The Sanctuary Lamp

We get so used to our surroundings in the church we sometimes overlook the little but significant things. One of those items I’d like to point out this week is the sanctuary lamp.

Some of us might have forgotten about its existence, while others might not even know about it. This lamp is usually a large candle with a red glass covering over it, found near the tabernacle. In our church you can see it on the back wall of the sanctuary, to the right of the niche where our statue of St. Thomas More is.

Church regulations require that a lamp remain burning whenever the Blessed Sacrament is in the tabernacle. Yes, this light is an indication of the Real Presence in our physical church! It must not be an electric light, but a real candle fed by oil or wax. This lamp remains lit even when the church is locked up for the night. The only time you will not see it lit is when we transfer the Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose on Holy Thursday, and when it is kept in a safe place until Easter Vigil (candles are lit separately in those locations).

In this lamp, we are reminded of God’s command in the Old Testament to have a lamp which is filled with pure olive oil remain lit near the tabernacle, a tent of cloth for the presence of God (Ex. 27:20-21). For us, the sanctuary lamp represents Christ, our light, and his never dimming presence not only in the Tabernacle, but also in our lives.

My recommendation for all of us is to take time either today or in the coming week to be in the church and find the sanctuary lamp, then prepare for some quiet reflection. Take a few minutes to sit before it and pray. Let us thank God for loving us eternally and for sending his only Son for our sake, and pray that we may come closer to Christ through his Real Presence in the Eucharist.

“May the fire of God’s love burn brightly and steadfastly in our hearts like the golden light within the sanctuary lamp.” - Prayer of St. Columba in the Dubh Regles (“Black Church”) of Derry.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Contact me at eucharist@stmli.org.