Prayer and Ritual to Light and bless a candle

Lighting a candle is a symbolic gesture of deep devotion and faith, which pays homage to a spiritual entity to whom we give our desires and afflictions, asking for help and protection. Pray this prayer whenever you light a candle without it being directed to a specific saint or angel.

Prayer to pray when lighting a candle

My God,
I light this candle as a sign of my faith, of my love for You
It is the heat to warm my heart, which is the source of life and leads me to you.
My good God, sustain me and protect me in the decisions I have to make,
always makes me follow what is best for my life
So I am always under your divine protection.
Amen.

Often distributed at the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, blessed candles are powerful spiritual additions to the home.
There is a centuries-old tradition of distributing blessed candles on the feast of the Presentation of the Lord on February 2. If you received a candle from that celebration (or from a different source), what should you do with it?

First of all, the blessing included in the Roman Missal summarizes the spiritual symbolism of this sacramental.

O God, source and origin of all light,
who on this day showed the just man
the light for revelation to the Gentiles,
We humbly ask that, in response to the prayers of your people, you may please them with your blessing.

Sails, which we are eager to carry in praise to your name,
so that, stepping on the path of virtue, we reach that light that never fails.
Through Christ our Lord.

How to treat and preserve a candle after consecration

It is appropriate to leave the blessed candle in a prominent place in your home or on a prayer table. This reminds you of Jesus, the light of the world, and invites you to pray. Then, when you spend time in personal or communal prayer at home, you can light the candle to help you focus.
Candles provide a powerful spiritual environment, which even the secular world recognizes.

They can calm the heart and open us to the light of God.
Another way to use blessed candles is to take them out during severe weather. Traditionally, Catholics always lit the blessed candle during a severe storm, invoking the power of God to protect their home. And as is often the case, Catholic spiritual traditions have a practical element: the candle will come in handy if the power goes out.

Additionally, due to their association with the “Light of the World”, blessed candles are a powerful sacramental to use against lurking evil spirits. The devil lives in darkness, and so the light of the blessed candle invokes the power of God to keep the devil’s influence at bay.
Lastly, if you are unable to use the blessed candles due to fire codes, or simply because the candle is no longer usable, it is best to dispose of it properly:

Catholics are instructed to dispose of old sacramentals in a manner that shows proper reverence. All sacramentals may be burned or buried for proper disposal. This type of arrangement honors their sacred purpose and returns them to the land in a dignified manner. If a person is unable to do either, the sacramental can be left in the parish office and someone on staff can take care of it.

The blessed candles can be kept and, in some places, put together and melted down to create the Easter candle. This custom is not practiced everywhere, so contact your local parish or monastery to see if they do.

If you are looking for something to enhance your spiritual life, consider using blessed candles to illuminate your soul and bring it out of the darkness.

video HOW TO CONSECRATE, BAPTIZE AND PREPARE THE CANDLES