Easter Candle Stand

Crist resurrection is represented by light

It is the light of Christ that defeats the darkness of sin and death and rise in glory. Light, a natural element, becomes a symbol of life, joy and hope. Hence, to lit the Easter Candle means to bring to mind Christ’s victory, as well as allow Him to guide us with his light and inflame us with his fire.
At Saint Helena Parish, the Easter Candle is placed on an iron structure formed by three crosses. The Cross in the middle, at 3* feet high, represents the Cross of Jesus. Its horizontal arm has a 7* degree inclination to the right, where it intersects with a second cross. This second cross on the right represents the one on which, according to Holy Scripture , the good thieve was also crucified (See Luke 23: 33.39 – 43). To the left, there is a third cross, shorter than the previous two; on which again according to Holy Scripture, was crucified the thief that to his last breath remained defiant and unrepentant.
The whole structure is named Calvary, to remind us that at Jesus’ place of crucifixion there were also two other crosses, one at his right and one at his left, with an equal number of people, that despite the fact that both of them were witnessing the same salvific event first hand, each one of them reacted in a very different way. It reminds us that salvation if given to us, but ultimately it is entirely up to us to either accept or refuse it. The Easter candle sits at the top or the structure as a way to remind us also that there is no way for any of us to accept and benefit from the gift of salvation without first being transformed by the mystery of Jesus passion and death at Calvary.
The structure was meticulously designed in its measurements evoking several teachings of the Christian faith. However, once it was completed, an astonishing detail came up: the structure’s total weight is 33 pounds!

*The number three appears 467 times in the Bible, and its meaning is quite relevant: three means integrity and perfection, and for the particular case of this liturgical artifact at Saint Helena’s, it is meant to represent the integrity and perfection of Christ’s work of redemption.
**The number seven appears 735 times in the Bible, and it means holiness. The seven degrees inclination in the Cross horizontal arm evokes the gratuity of Salvation offered to humanity by Jesus’ atonement on the Cross.