Summary of the story: There is a fictional story of a village of Gladbury that every twenty-five years an angel visits the candlemaker and bestows a miracle upon whomever lights the Christmas Candle. The whole town believes in the candle except the new pastor, Rev. David Richmond. It is 1890 and the Haddingtons make candles and the town and church use them. It is the Christmas season, and the pastor preaches the Advent themes and lights a candle each Sunday. He tries to convince the town folk to believe in God and not candle miracles. The angel appears and marks a special candle. Whoever lights that candle will receive a miracle. Mrs. Haddington wants to keep the candle for herself to have her son to return and live in Gladbury. The magic candle is misplaced but Bea passes out candles to a boy who can’t talk, a woman who wants to find her husband, a blind man and twenty-six other candles to people who all have individual needs. The preacher wants people to pray to God and not seek hope and change in a candle.
Reverend Richmond at his own expense has the church wired with new and modern lightbulbs as a further example for folk to not rely upon candles. At a church service he has the candles extinguished and the lights turned on. It goes terribly wrong. The bulbs explode and a fire is started. A man dies in the ensuing panic. Few parishioners attend next Sunday. Christmas Eve service comes and the candle miracle is to be revealed. Many people think that they had received the blessed candle for Mrs. Haddington passed out many candles and not just one. The boy can talk, a man got a job, a woman’s debts were forgiven, a man’s beloved cat is saved, the woman is engaged and the blind man could see just before he died. The minister thinks God has answered their prayers.
The Christmas candle has not yet been lit. The Pastor had sent for pregnant Ruth to come to Gladbury. Her wagon has wrecked and when the candle is lighted in the attempt to find her it shines with a preternatural light, and she is rescued. It turns out that the Haddington’s son is the father of Ruth’s child, and, in that way, he does indeed return to town. Even the minister’s faith in miracles is restored.
The Miracle Hymn
On a starry night in Bethlehem
A Child was born to bring light to men
And our faith wade, our eyes grew dim
In a candle’s light, we found hope again.
There are miracles all around
Miracles yet to be found
Hid in every heart is an answered prayer
Like a candle’s flame, hope will lead us there
When the darkness comes, let the light shine through
A spark of faith will ignite in you
In a candle’s glow, a virgin’s womb
In a simple prayer, in the empty tomb
There are miracles all around
Miracles yet to be found
Hid in every heart is an answered prayer
Like a candle’s flame, hope will lead us thereWhen the light has dawned on Christmas Day
We will lift one voice in endless praise
When the light has dawned on Christmas Day
We will say
There are miracles all around
Miracles here to be found
Hid in every heart is an answered prayer
Like a candle’s flame, hope will lead us there
Songwriters: Candace Lee / Luke Atenico