The Acolyte is the last of the Minor Orders and similarly symbolic. Once the one who lit the candles and lamps of the church and offered the wine and water, these tasks now rightfully belong to lay people. The Acolyte may not always serve before the altar in this way, but is still entrusted with serving greater humanity by serving before the altar of the heart.
As the Ordinand progresses through the Orders, Minor and Major, he or she is not to become more prestigious, but rather is to remember the call is to serve–both God and humanity. That responsibility grows with each step along the way. This step of the Acolyte involves working with the Light, and it is very important to understand what a privilege is this office.
Light, in almost all the religions of the world, has been the symbol of deity. It is a universal symbol and one that lies in the heart of each woman or man. Carrying this Light or Divine Spark into the world is, perhaps, the single most important task we have. It is the center of every celebration and Sacrament of the church, as well as our every day common duties. The Acolyte professes to understand the enormity of this task and its purpose in the world and through all the ages of ages.
Not only are we to be the bearers of Light, but we are charged with seeing the Light in others, as well. Each one of us errs, each one of us does not always live a life daily allowing the Light to shine bright and full at all times. We should see our brothers and sisters as ones who have the very intention for good, as we do ourselves, and forgive when the Light grows a bit dim at times, as we ourselves would like to be forgiven.
Leadbeater himself refers to this in his book, “Hidden Side of Christian Festivals” when he writes, “We, therefore, if we would be fellow-workers together with God, which is surely the greatest honour and the greatest blessing that can come to mortal man, must also be lights, however comparably feeble our light may be. ‘Let the lower lights be burning,’ for the lower lights have their own work to do–work which the greater lights cannot do without some entire change of their nature and their power; so everyone has his work to do; he must be a light. God is not only the external light and the glory of the universe; He is the indwelling light–the light within us. So let our light swell and grow until it becomes one with the infinite Light.”
Magdalena's Musings 