Jacobson Farm

Source: Get Fed: Bite-Sized Faith
Do you know what the symbols on the Paschal Candle mean?

If you look closely at that candle, you’ll notice something else…it’s covered in symbols. None of them are decorative. Every one of them is intentional

At the Easter Vigil, the church begins in darkness.

Then a single flame appears.

The Paschal Candle is carried into the church, and the priest proclaims, “The Light of Christ.” One by one, the entire church fills with light.

It is one of the most striking moments of the year.

But if you look closely at that candle, you’ll notice something else…it’s covered in symbols. None of them are decorative. Every one of them is intentional.

Paschal Candle
The Cross

At the center of the candle is always a cross.

This reminds us that the Resurrection cannot be separated from the Cross. Christ conquers death not by avoiding suffering, but by passing through it.

Alpha and Omega

You’ll usually see two Greek letters: Α (Alpha) and Ω (Omega).

These come directly from Scripture:

“I am the Alpha and the Omega… the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13).

They remind us that Christ is Lord of all time—everything begins and ends in Him.

The Year

The current year is inscribed on the candle.

This is easy to overlook, but it matters.

It means that the Resurrection is not just something that happened once long ago. Christ is alive now, in this moment, in this year.

The Five Grains of Incense

Five small “nails” or grains of incense are inserted into the candle.

They represent the five wounds of Christ: His hands, His feet, and His side.

Even in the light of the Resurrection, the wounds remain.

The Flame

And of course, the flame itself.

The Paschal Candle represents Christ as the Light of the World (John 8:12). It is lit at Easter, but it does not disappear after that.

It appears again at baptisms and funerals—at the beginning of life in Christ, and at the end—reminding us that His light does not go out.

All of these symbols together tell one story:

Christ has died.
Christ is risen.
Christ is Lord of time, of suffering, and of life itself.

It’s easy to miss these details in the moment. But once you see them, you begin to realize that the Paschal Candle is not just part of the liturgy—it is a kind of silent proclamation of the Gospel.

Source: Get Fed
How do the saints help us to offer it up?

These holy men and women did not cling to their comfort. They embraced their crosses as a way to follow Christ more closely.

Suffering is a mystery that every human being faces. It can feel isolating, confusing, and heavy. Yet in the life of the Church there is a great cloud of witnesses who show us that suffering can be transformed when united with Christ.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that suffering has a place in God’s plan. When a person offers their pain in union with Christ’s suffering, it can become a participation in the redemptive love of Jesus for the world (CCC 1505). This does not make suffering good in itself, but it does unite it with a greater purpose.

We see this truth reflected in Scripture. Saint Paul wrote from prison that he rejoiced in his sufferings because they “produce endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3-4). Paul did not romanticize hardship, but he showed how it can be embraced as part of the life of faith.

The saints are living examples of this transformation. Their lives did not bypass suffering. Instead, they walked through it with faith.

Consider the example of St. Therese of Lisieux. She suffered from tuberculosis for years, enduring pain, weakness, and spiritual dryness. Yet she offered each moment for the salvation of souls, writing in her journal that she desired to be “love in the heart of the Church.” Her Little Way teaches us that even the smallest sufferings, when offered in love, participate in Christ’s own offering.

Or consider St. Gemma Galgani, who endured chronic illness and intense spiritual trials. She offered her suffering for the Church and for souls, accepting pain as a way of staying close to the wounded heart of Christ. She often said that suffering, when united with Jesus, becomes an instrument of love.

Saint Padre Pio carried deep suffering, bearing physical pain along with the spiritual battle of temptation and intercession for souls. His life illustrates that suffering can deepen our compassion for others and draw us into greater prayer and dependence on God, especially when we offer it up for souls.

These holy men and women did not cling to their comfort. They embraced their crosses as a way to follow Christ more closely. This echoes the words of Jesus Himself: “If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). The cross is never a burden we carry alone. It is the place where we meet Christ and where our suffering is taken up into His saving work.

Suffering can make us feel abandoned, but the saints teach us that we are never truly alone. Their lives remind us that God walks with us in our pain. In offering our suffering with faith, we join a long communion of saints who have turned suffering into prayer, love, and hope.