Incense and it's true purpose

[imroc]

In my quest for answers, I have not found a good enough answer by searching through google. I now ask this here:

What in the world is the PURPOSE of using incense???

 

[imroc]

Sorry, I found an answer right away…

The Catholic Church still uses incense in this same way and in accordance with prophecy of Malachias, the fragrant smoke symbolizing our prayers rising to Heaven and purifying what it touches.

I’d still like to hear your (name removed by moderator)ut though. My wife is allergic to just about everything God has created . She can sometimes be heard complaining on the way home after mass that the incense affects her allergies.

 

[chicago]

Incense has also traditionally been burned as a sign of offering and homage. From a sensory viewpoint, it can help to better involve the whole person through smoke of mystery and sweet smells of sanctification.

 

[Pious]

The above answers are correct, but a Priest in a neighbouring parish told us that the incense also served as a practical use also; in the middle ages a lot of the old churches had no floor and the decesased were buried underneath and so on hot days there would be a stench coming up through the ground and during the offetry the congregation would bring up livestock and food that also added to the smell. So the fragarance from the incense was used to mask the stench in the Church.

 

[Ghosty]

Along the lines of the previous post, it also had the practical use of covering the smell of a congregation of people who bathed only a few times a year. This was espescially important in places of large pilgrimages, because pilgrims rarely came into the churches smelling sweetly

 

[Pariah_Pirana]

Pious:

The above answers are correct, but a Priest in a neighbouring parish told us that the incense also served as a practical use also; in the middle ages a lot of the old churches had no floor and the decesased were buried underneath and so on hot days there would be a stench coming up through the ground and during the offetry the congregation would bring up livestock and food that also added to the smell. So the fragarance from the incense was used to mask the stench in the Church.

Do you happen to have a reference for this? While using incense to battle body odor is very well known, I have never heard of what the neighboring priest suggests.

 

[Pious]

Pariah Pirana:

Do you happen to have a reference for this? While using incense to battle body odor is very well known, I have never heard of what the neighboring priest suggests.

Hi,

Unfortunately I do not, The Priest seemed to emphasis more on the practical aspect of the incense rather than on the spiritual purpose (very liberal) (No offence to liberals)

I remember watching a program on T.V about the Churches in medieval times that mentioned that the corpses were buried underneath the church and that the church had no floor so the stench would come up during the summer heat and it mentioned that there used to be large boxes that the royalty would occupy during the service so that they would not smell the stench.
But it mentioned nothing about the use of incense; maybe if you tried to google on conditions of medieval churches in Britain it may give a better description.

 

[Turotts]

GOD is an AWSOME GOD and worthy to be praised.When we come into His presence with Thanksgiving in our hearts let all of our senses be sanctified by His Holy Presence ,sight, sound,touch, feel,taste,Smell . Yes one of the beauties of the Holy Mass is that their is total involvement with everything God has built into you. Bless You in Your Holy Endeavor
Turrots

 

[itsjustdave1988]

The first Mass I took my wife to (before we were married), was the Easter Vigil Mass. When the priest burned incense, she whispered, “What’s he doing?” My reply, “Scaring away the evil spirits.” She looked at me like all the things her Seventh-Day Adventist grandmother told her about the wacky Catholics and their Vatican voodoo was true. I later gave her the real answer (see post #2), but it was kinda fun to watch her eyes get really big.

 

[drforjc]

Scripturally, in both the OT and NT, the rising incense symbolizes prayers rising up to heaven.
see Psalm 141:2
and Rev 5:8

 

[SMHW]

imroc:

I’d still like to hear your (name removed by moderator)ut though. My wife is allergic to just about everything God has created . She can sometimes be heard complaining on the way home after mass that the incense affects her allergies.

I have nothing more to add to the reasons for incense but I’d like to offer my sympathies to your wife.

Incense is a wonderful symbol but lots of people are allergic to it (even the supposedly non-allergenic types). Some of us just have to add taking Benedryl (or some other anti-histamine) to our regular Sunday morning rituals. Just be there to lend a shoulder when she gets drousy :yawn: during Mass and make sure you are the one who drives home.

 

[alyssa]

My church offers one mass a week (on those we do do incence) that is incence-free. You may want to see if yours does something similar for the allergies…

 

[Fox]

It smells good, I have some. I’ve been taught that incense was a symbol of prayers being lifted to heaven in much the same as the smoke does.

 

[netmilsmom]

“What’s he doing?” My reply, “Scaring away the evil spirits.” She looked at me like all the things her Seventh-Day Adventist grandmother told her about the wacky Catholics and their Vatican voodoo was true.

You’re MEAN!!

We did Easter vigil this year with my five and seven year olds in the choir. The refill station for the incense (there must be a better terminology for this) was right in front of where we were sitting. When these little girls went up to sing, there was much coughing and watery eyes.
I can’t wait until our new church is built!

 

[Brendan]

Pious:

The above answers are correct, but a Priest in a neighbouring parish told us that the incense also served as a practical use also; in the middle ages a lot of the old churches had no floor and the decesased were buried underneath and so on hot days there would be a stench coming up through the ground and during the offetry the congregation would bring up livestock and food that also added to the smell. So the fragarance from the incense was used to mask the stench in the Church.

I’d take that with a grain of salt, tequilla and a lime.

If a church was too poor to have a stone floor, the dead were buried the churchyard.

 

[Pious]

Brendan:

I’d take that with a grain of salt, tequilla and a lime.

If a church was too poor to have a stone floor, the dead were buried the churchyard.

I generally do take most things with a grain of salt, unless they can support the claim.