Holy Smoke (does your priest use incense?)

[mullenpm]

To quote the GIRM:

1. …The priest may incense the gifts placed upon the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. …

ChurchTorch, you say that incense is prohibited at the low EF but not according to the GIRM. Could you show your source for believing that incense is prohibited at the low EF. I do believe that very few churches do use incense at a low Mass; however, out of choice and not because it is prohibited.

1. Thurification or incensation is an expression of reverence and of prayer, as is signified in Sacred Scripture (cf. Ps141, 2 Rev 8:3).

Incense may be used if desired in any form of Mass:

a. During the Entrance procession;
b. At the beginning of Mass, to incense the cross and the altar;
c. At the Gospel procession and the proclamation of the Gospel itself;
d. After the bread and the chalice have been placed upon the altar, to incense the offerings, the cross, and the altar, as well as the priest and the people;
e. At the showing of the host and the chalice after the consecration.

 

[Cojuanco]

On some solemnities, Christmas and Easter. That’s about it, at least for my parents’ parish. Pretty much similar for my parish, though.

 

[Phemie]

To quote the GIRM:

1. …The priest may incense the gifts placed upon the altar and then incense the cross and the altar itself, so as to signify the Church’s offering and prayer rising like incense in the sight of God. …

ChurchTorch, you say that incense is prohibited at the low EF but not according to the GIRM. Could you show your source for believing that incense is prohibited at the low EF. I do believe that very few churches do use incense at a low Mass; however, out of choice and not because it is prohibited.

1. Thurification or incensation is an expression of reverence and of prayer, as is signified in Sacred Scripture (cf. Ps141, 2 Rev 8:3).

Incense may be used if desired in any form of Mass:

a. During the Entrance procession;
b. At the beginning of Mass, to incense the cross and the altar;
c. At the Gospel procession and the proclamation of the Gospel itself;
d. After the bread and the chalice have been placed upon the altar, to incense the offerings, the cross, and the altar, as well as the priest and the people;
e. At the showing of the host and the chalice after the consecration.

The GIRM applies to the Ordinary Form Roman Missal, not the EF which has its own rubrics.

 

[Evan]

Our priest used to use it quite often. He uses it less now that he set off the smoke alarm and had the fire dept come for communion.

 

[mullenpm]

Thanks Evan, we needed that.

Phemie, also, thanks for the information.

 

[consecrated_one]

Thank Goodness - NO! I have severe asthma and have had to leave when we do the First Friday Exhibition and Benediction - alot! We’re talking life and death. But since I’m the minority I just go to the Cry area and watch from afar. That stuff lingers for at least a day!

 

[mick321]

Without exception, incense is used every Sunday at our 7AM EF High Mass.

 

[OraLabora]

Our abbey uses incense at the conventual Mass on Sundays and feast days.

It’s an OF Mass but the Kyriale and propers are sung in Gregorian chant in Latin. The rest is in French plainchant.

Very reverent.

 

[powerlinemom]

We do not have a Latin mass, but incense is used every Sunday at our parish.

 

[JerrySeibert]

I recall incense being used non stop it seems in the Old Testament. What a shame that more Priests do not use more of it. So reverent and beatiful. You would think for the eternity we are allowed to share with God that we could stand to do this for an hour?

 

[pro_multis]

And for those who can’t deal with it, what then? Asthma can kill, you know.

‘Lazy bums’??? What a charming way to describe people like my mother, who struggle to get going in the morning, due to the various tablets and health problems in their lives.

Generally speaking, being crass and vulgar does not win arguments.

Get over yourself.

 

[Lycorth]

My priest loves using it; he doesn’t use it for regular weekend Masses but always on holy days and other special times. I think he’d gladly use it at every Mass if he had just a little more inkling to do so. I’m thankful our parish has him for a priest; he really brings massive reverence to the OF Mass.

I love when traditional practices are carried over from the TLM; it’s the next best thing to the TLM itself. So beautiful and reverent.

 

[mullenpm]

I think that any person suffering from asthma that was so severe as to be life-threatening would have the sense to not go to a Mass where they know that incense would be used. Most parishes have a number of available Masses – even if there is only one other Mass to attend.

Why should all Parishioners be deprived of a beautiful and reverential devotion of using incense to praise God because of the few.

It is amazing that any Catholics at all have managed to survive over the centuries that incense has been used in our Church - at least it appears from all reports on this thread the legions with allergies, asthma, etc. are vast.

If we stop using incense because of people with allergies then what would be next – I know – music. Some church choirs are so terrible that I am sure that it must pain the sensibilities of some Parishioners. Who knows where this could end.

 

[Moscati]

I think that any person suffering from asthma that was so severe as to be life-threatening would have the sense to not go to a Mass where they know that incense would be used. Most parishes have a number of available Masses – even if there is only one other Mass to attend.

Why should all Parishioners be deprived of a beautiful and reverential devotion of using incense to praise God because of the few.

