Incense? All about it.

[The_Serpent]

In Exodus 37:25 - 29 Israel made a Incense Table and incense to be used in the Tabernacle, where God dwelt with them. Incense was used as a symbol of prayer to God in the church. Rarely, do I see it used these days. What are the regulations in regard to the use of incense? Are there minimum requirements for it’s usage on Holy Days or Feast Days?

 

[andrewstx]

I think the main reason for the lack of incense today is that everybody seems to have deadly allergies that did not exist just a few years ago.

I am reminded of just a few years ago so many said they were allergic to incense a lot of the allergy sufferers would instantly light cigarettes as soon as they exited the nave while still in the narthex.

 

[tbtcom1213]

Incense may be used at any Ordinary Form Mass and must be used at High (Sung or Solemn) Masses in the Extraordinary Form.

In the Ordinary Form it is used at the:
Procession
The altar and cross are incensed after the priest kisses the altar
The Gospel
The offertory: The priest incenses the gifts, cross and altar; the minister(s) incenses the priest(s) and faithful
The Consecration: The minister incenses the sacred species as they are elevated and adored
Recessional

In the Extraordinary Form it is used at the:
Procession: Optional (Depending on ceremonial customs)
Introit/Kyrie: After the priest and his minister(s) recite the prepatory prayers (Psalm 42, Confiteor, etc) the priest incenses the cross, relics (if any) and the altar. The minister then incenses the priest.
Gospel: Before chanting the Gospel, the book is incensed with three double swings; after the gospel the priest is incensed.
Offertory: The priest incenses the gifts with three crosses and circles before incensing the cross, relics and altar as before. The priest is incensed followed by the other ministers and then the faithful.
Consecration: The minister incenses the sacred species as they are elevated and adored.
Recessional: Optional

Other occasions:
Blessing of Christmas creche, candles, ashes, palms, fires, nails, Paschal Candle, baptismal fonts and other sacramentals
Veneration of sacred relics and statues
Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
The cross, relics,altar, priest and ministers are incensed at the Gospel Canticles of Lauds (morning prayer - Benedictus) and Vespers (evening prayer - Magnificat)
Processions (Corpus Christi and other patronal feasts)

 

[GangGreen]

I LOVE incense. Such a great smell. Really puts me in the mood for Mass.

 

[The_Serpent]

Incense may be used at any Ordinary Form Mass and must be used at High (Sung or Solemn) Masses in the Extraordinary Form.

In the Ordinary Form it is used at the:
Procession
The altar and cross are incensed after the priest kisses the altar
The Gospel
The offertory: The priest incenses the gifts, cross and altar; the minister(s) incenses the priest(s) and faithful
The Consecration: The minister incenses the sacred species as they are elevated and adored
Recessional

In the Extraordinary Form it is used at the:
Procession: Optional (Depending on ceremonial customs)
Introit/Kyrie: After the priest and his minister(s) recite the prepatory prayers (Psalm 42, Confiteor, etc) the priest incenses the cross, relics (if any) and the altar. The minister then incenses the priest.
Gospel: Before chanting the Gospel, the book is incensed with three double swings; after the gospel the priest is incensed.
Offertory: The priest incenses the gifts with three crosses and circles before incensing the cross, relics and altar as before. The priest is incensed followed by the other ministers and then the faithful.
Consecration: The minister incenses the sacred species as they are elevated and adored.
Recessional: Optional

Other occasions:
Blessing of Christmas creche, candles, ashes, palms, fires, nails, Paschal Candle, baptismal fonts and other sacramentals
Veneration of sacred relics and statues
Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
The cross, relics,altar, priest and ministers are incensed at the Gospel Canticles of Lauds (morning prayer - Benedictus) and Vespers (evening prayer - Magnificat)
Processions (Corpus Christi and other patronal feasts)

Excuse the HUGE quote. How do you reply without quoting? Anyways, thanks for this detailed explanation. It was always my view that incense is offered to God, not people. That’s just my personal view on how it should be used. Certainly you should offer incense at the Altar, Gospels, and relics; to god and the saints. I never understood why the incense is offered to the laity. That seems to be a reversal of right order to me. Incense is a symbol of prayer offered to God; as well as an offering of the fruits of the earth back to God by the use of incense. The people are not God, so why offer me incense? There are no requirements to use it on a Holyday?

 

[the1haven]

I LOVE incense. Such a great smell. Really puts me in the mood for Mass.

I love the smell and the symbolic significance of incense. It’s a kind of purification and sanctification. If my church decided to no longer use it, then I wouldn’t be painfully upset, but I would be a little sad.

