“…He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire…” (Luke 3:16)
I go fairly frequently to Eucharistic Adoration, where quiet prayer and silent worship happens in various chapels and churches. It’s a rather extraordinary experience: very moving, where one senses the actual presence of Jesus. While I’m there, just being quiet, I often look at the candles which are burning on the altar and contemplate them. How much I sense they illustrate the Christian life!
Candles aren’t made for themselves. Yes, they consist of certain material, and have a certain form. But their purpose is not to remain as they are, for just themselves. They’re meant to shed light for others, to benefit them, to help them find their way and not be harmed. A candle must “allow itself” to be set alight by a flame entirely external to itself so as to begin to fulfill the purpose which the maker always had in mind from before its creation.
Jesus tells us that we are “the light of the world…let your light shine before others…” (Matthew 5:14,16). He’s saying that this is the purpose for which I was created, fashioned by Him out of his great wisdom and love. What is required for me to fulfill this intention is that I be “ignited”, set aflame by the fire of God’s Spirit, which is his love, power, goodness and truth.
When I begin to give myself to that fire, God’s love burning in and through me, I find that I begin to change. Just as the candle softens and melts because of the heat of the flame, so my being softens over time, becoming more gentle, tender and compassionate. I start seeing the world differently too, and I become aware of the growing desire in me to reach out to others in need, beyond my narrow self-concerns and selfish strivings. I realize that doing otherwise is like “hiding my light” (Matthew 5:16), and that makes me pretty useless and unfulfilled.
The candle which burns loses its original shape; it becomes smaller and smaller and eventually it is consumed entirely. In fulfilling itself, it has been transformed into light and heat. It has given itself to the accomplishment of its original purpose. Likewise, I am called by Christ himself to choose to “lose my life for [his] sake“(Matthew 10:39), in humble gratitude for his great gifts to me. For when I do so, Jesus says that I will “find my life“, the life he lovingly, wisely designed for me to live, the life that fulfills his purpose for me and ultimately brings me joy.
Lessons From Love School 
Amen, Chris!
It’s also interesting that fire has a cleansing role as well. The Scriptures reference fire as a metaphor for God’s refining process, which is intended to purify and transform people. Zechariah 13:9, “This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold.”(NIV) Luke 3:16, “John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But One who is more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (NIV), 1 Peter 1:6-7, “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (NIV) The idea is that God’s refining fire is a process of love that transforms people, freeing them from impurities and making them more like Christ. How wonderful it is that God uses simple concepts in life like a candle and a flame to impart spirit truths.
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