Keeping Easter Alive: Make a Paschal Candle for home

Easter is a long season – 50 days. How sad that so many think of Easter as a single day? Learn how you can keep Easter alive for your children and students throughout this glorious season. Here’s a fun, easy and memorable activity: Make your own Paschal Candle.

How to make your own Paschal Candle

What you’ll need:

• Large white candle
• Red Sculpey clay
• Straight pins
• A small picture (lamb, dolphin, peacock tail, wheats/grapes)
• Four whole cloves

Directions:

1. Use red clay to create a raised pattern, so the symbols are visible. Role two long snakes of clay, and cut to fit to make a cross. Secure the cross onto the candle with straight pins.

2. Roll out more snakes with clay. Make the symbols for the alpha and omega. Pin the alpha symbol on top of the cross and the omega symbol under the cross. Alpha means “beginning” and omega means “end” in Greek. As the light of the world and the Word of God, Christ is the beginning and end, world without end.

3. Roll out more clay to make the numerals for the year 2010. Pin the “2” in the top left corner of the cross, the “0” in the top right corner of the cross, the “1” on the left bottom of the cross and the last “0” in the right bottom of the cross.

4. Underneath you can add symbolic pictures of a lamb, wheat and grapes, a dolphin or peacock tail – all ancient symbols of redemption. You can make these on paper with bright colors and pin them on, or you can use acrylic paint to paint directly onto the candle.

5. Take four whole cloves and press them at the ends of each point of the cross. They symbolize both the nails of Christ’s suffering and incense and sacrifice.

 

Why a Paschal Candle?

Jesus is the light of the world, and the Paschal candle honors His presence in our lives, our churches,our homes (the domestic church) and in our world. We are called to carry His Light to all the corners of the world and to each person we encounter – each of whom shows us the face of Christ.

 Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

History of the Paschal Candle Tradition

Lighting the Paschal Candle is part of the Easter Vigil service, and it relates to the Jewish practice of lighting a lamp at the end of the Sabbath. In the early years of the church, through the 10^th century, the Paschal Candle would be broken up and distributed to parishioners after the Easter Vigil. After that time, it became customary to keep the Paschal Candle at the altar.  It is lighted for all the 50 days of Easter, and remains part of the sacramentals at the altar throughout the year.

But, after the Easter season ends, the Paschal Candle is only lighted at baptisms and funerals – the beginning and the end of our earthly lives.

Watch Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s message about how to carry Christ’s light into the world!