 

[The_Curt_Jester]

There was one person at my church who would be up in arms about incense being used. She complained that it bothered her asthma. The funny thing is that when I’d be close to her, I’d smell the pungent odor of her perfume and it would really bother MY allergies, including eyes watering. Incense, however, doesn’t bother me at all (and I have asthma). Figure that one out!

 

[tbtcom1213]

Excuse the HUGE quote. How do you reply without quoting? Anyways, thanks for this detailed explanation. It was always my view that incense is offered to God, not people. That’s just my personal view on how it should be used. Certainly you should offer incense at the Altar, Gospels, and relics; to god and the saints. I never understood why the incense is offered to the laity. That seems to be a reversal of right order to me. Incense is a symbol of prayer offered to God; as well as an offering of the fruits of the earth back to God by the use of incense. The people are not God, so why offer me incense? There are no requirements to use it on a Holyday?

Your most welcome! Yes, the use of incense is primarily to honor Our Lord. It was first used by the Jewish people as commanded by God, then by the pagans and its proper use restored by the early Christians. (Source: Commentary of Venerable Fulton Sheen)

At Mass the Celebrant (priest or bishop) is incensed by the minister (Deacon, MC or thurifer) because he represents Christ i.e alter Christus.

The other ministers (those in choir and other acolytes) and faithful are incensed because we are living and breathing icons of the church graced by the sacraments. (Source: Eastern Christian theology) It symbolizes humility, honor and purification.

At a Funeral Mass the coffin is incensed at the absolution or commendation as a sign that this deceased person received the holy sacraments and must be honored and purified.

The use of incense in the Ordinary Form on a Holy Day is left to the discretion of the Celebrant of Mass and if not him then by those he delegates (sacristans, MCs, competent altar servers etc)

In the Extraordinary Form the use of incense is mandatory for Sung and Solemn Masses.

Incense is also compulsory for Exposition and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament.

 

[R_C]

In Exodus 37:25 - 29 Israel made a Incense Table and incense to be used in the Tabernacle, where God dwelt with them. Incense was used as a symbol of prayer to God in the church. Rarely, do I see it used these days. What are the regulations in regard to the use of incense? Are there minimum requirements for it’s usage on Holy Days or Feast Days?

Incese is one of the most ancient form of sacramental in the Judeo-Christian liturgy, and is consistently mentioned in Sacred Scripture.

In the Roman Rite before the liturgical reform post-Vatican II, there used to be two basic types of Holy Mass: Low Mass and High Mass. Incense was not to be used in Low Mass, but it was to be used in High Mass.

After the liturgical reform that lead to the development of the Novus Ordo Missae of the Roman Rite (what we call since 2007 the “Ordinary Form” of the Roman Rite), the previous categories were gone in favor of two more generic ones: with the congregation vs. private. The use of incense, thus, was affirmed to be “optional in every Mass”, so that it could be employed perhaps more abundantly. As a result, we have seen the incense almost disappear entirely from the Holy Mass.

The decision to not employ incense is totally on the side of the priest. Nobody can impose him to not use the incense, and the faithful “complaining” that the incense disturbs them probably are in need of pastoral attention, because last time I checked, incense is not meant to please them but to honor Him whom the angels also honor in a similar way, inasmuch as the Holy Mass is intended to be, as a saint once wrote, a reflection of the dance of the angels before the Most High.

Other Rites (such as the Byzantine Rite) and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite employ incense as part of the liturgy consistently, as the Church has done for the past twenty centuries. I invite you to find out if there is a local Latin Mass community (more and more are being born since 2007) or if there are parishes with priests from FSSP (directory) or other Catholic orders that celebrate the traditional Mass (ex. directory).

 

[Martin15]

Incense has no purpose beyond symbolising the rising of the prayers of the faithful. From that it can be used in a massive range of situations - I regularly have a small table censer lit and smoking as I say vespers (alone, in my study). What I have said here does not make incense a casual thing - it is a truly beautiful and, as the OP mentioned, ancient symbol that really enhances the sense of prayerfulness; but it should be remembered it is a very minor part of a mass.

Liturgically the post by tbtcom is correct for the OF (although I would stress that it is optional in all OF masses). I don’t know much about the EF to comment on that.

Also, I’ve never seen it used at Lauds/Vespers in a thurible, unless Exposition/Benediction were also taking place.

As to the ‘allergies’ which seem to have cropped up, its worth noting that no one in the UK has been affected by them. Some people moan about the amount of incense used at times, but that has always been the case. I’ve seen an 80-something priest with severe breathing difficulties say mass for a small group (maybe 6 parishioners in a small chapel - seats 30 or so) and go at the thurible like it was going out of fashion - when someone commented after mass he joked that one thing he would miss if he went to heaven was that there would be nowhere for the smoke to rise to.

