In The Catholic Church, I recall how a minister would light candles on the altar before Mass.
Very reverently, they would move from one candle to the next until all shone brightly. After Mass, when the church emptied, the minister would use the same instrument to extinguish the lights. The part of the tool is called a ‘bell snuffer’ and it quickly makes the once flickering flames die…it snuffs the life from them in an instant.
This week, the image of the candle lighter and the bell snuffer prompted me to realize that we all have the chance to ignite the flames of a person’s life. The right words spoken at the right time can lift them up…make a flickering candle that seems unsteady and unbelieving come to life.
We also carry with us hidden bell snuffers that can extinguish hope and damage the heart and souls of others. The wrong words…the indifference that cuts like a knife, or even the disdainful look can snuff out the pilot light of a friend or loved one’s day or life.
May God inspire us to always be candle lighters of love…speaking words of hope and belief into others that they might thrive and shine.
Perhaps it’s time to realize that the bell snuffer is a powerful image of our potential to be a fire extinguisher if we are careless with words, actions, or failure to act.
What You’re Saying