Ah, incense. As the priest rhythmically swings the censer, the fragrant smoke from the burning incense, with its candy perfume of frankincense and myrrh, rises and fills the sanctuary. Then the heavenly scent wafts out to the worshippers.
“Incense, with its sweet-smelling fragrance and high-ascending smoke, is typical of the great Christian’s prayer, which, enkindled within the coronary heart by the fireplace of God’s love and exhaling the odor of Christ, rises up a satisfying providing in His sight,” explains the Catholic Encyclopedia.
When explaining the importance of incense, Father John Paul Mary Zeller of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word factors to the Book of Revelation and its description of heavenly worship: “Another angel with a golden censer got here and stood on the altar; he was given an important amount of incense to supply with the prayers of all of the saints on the golden altar that’s earlier than the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose earlier than God from the hand of the angel” (8:3-4). Father John Paul emphasizes that this offers an exquisite picture of incense’s position in divine worship: “Incense represents our prayers rising earlier than the throne of God.”
“We’re visible individuals,” explains Father John Paul. “We absorb issues by our senses, our sight, scent, listening to, style. Actually seeing incense rising lifts our minds utilizing our sense to the issues of God. When we scent incense we may be reminded of the holiness of God, the sweetness of God, the presence of God.”
“Let my prayer come like incense earlier than you; the lifting up of my palms, just like the night sacrifice,” the Psalmist says (141:2). The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM) refers to this verse in saying that “incensation is an expression of reverence and of prayer, as is signified in Sacred Scripture.” The instruction states that, if desired, incense could also be used “in any type of Mass.”
Millennia of Usage
Before wanting on the whys and wherefores of incense used within the Church at the moment, the trustworthy ought to understand its use was a apply instituted by God himself. He commanded Moses, “You shall make an altar on which to supply incense; Aaron shall provide aromatic incense on it” each morning and night (Exodus 30:7-8). The altar was positioned earlier than the Ark of the Covenant. Then Leviticus 6:15 mentions frankincense for use when providing the flour and oil of the grain.
Fast-forward to the Book of Malachi, the final prophet within the Old Testament, the place we learn (1:11), “For from the rising of the solar to its setting my identify is nice among the many nations, and in each place incense is obtainable to my identify, and a pure providing.”
In the context of divine worship within the Old Testament, it was giving God what was his due.
Gifts for Jesus
And within the story of Christmas, two of the items the Magi introduced the Child Jesus have been frankincense and myrrh. Today, the identical incense is obtained from two resinous bushes within the Middle East (typically complemented with added scents, akin to rose and florals).
Given the reference in Revelation, we see that early Christians have been aware of utilizing incense and continued the sacred apply, as talked about in fifth-century liturgies, together with incensing the Gospel; by the eleventh century, it was used on the offertory on the Magnificat throughout vespers across the thirteenth century and through Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament a couple of century later.
Modern Mass
As the Catechism (1146) notes, “In human life, indicators and symbols occupy an necessary place. As a being directly physique and spirit, man expresses and perceives non secular realities by way of bodily indicators and symbols. As a social being, man wants indicators and symbols to speak with others, by way of language, gestures, and actions. The similar holds true for his relationship with God.”
The second time incense is used throughout Mass is earlier than the proclamation of the Gospel. “The phrases of the Lord are holy,” defined Father John Paul. “The Church would say Christ is talking in his Church. It’s not simply the priest, however Christ, talking these phrases. So the Gospel is incensed earlier than the talking of the phrase of the Lord.”
The Catechism (1154) references this use of incense right now, together with candles, “to nourish the religion of believers.”
Then, on the Offertory, the items of bread and wine given to Almighty God that will likely be became the Body and Blood of Our Lord are incensed “to suggest the Church’s providing and prayer rising like incense within the sight of God,” explains the GIRM. Once once more, the altar and cross are incensed.
“Immediately after that the server will incense the priest, the one who’s providing the sacrifice, who will deliver the unbloody sacrifice of Christ on the altar,” Father John Paul mentioned, additional explaining that the motion denotes the priest’s sacred ministry. Next, a deacon or server will incense the individuals current due to their baptismal dignity, and “as a result of we’re God’s holy ones, we’re the Church not in heaven but, however St. Paul says in Corinthians, nonetheless operating the race for our salvation.”
Incense once more seems on the elevation, when the priest lifts up the Eucharist on the consecration. At this time, “the server will incense the Blessed Sacrament, after which the chalice because the Blood of Christ is raised,” explains Father John Paul.
Eastertide and Elsewhere
There are different occasions the heavenly aroma of incense fills the vestry and church. During Benediction, when the Lord is solemnly uncovered within the monstrance, the Blessed Sacrament is incensed throughout the singing of O Salutaris Hostia and Tantum Ergo. When the priest offers solemn benediction, making the Sign of the Cross with the monstrance, the server will incense the Blessed Sacrament.
Father John Paul provides one other use. At Sunday vespers, the altar is incensed, and incense can also be used when the Magnificat is chanted.
Of course, when at any ceremony the priest locations the incense within the censer, or thurible, and blesses it with the Sign of the Cross, it turns into a sacramental. Father John Paul additionally famous “that incense is used as safety towards evil. In solemn rites of exorcism, or when doing an exorcism or blessing of the home, incense can be utilized.”
There are two occasions incense is used with out being burnt. According to the Catholic Encyclopedia, unburned grains of incense are positioned into the sepulcher of consecrated altars. The different event is throughout Eastertide. At the Easter vigil, the priest locations 5 grains of incense into the Paschal Candle to represent the 5 wounds of our Risen Savior.
Of course, throughout Eastertide, at Mass, the priest will incense the Paschal candle, and he can even achieve this throughout a funeral Mass. Father John Paul provides {that a} priest will usually incense the casket “to honor the physique of the individual deceased as a result of they turn into a temple of the Holy Spirit by baptism.” Here, the usage of incense will usually deliver a shocking response and consequence regarding non-Catholics.
As Father John Paul finds, “The position of incense at a funeral ceremony has introduced many individuals to conversion to see the dignity with which the Church treats the physique.”
In each case, incense is a part of and contributes to “the holiness of divine worship,” Father John Paul emphasizes.
“We need to give God his due. All these items matter that we use throughout liturgies to raise our minds and hearts to the transcendent, to God.”
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