Incense-"Banal and un-prayerful?"

[Hellisreal]

Has he gotten a hold of some Jack Chick tracts? Are candles next? Maybe he needs to read Karl Keatings book, Catholicism and Fundamentalism.

Fast.

In the meantime, I hope your regular parish Priest returns fast.

 

[jay29]

I love these! The 12 bells on the chain and their sound represent the 12 apostles and their message.
http://orthodoxwiki.org/images/thumb/d/de/Censer.jpg/180px-Censer.jpg

For the 12 ORIGINAL Apostles.

There is ONE that is silent. It would be for the betrayer, Judas. The others ring symbolising the proclaimation of the Gospels.

 

[m134e5]

In a typical month, I serve Mass three times, doing incense on major feasts and when we have an abundance of sevrers present. One weekend, the priest told us not to use incense. He explained that incense was virtually pagan, not Christian, and that it was unnecessary pomp for the Mass. I know full well that it is not mandatory, but it is far from being pagan and unnecessary.

The Divine Office has a common response, concerning prayer rising up to God as “burning incense in His sight.” The same priest also told us not to process in with a crucifix that weekend. Oh, one small thing, it was Palm Sunday! Everyone except the presider ( we had two concelebrants) was just as confused as I was as to incense being “un-Christian.” My parish is known throughout the diocese for being a beautiful church, and no one could see his reasoning for such a “mandate.” What do you think he meant?

Simplicity does not have to equal cheap. It just means you don’t suffocate everybody with incense, have an excessive number of people in the sanctuary on a regular Sunday or daily Mass (you don’t need 30 servers, any EMHC’s, every priest in the county, or every deacon you can find), or make a regular Sunday Mass two hours long because of tons of music and excessively slow, deliberate gestures. Since watering things down is so common nowadays, however, I would tolerate some excessive solemnity for awhile.

 

[DixiesFinest]

In a typical month, I serve Mass three times, doing incense on major feasts and when we have an abundance of sevrers present. One weekend, the priest told us not to use incense. He explained that incense was virtually pagan, not Christian, and that it was unnecessary pomp for the Mass. I know full well that it is not mandatory, but it is far from being pagan and unnecessary.

The Divine Office has a common response, concerning prayer rising up to God as “burning incense in His sight.” The same priest also told us not to process in with a crucifix that weekend. Oh, one small thing, it was Palm Sunday! Everyone except the presider ( we had two concelebrants) was just as confused as I was as to incense being “un-Christian.” My parish is known throughout the diocese for being a beautiful church, and no one could see his reasoning for such a “mandate.” What do you think he meant?

I think your priest has been reading Jack Chick a little to closely.