St. John the Apostle, in apocalyptic visions of heaven, described incense being used on God's heavenly throne. 8:3) He describes this Angel to us, as offering to God the prayers of the Saints, which are symbolized by the incense. In Exodus, Chapter 30, the Lord instructs Moses to build an altar of incense. It became the image of something pleasing to God. This spiritual meaning is evident in the wisdom books of the Old Testament, in which prayer is connected with purification, making our prayer a sweet aroma rising up to God: Let my prayer be counted as incense before thee, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice! Also, No. And among the gifts of the Magi was frankincensea gift worthy of a king. Van Dam writes that stacte , which many equate with nataf, is a resinous aromatic gum of a balsam tree which he identifies as Commiphora opobalsamum. It shows our heritage and our connection to Judaism. They took therefore the body of Jesus, and bound it in linen cloths, with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury. So in Psalm 141 we have the plea, Let my prayer come like incense before you.. GIRM No. An example would be bread and wine offered for the Eucharist, the Gospel during reading, the clergy, or the congregation. A lengthy quote from the great nineteenth century abbot and liturgistDom Prosper Guerangerbeautifully captures the use of incense at Mass and its direct association with the eternal worship offered our Lord in Heaven: The blessing, which the Priest gives it (the incense) in the Mass, raises this production of nature to the supernatural order. Frankincense was one of the precious gifts that the Three Kings brought in homage to the Baby Jesus, which was a sign of his role as priest in addition to prophet and king. The current General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the church's "guidebook" for liturgical celebrations) permits the use of incense at several different times during the Mass, including at the Gospel and at the elevation of the consecrated bread and wine. The Church still uses incense, of course, in accordance with prophecy of Malachias, the fragrant smoke symbolizing our prayers rising to Heaven and purifying what it touches. Non Solum: When to Use Incense at Mass - PrayTellBlog A. Two other occasions on which incense should be expected are funeral Masses and the exposition and benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. It also declared that the previous liturgical books remained in force unless the Ceremonial explicitly changed it. Sandra is the Head Writer at Boldface News. Psalm 141:2 Incensing the altar shows respect for Christ whom the altar represents and his sacrifice made present upon the altar. Father Dennis DiBenedetto, newly installed pastor of St. Robert Bellarmine in North Manchester, explained its historical significance. What kind of incense does the catholic church use Is there a right way to approach this? Sanctifies and purifies items and materials, such as new altars, new church bells, and newly acquired texts. Pastors have full reign ove. 179 mentioned by our readers is a different situation. The resin has a strong fragrant smell , with something of the lemon or citron flavour, a scent of vanilla, and the bitter, astringent aroma of Commiphora myrrha. If you burn benzoin resin, that smells the most like what the church burns. Catholicism . However, more importantly, it is because incense is never blessed at this particular moment as it is seen as something practical to assure that there is sufficient incense to last the Eucharistic Prayer. Most incense that is used in spiritual applications consists of resins like Frankincense and Myrrh, herbs and/or woods like Sandalwood or Palo Santo burned loosely over coals. If you burn benzoin resin, that smells the most like what the church burns. In the Hebrew Bible The sacred incense prescribed for use in the wilderness Tabernacle was made of costly materials that the congregation contributed (Exodus 25:1, 2, 6; 35:4, 5, 8, 27-29). Incense , in the form of pebbly grains or powder, is taken from what is called a boat, and usually blessed with a prayer and spooned onto the coals. Psalm 141:2 says: "Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.". Incense in catholic church document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Customer Service:cservice @franciscanmedia.org, Technical Questions:support @franciscanmedia.org, Writers GuidelinesPrivacy PolicyPost a Prayer RequestDonor Portal. What Does Synod Mean In The Catholic Church. Since Lent is a more austere season, the use of incense is generally decreased. Many formulations of incense are currently used , often with frankincense, benzoin, myrrh, styrax, copal or other aromatics. Incense is frequently used in worship in various Catholic churches, from Roman Catholic or Eastern Catholic to Old Catholic and Liberal Catholic. Incense can be burned during times of meditation, prayer, general reflection or to help cleanse and clear the air and make a space sacred. Christianity The Catholic tradition employs incense in worship, contained within a thurible. Inside the thurible is hot burning charcoal. A thurible (via Old French from Medieval Latin turibulum) is a metal censer suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. 