It is amazing that any Catholics at all have managed to survive over the centuries that incense has been used in our Church - at least it appears from all reports on this thread the legions with allergies, asthma, etc. are vast.

If we stop using incense because of people with allergies then what would be next – I know – music. Some church choirs are so terrible that I am sure that it must pain the sensibilities of some Parishioners. Who knows where this could end.

I think your ton is uncharitable. There are ways, like you said, of still using incense and being considerate of our brothers and sisters with respiratory problems. Keeping the thurible clean, choosing the particular incense carefully, and letting people know ahead of time which Masses will be using incense (I’ve never seen this done) so they can choose another if absolutely necessary are all good things.

As far as your amazement about the survival of asthmatic Catholics . . . the legions of those with allergies, asthma, and all manner of immunological issues has exploded in recent decades, almost in parallel with advancements in sanitation. We don’t completely understand why (the hygiene hypothesis is just one possible explanation), but there are many more who suffer from these ailments than there used to be.

 

[FrCorey]

you can smoke, but don’t inhale…

 

[tgliang]

It seems that all response in this thread contain what we think as regards to whether incense is OK or not OK, or whether it is right or wrong, as if liturgy can be a democratic feature of the Catholic Church. The purpose is for God and His Church decides on when or when not to use it. When Christ was on earch, democracy was already in existence for 300 years in Greece, and yet Christ was never mentioned it. I can see why, otherwise we can vote on Catholic teaching. on something that God’s.

One might say that Crist left the earth 2000 years ago and times have changed. Yes, but God is outside time and unchangeable, and besides Christ sent the Holy Spirit to guide the Church from now till the end of the world.

We can vote on secular church aspects, such as bingo parties and barbecues. At least that is what I was taught, before Vatican II that is.

We accept that God is almighty, but we do not think one level down. He made the cosmos which is so huge that light from a distant planet, as fast it travels, hasn’t even reached us since creation. And on a molecular level, He created DNA, something so complex that even today we barely understand its properties. And yet, we talk about incense which is for God and He alone, as if we can control. Isn’t something off?

 

[Mrs_Sally]

My pastor uses incense for funerals, solemnities, and such.

He’s apparently allergic to most incense so he does not like to use all the time.

This is the situation in my parish. 2 of the priests are affected by incense. One has very severe allergies in general as well. They do use incense, but not at every Mass. I love incense and am very happy every time it is used. However, I don’t think a priest should favor using incense over the spiritual well-being of his parishioners. I can just imagine the comments made by people after that priest’s statement! I would think that there would be a way to ease people into the frequent use of incense. Yes, some may have left anyway. But by making a statement like that rather than explaining the significance and tradition of incense, he lost any opportunity to teach.

 

[Mrs_Sally]

People did die regularly from asthma and other breathing disorders in the past. Usually as children. A sick child who couldn’t breathe well (an asthmatic without the inhalers and other treatments we have now) wasn’t going to Mass regularly anyway. And most Masses in the past were low Masses I suspect where incense wasn’t being used.

I think that any person suffering from asthma that was so severe as to be life-threatening would have the sense to not go to a Mass where they know that incense would be used. Most parishes have a number of available Masses – even if there is only one other Mass to attend.

Why should all Parishioners be deprived of a beautiful and reverential devotion of using incense to praise God because of the few.

It is amazing that any Catholics at all have managed to survive over the centuries that incense has been used in our Church - at least it appears from all reports on this thread the legions with allergies, asthma, etc. are vast.

If we stop using incense because of people with allergies then what would be next – I know – music. Some church choirs are so terrible that I am sure that it must pain the sensibilities of some Parishioners. Who knows where this could end.

 

[ljubim]

My priest doesn’t just dislike incense, he “hates” it. :banghead:

All I get of incense is the faint smell from eight hours earlier at adoration (at a different parish - our priest won’t have that either), and twice a year during Holy Week, and since he hates it there’s so little incense that you can barely smell it.

It’s so sad! Doesn’t he see that we’re starving for some semblance of Catholic tradition? (A couple TLMs a year get me through it though )

 

[ChurchTorch]

Let me make a suggestion for those who have to worry about allergies.

Surf the web or go to eBay and buy 5 dollars of “white copal incense.” It’s 100% pure plant resin (it will look just like the illegal drugs you see on TV.) Smash some up (I put some in a heavy plastic bag and hit it with a kitchen mallet) and ask your priest to try it once AFTER you graciously offer to clean the thurible and line the inside with tin foil (makes clean-up a snap.)

The pure resin (just as myrrh and frankincense are resins – but are far too harsh/strong on their own) is definitely superior to the church incense you buy. That stuff (even the good stuff) is often compressed sawdust soaked in a solvent (like alcohol) that has been laced with an essential oil.

My bishop does not like incense because he’s allergic. He visited our parish to celebrate Mass and it apparently included a local Indian smudging routine where they burned sage in a hibachi (yes, I KNOW!) Several weeks later I coordinated a Mass for him and he was very leery of ALL incense after that fiasco. I set him up with a censer full of white copal and he LOVED it!