite the fact that the lamp is a powerful symbol of turning to God, you can pray at home without it. If you still decide to light a church lamp, then there is no need to attach any supernatural significance to this.

Many people mistakenly claim that the flame is sacred and the smoke has magical powers. In fact, lighting a lamp is a good old tradition that does not contain any sacred meaning.

It is used on church holidays, during Sunday services, during daily prayers, even on ordinary days its use is not prohibited.

Why does the lamp go out?

Possible reasons for short burning or constant flame extinction are the following factors:

• strong draft in the room;
• lack of oil;
• the presence of synthetics in the wick instead of cotton fabric;
• formed soot crust;
• The wick is too thick or thin.

How to light a lamp correctly

1. The wick inserted into the float is pulled to the middle and dipped into the oil with the edge that will then need to be set on fire.
2. Pull it out by the dry side so that the edge of the wick stands out by 2 - 3 mm;
3. The float is positioned so that the wick is completely immersed in the oil.
4. They light the lamp with a flame from a consecrated church candle (it is prohibited to do this with a match or lighter).

Why does the lamp smoke?

The main cause of heavy soot is an incorrectly made wick. Its size should not exceed a match head. If it is significantly larger, it is recommended to shorten it, then the fire will decrease and the soot will stop.

The main thing is not to make your home like a church with constantly burning lamps. Still, at home you need not only to pray, but also to simply live. Therefore, one or two places to use them are enough.

Priest Andrei Chizhenko explains.

According to Orthodox doctrine, man is a two-part being: spiritual and physical. The soul is the image and likeness of God in man. Through the body, a person connects with the material animal world. This is the great task of man. To deify oneself (that is, to begin the path of ascent to God, the path of knowing Him, uniting with Him, or rather, with Divine uncreated energies) and through deification to deify and sanctify the rest of material nature, since man is its center and king. It seems to exist at the intersection of two worlds - spiritual and material. Based on this, the human body is a collaborator with the soul in the matter of salvation. It is the essence of the temple of God. This is why Orthodoxy treats the body so carefully. This can be seen from the burial order.

Therefore, all Church Sacraments and, as a consequence, divine services also have a dual nature. Example: in the Sacrament of Baptism, the priest invokes the name of the Holy Trinity - this is the spiritual main component. But the substance of baptism is completely material – water. Sacrament of Communion. Its core is the Body and Blood of Christ. And the substances for the Sacrament are prosphora, wine, water. Therefore, Orthodox worship influences the grace of the Holy Spirit not only on the soul, but also on the body. Anointing oil (touch), ringing bells, singing (hearing), icons, painting (sight), prosphora, Epiphany water (taste), burning incense (smell).

The family is a small church. This is also a kind of service to God and one’s neighbors. Naturally, we want God’s grace to sanctify ourselves and our homes, to protect us from all evil and defilement. In addition, in paradise the righteous and holy angels are in continuous worship - the praise of the Almighty. Therefore, with God’s help, we try to continue church services (within reasonable limits, of course) at home. Similar to this is the monastic rite of panagia (from Greek - “all-holy”), when the Mother of God prosphora, from which a piece is taken out in honor of the Virgin Mary at the proskomedia after the Liturgy, the monks solemnly transfer from the temple to the refectory, where they eat it with certain prayers, and then begin meal. Thus, the Liturgy seems to continue, and it continues in the cell conditions of monastic dormitories. In a spiritual sense, approximately the same thing happens to us when we seem to “bring the temple and worship home,” arranging from our lives a worship service, a sacrifice to the Almighty. That’s why, for example, earlier in every Orthodox home there was a “red” (beautiful from outdated) corner where icons were placed, incense was burned, and a lamp was lit. Often it was made to the east, like the altar of a temple. As a matter of fact, the red corner is a kind of home altar. In general, this is a very good tradition. Correct. The family makes a feasible sacrifice to God and arranges a dwelling for Him in their house, and He, of course, settles in it, because the loving hearts of His children long for a meeting with their Heavenly Father.

It is not always possible, of course, to arrange a red corner to the east in modern conditions, but, in principle, every family can do it. This is our expression of love for God. The only thing I would like to say about this is from experience... It is still necessary for images of saints separate space in the house, so to speak, to clear it of other worldly things. Otherwise, you often see in houses how icons are filled with glasses or other completely worldly things. Sometimes other involuntary sacrilegious acts occur when icons are placed together with the increasingly popular Japanese netsuke gods, various “money toads” that “bring” wealth and success, or erotic paintings. Of course, this is unacceptable. A person must understand himself, Whom he serves: Christ or Belial. It is better to throw away or burn pagan idols and not keep them at home.

