I'm surprised I didn't pick up on this before, but apparently some of the "candles" used in Mass aren't really made of wax. Instead they're hollow tubes with a wick stuck inside a bunch of lighter fluid (which explains why they always seemed to be the exact same height). This was revealed when the sacristan over at Franciscan's chapel decided to unscrew the tops of the chapel's 4 candles to fill them up with lighter fluid before a Mass last week. Now that I know what I'm looking for, I've also noticed them being used in Masses back home.

What gives? That just seems so tacky.

Incidentally, Franciscan also uses real candles when candle bearers are used, which I know personally, having slightly burnt my hand by blowing hot wax on it as I blew out a candle one time as candle bearer.

- Posted by in Catholic at 12:54 AM