Incense-"Banal and un-prayerful?"

[Friend_Of_Rome]

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?

 

[Titus]

I think he holds a sad but common view among liberals, even clergy, that God doesn’t want ‘pomp’. Incense is biblical, how can it be pagan? And the cross- for goodness sake, what could be wrong with that? It is sad, because I know I am not alone in thinking that our experience of the transcendent is greater in more reverent and ‘pomp’-filled masses.

 

[GregoryPalamas]

He may well have lost his mind. He doesn’t know or has forgotten or has become possessed of an unclean spirit what the very roots of the liturgy are. It isn’t that difficult to read Revelation I shouldn’t think. Pray for him. You may have your work cut out for you in the near future. You may even have to move.

CDL

 

[jay29]

The scourge of liberalism:

Instead of the “Holy Sacrifice of the Mass” we have the “mass” which in essence is just a “meal” that we should have some type of tablelike manners around…I heard this from a priest

No kneelers anymore.

No incense, except for feast days. Thank the Lord for the Eastern Rite catholics.

Instead of parishes we have “catholic communities”

Instead of chanting we have long haired hippy bands.

Our church is indeed sick and is in desparate need of our prayers.

What did Mother Angelica say about the liberal church of America? Insert that quote here:

 

[Friend_Of_Rome]

My parish has a long history of being a conservative, “pomp-filled” church. Every advent, we have a series of “Lessons and Carols” including a brass quintet, strings, organ, and two full choirs. Unfortunately, our pastor is away, deplyed as a chaplain in the National Guard. the priest who made the ruling is a very kind, loving person, but sometimes, he takes his humility and simplicity to unnecessary extremes. yes, humility is something we should all have and esercise, but not at the expense of praising God through majesty.

 

[SuscipeMeDomine]

I’m fairly liberal (though that seems to be a dirty word around here). I love it when incense is used. One of the things that impresses me about our liturgy in general is that there’s an appeal to all the senses. When I smell incense, it smells holy to me. I love walking into a chapel where a bit of the scent lingers and I know people have been praying before me.

Have you considered actually talking to your priest and exploring why he doesn’t want incense? I know one priest who told me that every time he uses it he gets complaints from people who say they are allergic. It puts him in a difficult place.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

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?

Pagan huh.

Give him this;

A psalm of David. LORD, I call to you; come quickly to help me; listen to my plea when I call.
Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening sacrifice. Psalm 141:1-2.

Jim

 

[JimR-OCDS]

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?

Aparently the priest doesn’t read the Bible much.

At Jesus’ birth, frankincense and myrrh (both incense) are among the precious gifts the magi brings to honor the newborn king (Matthew 2:10-11). In John’s vision of heaven, elders honor the King of the Universe, holding golden vessels filled with “aromatic spices, which are the prayers of God’s holy people” (Revelation 5:8).

Jim

 

[Friend_Of_Rome]

I’ve considered talking to him, but I don’t want to look like I’m contradicting him. he’s a very nice and competent priest, but this one ruling of his makes no sense. I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining, but it just rubs me the wrong way.

 

[stbruno]

Pray to the Holy Spirit to put the proper words in your mouth, if you decide to talk to this priest. In your conversation, slip into it the fact that you are praying for him.

My situation was a bit different but I too felt compelled to talk to our priest about his personal interpretation of how to or not to express our faith. I was shaking in my boots at the time, because he doesn’t accept personal criticism easily even if it is constructive and not a personal attack.

At first, I saw he pull back defensively, but then a flood gate opened and I heard myself saying words that were actually words put there by the Holy Spirit and the priest actually thanked me for showing a different side of what he actually believed…and he was receptive and actually made a modification of his behavior. So God truly is good all the time. He stepped up to the plate and made me a vessel of his words.

 

[Eileen_T]

My sisters-in-law were at Mass with us yesterday and were impressed at the reverence. Our priest uses incense every Sunday. Rather than being “un-prayerful” incense helps us, through our senses, to remember that we are in the presence of Almighty God.

 

[rwoehmke]

Have you considered actually talking to your priest and exploring why he doesn’t want incense? I know one priest who told me that every time he uses it he gets complaints from people who say they are allergic. It puts him in a difficult place.

I served Mass frequently in my younger years and loved the incense and all the ritual surrounding its use. Then I grew up married and had six children, two with allergy problems, some quite severe. Incense at Mass would mess them up for at least a day or more. Difficulty breathing and all that. It got to the point that they feared going to Mass because there would be the off chance that incense would be burned.

 

[VociMike]

Funny, incense is used in heaven itself, to offer the prayers of the saints to God (Revelation). Makes it really hard to claim it is pagan and un-prayerful.

 

[thann]

There are more than 100 references to incense in Holy Scripture. Here are just two of them.

Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening sacrifice. [Psalm 141]

Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel. [Revelation 8:3-4]

Incense is used in both the Old and New Testaments when offering prayers to God. I don’t see how something Biblical can be considered pagan.

 

[porthos11]

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?

Our heritage of using incense comes from Jewish worship, not pagan.

 

[Friend_Of_Rome]

My parish has a Mass on Sunday with gregorian chant, full choir, incense, etc. . .the full deal. It’s a tremendous experience, to serve or to attend. He’s never asked the servers at that Mass to abandon incense, so I’m wondering if it could be some form of time allocation favoritism? Who knows?

 

[Cobbfmly]

I’ve considered talking to him, but I don’t want to look like I’m contradicting him. he’s a very nice and competent priest, but this one ruling of his makes no sense. I don’t mean to sound like I’m complaining, but it just rubs me the wrong way.

I would pose it to him as a question. First, find all the places in the bible where incense is used. Write down two or three of them Then go to the priest and say:

"Incense being pagan intrigued me, so I studied the bible for use of incense. I found the following passages about the use of incense

. I also found x other passages about the us of incense. What about these passages makes incense makes it pagan?"

 

[Cobbfmly]

…Rather than being “un-prayerful” incense helps us, through our senses, to remember that we are in the presence of Almighty God…

So true about the senses. Our previous pastor had celebrated liturgy at the Ruthenian Byzantine until a Byzantine priest was assigned. He received several gifts when he left including a censer. I loved this censer as it had bells on it, so another of my senses was being used to help me focus on God.

 

[wynd]

Hmm. On the contrary, the constant teaching of the Church is that the lack of incense is banal and un-prayerful.

 

[wynd]

So true about the senses. Our previous pastor had celebrated liturgy at the Ruthenian Byzantine until a Byzantine priest was assigned. He received several gifts when he left including a censer. I loved this censer as it had bells on it, so another of my senses was being used to help me focus on God.

I love these! The 12 bells on the chain and their sound represent the 12 apostles and their message.