Here's a spiritual lesson you can try at home. Take a candle that has never been lit, and also a lighter. Using the lighter, pass its flame over the wick. Note how it does not immediately light. Do it again. Still no light, right? Now, hold the flame on the wick until you confirm that it has lit. Now, blow the candle out. Walk away for 5 minutes, then come back and repeat the above. Note that now that the wick has supported a flame, the candle lights with much less effort. Now as a final step, light the candle, blow it out, then immediately pass the lighter flame NEAR the wick. See how the flame leaps to the wick and it burns fully. What is the purpose of this effort? A candle is emblematic of our prayers. If we do not pray, we are like the candle that has never been lit. The flame must remain with us for a long time for us to show our prayer. Once we have approached prayer, we are like the candle which has been lit, and it becomes easier for us to support the flame, to engage in profitable prayers. It takes less to get us going! Finally, if we are praying but have our prayer interrupted, then re-engage it quickly, the flame leaps to light the way. So it is with our prayer. Thank you, St. Paul, for teaching us that we need to pray without ceasing! (1Thes 5:16-18)
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