228-229). The use of incense in Christian liturgy dates back to the first centuries of Christianity. What Is The Significance Of Incense At A Catholic Funeral? Ingredients in the incense at Catholic mass are usually frankincense, a combination of frankincense and myrrh, as well as copal resin depending on the church. So Much More Than Just Smoke: What Is The Importance Of Using Incense Some people delight in the scent of incense; others find its sweetness cloying. It is a matter of conviction. Incense has been a crucial part of Catholic traditions since antiquity. Copyright 2023 Eternal Word Television Network, Inc. Irondale, Alabama. Holy Church has borrowed this ceremony from Heaven itself, where St. John witnessed it. At each elevation one of the candle bearers kneeling at the credence table, or another server, may ring the bell.. hbspt.cta.load(465210, '622c0229-5082-4188-a36b-6a795f84a3c9', {}); Thank you so much for beautiful explanation, I am well pleased with this explanation. Thurible - Wikipedia We must also remember that the wording of GIRM No. From the epiclesis, until the Priest shows the chalice, the Deacon usually remains kneeling. In the Old Testament, Job repents in dust and ashes, and there are other associations of ashes and [], Difference between soul and spirit catholic. An earlier version of this article appeared at this site on July 28, 2013. offertory, oblations, the altar, the cross, the priest, the deacon. At a funeral Mass, as well as symbolizing the prayers of the congregation directed toward heaven, incensing the casket honors the body of the deceased, which through baptism became a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. The use of incense in Jewish worship continued long after the beginning of Christianity and was a definite influence in the Catholic Church's use of it in liturgical celebrations. Incensing the Easter candle is, again, a sign of reverence for Christ who is the light of the world. In the Book of Revelation, or Apocalypse, the burning of incense appears to be an important part of the worship in heaven. It is used in worship, ceremonies, and funerals. (Apoc. Frankincense, the most common type of incense used in the Catholic Church can be derived from a range of trees. What type of incense used in catholic mass Its sweet aroma symbolizes something pleasing and acceptable being offered to God. A huge animal lover, she's a proud mother to two rescue dogs and one fiercely independent cat. TheCeremonial of Bishops seems to directly assert that the deacon(s) should accompany the celebrant, as it states that the bishop, accompanied by the two deacons assisting him, incenses the altar and the cross (131). Incense can be burned during times of meditation, prayer, general reflection or to help cleanse and clear the air and make a space sacred. The offering of incense had to take place after the sacrifice, because only after the atonement could communion with God take place. At the elevation of the host and chalice after the Consecration. WILLIAM SAUNDERS Incense is an aromatic substance which is the resin from certain trees. Incense may be used if desired in any form of Mass: "a. Were the historical Christian Church and thats why we do these things that look very weird to modern America: because were from this Middle Eastern tradition.. Incense also played a part in honor given to kings and the Roman emperor. Despite these well-established traditions, the use of incense in Catholic churches remains optional. In the Orthodox Church , Anglo- Catholic , and Old Catholic /Liberal Catholic churches , incense is used at virtually every service. Let my prayer be directed as incense in Thy sight; the lifting up of my hands, as evening sacrifice.". Lets examine how the Catholic Church uses incense and where these traditions originate. The GIRM states: 179. 123 and does not repeat itself. In addition tousing frankincense, some Roman Catholic parishes may use myrrh as the main or sole ingredient in their incense. To the second question, we can answer in the affirmative. The term mass is derived from the ecclesiastical Latin formula for the dismissal of the congregation: Ite, missa est (Go, it is the sending [dismissal]). Like anything else that emits smoke, incense smoke will be inhaled when using it. What does incense do spiritually? Then he returns to his place at the altar after the acclamation. In 2 Cor.2:15 we read, "We are indeed the incense offered by Christ to God both for those who are on the way to salvation, and for those who are on the way to perdition. Illustrations of altars of incense can be found in the St. Joseph edition of theNew American Bible. It is used in Christian churches including the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East and Oriental Orthodox, as well as in some Lutheran, Old Catholic, United Methodist . However, many Catholic priests choose not to use incense at Mass, and the people of many parishes have forgotten the uses and meaning of incense in worship. Glossary definitions provided courtesy of Church Publishing Incorporated, New York, NY,(All Rights reserved) from An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, A User Friendly Reference for Episcopalians, Don S. Armentrout and Robert Boak Slocum, editors. It is a matter of conviction. Every church is unique, and they can ultimately determine how to use incense in their parish. Immediately before the reading of the Gospel, the priest may incense the Book of the Gospels. In the Mass we join our offering with that of Christ Himself on the cross, as at the hands of the priest. Incense Incense is used as a reminder and sign that the prayers being offered are rising to Heaven to God as well as the soul of the deceased. In our worship we have the opportunity to offer tokens which represent ourselves. It must be appreciated that the contemporary usage of incense is more of a ceremonial practice as opposed to the practical functionality of the incense. A: As both questions relate to deacons and incensing, I have opted to address them together. ``Where the Bishop is, there let the multitude of believers be; even as where Jesus is, there is the Catholic Church'' Ignatius of Antioch, 1st c. . At the beginning of Mass, to incense the cross and the altar; "c. Also, in Exodus 30:34-38 Moses is given a formula for incense to be used solely in the worship of Yahweh.