As for the lamp, for example, for me it burns constantly for days. Let us remember the parable of the ten virgins (see Matt. 25:1–13). In my opinion, a burning lamp, caring for it, buying lamp oil, candles for lighting it is our feasible sacrifice to Christ (a kind of tactile prayer to God) and a feasible financial sacrifice to the Church (lamp oil, candles, wicks, the lamp itself). Some people light a lamp before prayer. This is also good and beneficial. God will accept any sacrifice feasible for a person if it is made with reverence and a loving heart. The lamp, of course, is lit in front of the icons.

From my experience I will say that for a lamp it is better to take purified specialized lamp oil. No matter how much I tried to use regular sunflower oil and even refined sunflower oil, it burned poorly, the lamp smoked and became clogged.

As for incense - incense and incense, it is also quite possible to use it at home. You just need to not imitate censing by a clergyman in the temple (this is still the prerogative of the priest), but rather burn incense rather than burn incense with it.

Now in church shops there is a very large selection of both incense and censers. There are special “spiders” - light metal structures that are attached to the lamp. There is a platform on top of them. Incense is placed on it. From the warmth of the lamp fire, the metal heats up - and the incense begins to smell fragrant. There are special stationary censers - clay, porcelain, metal. They need coal. It is lit, placed in a censer, and pieces of incense are placed on top. The lid of this censer has special holes for smoke. You can light censers before prayer, you can walk through the house with the Jesus Prayer or any other prayer, filling its rooms with a heartfelt appeal to God, which rises into the sky as easily as smoke from a censer.

Burnt coals should be disposed of as follows. If you live in a private house, it is advisable to make a hole in clean soil in the front yard or garden, perhaps under a tree or bush, where you can shake out the ashes (including incense) from burning consecrated things. You can throw ashes into running water or into a river. If you live in an apartment, then it is also advisable to burn the remains of consecrated things somewhere in the park or in flower beds, then bury the ashes in clean soil. You can shake out the remains of burnt coal into flowerpots with indoor plants.

What I would like to warn against.

There is no need to turn your entire house into a church. It is important to understand that you should not only pray in the house, but also live. One or two or three places in the house allocated for spiritual needs are enough. Leave space in your home for yourself, your spouse, and your children. Everything is good in moderation.

Priest Andrey Chizhenko

In the homes of Orthodox Christians, it is customary to hang or place lamps on a stand in front of icons. This is an ancient pious tradition that symbolizes the constant prayer of Christians to God. If there is no lamp in the house, then this house is, as it were, spiritually blind, dark, and the Name of God is not always glorified here.
There can be either one lamp or more in the house. There is a pious tradition of lighting unquenchable lamps in houses, which burn both at night and when the owners are not at home. But in modern conditions this is not always possible or desirable, as it can become a temptation for non-believers or family members of little faith. Most often, a Christian lights a lamp when he comes home and does not turn it off until he leaves home. If there are no lamps, church candles are lit during prayer.

Modern ascetics say that a lit lamp cleanses the air of all filth and then grace reigns in the house.

Under no circumstances SHOULD YOU USE THE FIRE OF A LAMP FOR HOUSEHOLD PURPOSES - this is disrespectful to the shrine.

IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO LIGHT A LAMP FROM A MATCH; a church candle is used for this. They used to say about irreverent monks in monasteries: “He lights a lamp with a match...” Lamp oil (originally olive oil), as well as a wick, can be bought in a church shop or in an Orthodox store. You can make a wick yourself from a bandage or other rag: a narrow strip of thin material is tightly twisted into a rope and pulled through the float of the lamp. The lamps come in different colors - red, blue, green. There is a tradition of lighting darker-colored lamps (blue, green) during Lent, and red ones on holidays.

The hanging lamp is attached to the ceiling or to the icon case. It is customary to hang it near the most revered icons. There is a pious tradition, in case of illness or unfavorable circumstances, to ANOINT children and loved ones with OIL FROM THE LAMP in a cross shape. This is what St. Seraphim of Sarov did, anointing everyone who came to him with oil from the lamp.

The lamp light does not need to burn very strongly and smoke; it is enough for it to be the size of one or two match heads. Children should be taught to light a lamp.

CLEANING THE LAMP: it is better to have a separate container for this; you cannot pour the water in which you cleaned and washed the lamp into the general sewer drain, because there may be oil residues in the lamp, and this is already a shrine. We pour the water somewhere under a tree where no one walks.

PRAYER READ WHEN LIGHTING THE LAMP
“Light up, Lord, the extinguished lamp of my soul with the light of virtue and enlighten me, Your creation, the Creator and Benefactor. For You are the immaterial Light of the world, accept this material offering: light and fire, and reward me with inner light to the mind and fire to the heart. Amen".

