Candles, arising from St. Augustine
“In this we know that we love the sons of God."9 What is this, brethren? Just now he was speaking of the Son of God, not of sons of God: lo, here one Christ was set before us to contemplate, and we were told, "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat," i, e. the Father, "loveth Him also that is begotten of Him," i.e. the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. And he goes on: "In this we know that we love the sons of God;" as if he bad been about to say, "In this we know that we love the Son of God." He has said, "the sons of God," whereas he was speaking just before of the Son of God-because the sons of God are the Body of the Only Son of God, and when He is the Head, we the members, it is one Son of God. Therefore, he that loves the sons of God, loves the Son of God, and he that loves the Son of God, loves the Father; nor can any love the Father except he love the Son, and he that loves the sons, loves also the Son of God. What sons of God? The members of the Son of God. And by loving he becomes himself a member, and comes through love to be in the frame of the body of Christ, so there shall be one Christ, loving Himself. For when the members love one another, the body loves itself.” (from St. Augustine, Homily X on St. John 1, Section 3)
Diary entry, arising from contemplation on the morsel “there shall be one Christ, loving himself”
We’re like candles, each with our own fragrance, color, shape, size, even vessel, placed on different tables, in different tabernacles, all over the world. He lights each of us if we wish it. He is loathe to let us sit on some tabletop in some corner gathering dust. When we consent to be lit, we are immediately lit, God can hardly contain his joy — he is eager for our fragrance, our color, our particular way of burning, of manifesting that same light. Every fire is the same fire; every candle its own life. God makes each candle eternal — as we burn down, He is as if beneath us, adding on more wax and wick. He will never stop supplying it, and our consent, our desire keeps the flame lit. Our angels, especially our guardian angels, diligently cup the flame against errant winds, tremors; they take the present perils to the tabernacle of heaven…from thence does additional and all assistance flow. And we go on burning — giving off that lovely light and our sweet versions of His fragrance. All together combined, it smells like incense, and glows like an immense and perfect star.