A: There are two main reasons why the church uses 100 % beeswax candles instead of those which are paraffin-based. On one level, a spiritual level, beeswax is a pure substance which burns cleanly and leaves behind the slight, sweet aroma of honey; ergo it is a pure offering. As St. Simeon of Thessalonika writes, "Beeswax, as a most pure substance, represents our pure and sincere offering; beeswax as a soft substance represents our obedience and readiness to repent of our sins of our life; beeswax gathered from fragrant flowers represents the grace of the Holy Spirit; beeswax produced from a multitude of flowers represents an offering made by all Christians; beeswax as a burning substance represents our nature being purified by divine fire; and beeswax, which the fire consumes while the light burns continually, represents the unity and strength of our mutual love and peace."
On another level, a practical level, because beeswax burns cleaner, it does not deposit an oily, sooty film throughout the church like paraffin candles do. Therefore beeswax, on all levels, has been the candle of choice for centuries.
Fr. John
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