Lamp(Greek "lamp") - this is a lamp filled with oil, lit in front of the icons, on the throne and the seven-branched candlestick. The symbolic meaning of the lamp is the eternal flame of faith in Christ, dispelling the darkness of evil and unbelief. In the homes of Orthodox Christians, it is customary to hang or place lamps on a stand in front of icons. This is an ancient pious tradition that symbolizes the constant prayer of Christians to God. If there is no lamp in the house, then this house is, as it were, spiritually blind, dark, and the Name of God is not always glorified here.

It is also written in the Old Testament: “And the Lord said to Moses... that the lamp should burn continually; outside the veil of the ark of the testimony in the tabernacle of meeting, Aaron (and his sons) must set it up before the Lord from evening to morning always; this is an everlasting statute throughout your generations; They shall always set up their lamps before the Lord on a clean candlestick.”(Lev. 24:1-4).

There can be either one lamp or more in the house. There is a pious tradition of lighting unquenchable lamps in houses, which burn both at night and when the owners are not at home. But in modern conditions this is not always possible or desirable, as it can become a temptation for non-believers or family members of little faith. Most often, a Christian lights a lamp when he comes home and does not turn it off until he leaves home. If there are no lamps, church candles are lit during prayer.

Modern ascetics say that a lit lamp cleanses the air of all filth and then grace reigns in the house. In no case should you use the fire from a lamp for domestic purposes - this is disrespectful to the shrine. It is not customary to light a lamp with a match; a church candle is used for this. They used to say about irreverent monks in monasteries: “He lights a lamp with a match...”

The lamp light does not need to burn very strongly and smoke; it is enough for it to be the size of one or two match heads.

For the lamp they use lamp oil (originally olive oil), which can be bought in a church shop in any church.

The lamp can only be lit from a candle, with prayer and reverence. There is a special prayer read when the lamp is lit: “Light up, Lord, the extinguished lamp of my soul with the light of virtue and enlighten me, Your creation, the Creator and Benefactor. For You are the immaterial Light of the world, accept this material offering: light and fire, and reward me with inner light to the mind and fire to the heart. Amen".

Saint Nikolay Serbsky wrote the following about why we light lamps:

Firstly, because our faith is light . Christ said: "I am the light of the world"(John 8:12). The light of the lamp reminds us of the light with which the Savior illuminates our souls.

Secondly, in order to remind us of the bright character of the saint, in front of whose icon we light a lamp. For the saints are called “sons of light” (John 12:36).

Third, in order to serve as a reproach for our dark deeds, evil thoughts and desires, and in order to call us onto the path of the gospel light so that we would be more zealous about fulfilling the Savior’s commandment: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works.”(Matt. 5:16).

Fourthly, so that she becomes our small sacrifice to the Lord Who sacrificed all of Himself for us, a small sign of great gratitude and our bright love to the One from whom in our prayers we ask for life, health and salvation - all that only boundless Heavenly Love can give.

Fifthly, to frighten the forces of evil that sometimes attack us during prayer, diverting our thoughts from the Creator . For the forces of evil love darkness and tremble at light, especially that which serves God and His saints.

At sixth, to encourage us to sacrifice. Just as oil and wick burn in a lamp , obedient to our will, Let our souls also burn with the flame of love, submissive to the will of God in all suffering.

Seventh, to remind us that just as a lamp cannot light up without our hand, so our heart, this inner lamp of ours, cannot light up without the holy fire of Divine grace, even if it is filled with all virtue. For our virtues are fuel that the Lord ignites with His fire.

Church of the Life-Giving Trinity on Sparrow Hills

Icon lamp - This is an oil lamp that is usually lit above icons. The life of righteous Martha tells the story of why it is important to light a lamp.

Why do you need a lamp in the house?

The lamp is a symbol of constant, unceasing prayer to Christ. She is also a symbol of piety. Where the lamp is lit, God's Grace spreads. If the fire of the lamp does not illuminate the icon or the red corner of the house, then usually candles bought in the church are lit during prayer.

The fire of the lamp, burning incessantly, symbolizes eternal faith in God. Her fire disperses evil and spiritual darkness.

How to light a lamp in the house correctly

Now lamps hang above icons in churches, but modern ascetics recommend hanging them in every Christian’s home. For example, in the red corner near any icon. A believer needs to light it when he is at home and extinguish it when he leaves.

Oil and wick for the lamp can be purchased at the church store. Lamps come in different colors. There is a popular belief that red lamps are lit only on holidays, and dark ones (green and blue) - on ordinary days.These are just popular superstitions. It makes no difference which lamp you light.

The fire of the lamp is smoking (emitting soot). A small flame of about half a centimeter is enough. Before lighting a lamp, you should cross yourself and then light the lamp with humility.