Incense on Holy Thursday

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thomasf

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At HT mass the priest and deacon used incense heavily throughout the mass. Before the gospel and foot washing and after mass as the priest transferred the eucharist for adoration. My wife was curious why, and I must be honest that I don’t know. Anyone know why the incense today? It’s not a normal thing at a regular mass.

Thanks!

😃
 
thomasf said:
At HT mass the priest and deacon used incense heavily throughout the mass. Before the gospel and foot washing and after mass as the priest transferred the eucharist for adoration. My wife was curious why, and I must be honest that I don’t know. Anyone know why the incense today? It’s not a normal thing at a regular mass.

Thanks!

😃
Click to expand...
It should be a usual thing at Sunday Mass.
But thats my opinion.

Its specifically used today as a sign of the solemnity, and the fact that it is on Holy Thursday that the Eucharist was instituted.
Adds that extra it of ceremony.
 
If it were a usual thing, half the church wouldn’t show up I think. You should have heard the coughing and sneezing going on because of it. I had a headache after church.

I figured that it was because of the holiness of the day but had no good reason to offer other than that.
 
As a RCIA candidate, I found the incense interesting too. What kind of incense does the church use? Frankincense?
 
Wonko_the_Sane said:
It should be a usual thing at Sunday Mass.
But thats my opinion.

Its specifically used today as a sign of the solemnity, and the fact that it is on Holy Thursday that the Eucharist was instituted.
Adds that extra it of ceremony.
Click to expand...
It wasn’t prior to Vatican 2. It is normally reserved, as it was then, for more ceremonious occasions.
 
Mitzzi said:
As a RCIA candidate, I found the incense interesting too. What kind of incense does the church use? Frankincense?
Click to expand...
There are any number of different mixes of incense. And it seems the Orthodox and the Eastern Rites have us beat, hands down.
It is made up of either aromatic woods or the sap of aromatic trees and bushes or a mix thereof.
 
A great place to look up such questions is New Advent (the online Catholic Encyclopedia). In general, it is easier to “google” the term and if it is something affiliated with Catholicism, a Catholic Encyclopedia link should show up near the top.

Here is the link to their article on Incense

The sweet smell of incense reminds us that our prayers rising up to God are pleasing to Him. The more traditional parishes use incense more often. Mine uses it weekly at the 9:30am Latin Novus Ordo (it looks like a pre-Vatican 2 Mass, but it is actually the “New Mass” or Mass of Vatican 2).

I’ve made two photo posts on Incense:
  1. Got Incense?
  2. More on Incense…
I would think that Holy Thursday would be all the more desireable for incense on the basis that it is the Mass of the Lord’s Supper - the day the first Mass was ever celebrated, the day we received the Eucharist, and the day the priesthood was instituted by Christ.

I have a photo post up of our Holy Thursday Mass and Good Friday Service now too, and will be posting more in the coming days, God willing.
 
otjm said:
It wasn’t prior to Vatican 2. It is normally reserved, as it was then, for more ceremonious occasions.
Click to expand...
This may have been a regional practice (in my case, New England), but pre-Vatican II one Mass per Sunday was the designated “High Mass” (6 candles lit, Asperges performed, Credo sung) . . .and, incense used at the Elevation. Every Sunday. I have attended some churches where a vestige of this seems to remain in the form of the Gospel procession where the Book of the Gospels is incensed by the deacon prior to his proclaiming the Gospel. I know that incense bothers some today, but it’s mother’s milk to this old altar boy.
 
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