> WHY ARE VIGIL LIGHTS LIT BEFORE ICONS?
> By St. Nicolai Velimirovich
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> FIRST -- because Christ said: "I am the light of the world" (Jn 8:12). The
> lamp reminds us of our faith that Christ illumines our souls.
>
> SECOND -- to remind us of the radiance of the saint before whose icon we
> light the lamp, for they are sons of light (Jn 12:36, Lk 16:
.
>
> THIRD -- as a reproach for our dark deeds, evil thoughts and desires, and to
> call us to the path of evangelical light; so that we would more zealously
> fulfill the commandment of the Savior: "Let you light so shine before men,
> that they may see your good works" (Mt. 5:16).
>
> FOURTH -- as a small sacrifice to God who gave Himself completely as a
> sacrifice for us; as a small sign of our great gratitude and radiant love
> for Him from Whom we ask for life, health, salvation and everything that
> only boundless heavenly love can bestow.
>
> FIFTH -- to strike the evil powers that assail us even when we pray, leading
> our mind away from the Creator; for they love darkness and tremble at light,
> especially that of God and those who please Him.
>
> SIXTH -- to rouse us to selflessness; for just as the oil and wick are
> submissive to our will, so our souls should burn with the flame of love in
> all our sufferings, always being submissive to God's will.
>
> SEVENTH -- to teach us that as a vigil lamp cannot be lit without our hand,
> so our heart, our inner lamp, cannot be lit without the holy fire of God's
> grace, even if filled with virtues for they, after all, are combustible
> material, but the fire that ignites them comes from God.
>
> EIGHTH -- to remind us that before anything else, the Creator of the world
> created light, and then everything else in order: "And God said, let there
> be light: and there was light" (Gen 1:3). And it must be so also at the
> beginning of our spiritual life, so that before all else the light of
> Christ's truth would shine in us. From this light then, every good deed is
> created, springs up and grows in us.
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Orthodoc
