WHY ARE VIGIL LAMPS LIT BEFORE ICONS?

First—because our faith is light.

Christ said: I am the light of the world (John 8:12).
The light of the vigil lamp reminds us of
that light by which Christ illumines our souls.

Second—in order to remind us
of the radiant character of the saint before
whose icon we light the vigil lamp,
for saints are called sons of light
(John 12:36, Luke 16:8).

Third—in order to serve as a reproach to us
for our dark deeds, for our evil thoughts and desires,
and in order to call us to the path of evangelical light;
and so that we would more zealously try
to fulfill the commandments of the Saviour:

“Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works” (Matt. 5:16).

Fourth—so that the vigil lamp
would be our small sacrifice to God,
Who gave Himself complete­ly as a sacrifice for us,
and as a small sign of our great gratitude
and radiant love for Him from Whom
we ask in prayer for life, and health, and sal­vation
and everything that only boundless heavenly,
love can bestow.

Fifth—so that terror would strike the evil pow­ers
who sometimes assail us
even at the time of prayer
and lead away our thoughts from the Crea­tor.
The evil powers love the darkness
and tremble at every light,
especially at that which belongs to God
and to those who please Him.

Sixth—so that this light would rouse us
to self­lessness.
Just as the oil and wick burn in the vigil lamp,
submissive to our will,
so let our souls also burn with the flame of love
in all our sufferings,
always being submissive to God’s will.

Seventh—in order to teach us
that just as the vigil lamp cannot be lit without our hand,
so too, our heart, our inward vigil lamp,
cannot be lit with­out the holy fire of God’s grace,
even if it were to be filled with all the virtues.
All these virtues of ours are, after all,
like combustible material,
but the fire which ignites them proceeds from God.

Eighth—in order to remind us that before any­thing else
the Creator of the world created light,
and after that everything else in order:
And God said, let there be light: 
and there was light (Genesis 1:3).

And it must be so also at the beginning of our spiritual life,
so that before anything else
the light of Christ’s truth would shine within us.

From this light of Christ’s truth
subsequently every good is created,
springs up and grows in us.

May the Light of Christ illumine you as well!

By: Bishop Nikolai Velimirovich