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Remembering that Christmas is the feast of lights, and we are celebrating the coming of the Light of the World, try your hand at making candles with the family.
The first step at making candles is deciding what kind of candle do you want to make: rolled, dipped, or poured candles, in taper, pillar, votive, or other shape? Think about the year ahead and what kind of candles you would like to use through the Church year. There are Advent candles, candles to have blessed on February 2nd, baptismal candles, Christ Candle, Mary Candle, Lumen Christi or Paschal Candle.
Making a Paschal pillar candle now would be a great idea, so it can be blessed on Candlemas day, February 2nd. Then during Lent everyone can decorate it. Starting now can help the learning curve. A great thing about the craft medium of candles -- if you make a mistake, it can be melted down and started again.
If you can, try to find some beeswax and make at least 51% beeswax. The candles smell wonderful, burn cleaner, less drips, and burn longer.
Candle kits and candle making supplies are readily available at most craft stores and many stores online. For detailed directions on how to make candles, see Candles 101.
Candles and beeswax have played a large role in the liturgy, including in the older translation of the Exsultet (or Exultet )at the Easter Vigil, which honors the bees for their beeswax. For more reading, see
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St. Raymond devoted much of his life to helping the poor. The famous incident which is recounted in the story of Raymond's life took place when he went with King James to Majorca. The King dismissed Raymond's request to return home. Relying on his faith and love of God, Raymond walked on the waves to his ship, spread his cloak to make a sail, made the sign of the cross then sailed to the distant harbor of Barcelona. 