All the best

Martin

 

[The_Serpent]

Incese is one of the most ancient form of sacramental in the Judeo-Christian liturgy, and is consistently mentioned in Sacred Scripture.

In the Roman Rite before the liturgical reform post-Vatican II, there used to be two basic types of Holy Mass: Low Mass and High Mass. Incense was not to be used in Low Mass, but it was to be used in High Mass.

After the liturgical reform that lead to the development of the Novus Ordo Missae of the Roman Rite (what we call since 2007 the “Ordinary Form” of the Roman Rite), the previous categories were gone in favor of two more generic ones: with the congregation vs. private. The use of incense, thus, was affirmed to be “optional in every Mass”, so that it could be employed perhaps more abundantly. As a result, we have seen the incense almost disappear entirely from the Holy Mass.

The decision to not employ incense is totally on the side of the priest. Nobody can impose him to not use the incense, and the faithful “complaining” that the incense disturbs them probably are in need of pastoral attention, because last time I checked, incense is not meant to please them but to honor Him whom the angels also honor in a similar way, inasmuch as the Holy Mass is intended to be, as a saint once wrote, a reflection of the dance of the angels before the Most High.

Other Rites (such as the Byzantine Rite) and the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite employ incense as part of the liturgy consistently, as the Church has done for the past twenty centuries. I invite you to find out if there is a local Latin Mass community (more and more are being born since 2007) or if there are parishes with priests from FSSP (directory) or other Catholic orders that celebrate the traditional Mass (ex. directory).

Okay, so it appears to be an option at the Priests discretion. It would be nice if they required it for at least Holy Days.:idea:

"And entering into the house, they found the child with Mary his mother, and falling down they adored him; and opening their treasures, they offered him gifts; gold, frankincense, and myrhh. Matthew 2:11

 

[andrewstx]

There was one person at my church who would be up in arms about incense being used. She complained that it bothered her asthma. The funny thing is that when I’d be close to her, I’d smell the pungent odor of her perfume and it would really bother MY allergies, including eyes watering. Incense, however, doesn’t bother me at all (and I have asthma). Figure that one out!

That reminds me of all the smokers actually.

 

[englishredrose]

There was one person at my church who would be up in arms about incense being used. She complained that it bothered her asthma. The funny thing is that when I’d be close to her, I’d smell the pungent odor of her perfume and it would really bother MY allergies, including eyes watering. Incense, however, doesn’t bother me at all (and I have asthma). Figure that one out!

I have to limit the use of incense too because it does affect me though I like it and like perfume.

When I served every sunday by the evening my chest and bronchal tube be sore. Through one thing and another the present priest helped me back into the choir and said still to serve so I do both and do both alternate sundays. This turned out a blessing in disguise for me because alternate sundays are manageable on the incense in that my chest is no longer sore by sunday evenings. I wasn’t expecting that outcome at all. Last year I saved myself from phumonia and didn’t even go into the hall for the palm sunday procession in fear of incense would clog up lungs have just got rid of a load of fluid that saturday. I am affected by it though love serving and will light the charcoal etc. It does affect me yet perfume don’t affect me. I told the priest afterwards how that alternating between singing/serving has made all the soreness go. It wasn’t the reason to rejoin the choir but I benefitted in an unexpected way and would never have given up serving just for having a sore chest sunday evenings but I was definately affected by the incense because not being so close to it now I am not sore those sundays I serve

We all have our own allergy/asthma triggers:thumbsup:

 

[_Jenn]

There was one person at my church who would be up in arms about incense being used. She complained that it bothered her asthma. The funny thing is that when I’d be close to her, I’d smell the pungent odor of her perfume and it would really bother MY allergies, including eyes watering. Incense, however, doesn’t bother me at all (and I have asthma). Figure that one out!

As an asthmatic yourself, I would think you could figure it out on your own. I have asthma/allergies myself. Incense gives me the worst headache. My son, also with asthma/allergies, isn’t bothered by it. We all have different triggers.

 

[Bonnie]

There was one person at my church who would be up in arms about incense being used. She complained that it bothered her asthma. The funny thing is that when I’d be close to her, I’d smell the pungent odor of her perfume and it would really bother MY allergies, including eyes watering. Incense, however, doesn’t bother me at all (and I have asthma). Figure that one out!

I used to get awful migraines & one of the triggers was perfume. But incense? No problem. Still love it.

 

[KendraDZ1902]

As an asthmatic yourself, I would think you could figure it out on your own. I have asthma/allergies myself. Incense gives me the worst headache. My son, also with asthma/allergies, isn’t bothered by it. We all have different triggers.

Bingo!!

 

[englishredrose]

Bingo!!

full house is it more like. I hope this be closed now since we gone around the round a bout more than once. :slapfight: