Incense

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Is Inscense used at your church? If so, what do you think of it?
I love it. I am told that Roses are suppose to remind us of Our Lady, and inscense reminds us of Our Lord. Supposedly if they were to appear in person (as in an apparition) that is the fragrance that would be there depending on who it was.
It is a good way to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ it the Eucharist, that is why I like it as Holy Mass. Then we have more of ourself participating in the Mass. And when ever we smell it we think if Jesus.
…kinda like when a pretty girl wears nice perfume and I can’t stop being reminded of her…sigh!
 
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flick427:
Is Inscense used at your church? If so, what do you think of it?
I love it. I am told that Roses are suppose to remind us of Our Lady, and inscense reminds us of Our Lord. Supposedly if they were to appear in person (as in an apparition) that is the fragrance that would be there depending on who it was.
It is a good way to remind us of the Real Presence of Christ it the Eucharist, that is why I like it as Holy Mass. Then we have more of ourself participating in the Mass. And when ever we smell it we think if Jesus.
…kinda like when a pretty girl wears nice perfume and I can’t stop being reminded of her…sigh!
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LOL! Yup. I’d take the symbolism a little bit further, too! In Psalm 140(141) we hear “I have called to you, Lord; hasten to help me!Ê Hear my voice when I cry to you.Ê Let my prayer arise before you like incense,Ê the raising of my hands like an evening oblation.” Again, in the book of Revelation we see incense being used EVERYWHERE. LOL. It is a sign of our prayers ascending to the throne of the Lord in heaven. Incense is great stuff. We don’t use any at our parish because there are a number of parishioners with serious allergies and apparently one went into shock the last time she encountered incense. Not sure that I buy that… but there IS a room that has been constructed especially for those with nasty allergies. At Gonzaga we use it ALL the time and I love it.
 
Our church uses incence on special occasions.

While I do like the idea of incense and I enjoy the fragrance, it doesn’t seem to like me in return. I sing in the choir and most of us have difficulty singing when it is used. We do use the non-allergenic variety which helps a great deal, but that doesn’t prevent some initial coughing.
 
We use incense at our church, I guess all the time. We use it for all of the standard times, but we also use it during exposition of the Blessed Sacrament during the week.

Personally, I enjoy the fact that we use it more often than other places. It really makes you help to apprecitate certain times (if that makes sense to anybody, I really cant explain it well).
 
There are certain scents and sights and sounds that are “Catholic” to me as they were what I grew up with. Incense and candle wax are the scents I associate with the Church. Visually I associate the Crucifix, the Mary and Joseph Altars, the high Altar and steps leading up to it, the stations of the cross and kneelers. The sounds of sanctuary bells, organs and gregorian chant and the whole congregation praying the rosary together are etched in my memory.
 
I love it when incense is used. I love the smell of a church where incense has been recently used. I smells prayerful. I dont know if that makes sense or not. Unfortunately, there is a certain kind of incense that my wife is allergic to. She sneezes and her eyes are puffy and red for two days…
 
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deogratias:
There are certain scents and sights and sounds that are “Catholic” to me as they were what I grew up with. Incense and candle wax are the scents I associate with the Church. Visually I associate the Crucifix, the Mary and Joseph Altars, the high Altar and steps leading up to it, the stations of the cross and kneelers. The sounds of sanctuary bells, organs and gregorian chant and the whole congregation praying the rosary together are etched in my memory.
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While I do not have those childhood memories, those are all the things I associate with the word “Catholic”, too. That’s why I love attending the Latin Mass…especially High Mass.
I just don 't get to do it that often!

The other day I was dusting with “Old English”, and after a few minutes, I realized that the smell was the same fragrance I had noticed in traditional churches I have been in…The smell of wax…must have been the candles, as well as the furniture wax/polish. Very distinctive odor. It immediately took me back to those places.
 
I have found over my many years, that scents and ordors often stir up more memories than anything else. Grandma’s house had it’s own scent - it was of cookies, bleach and furniature polish for instance. I never smell car grease that I don’t remember my father - who came home smelling that way because he was an auto mechanic, etc. And incense - that takes me to many Masses and Benedictions.

Of course not the incense sticks that are orange and peach and so on that are on the market today for home use - those are “domestic incense” and I mean Church Incense.
 
I am a Byzantine Catholic. We use incense for everything! Daily Liturgy too. Some of us use it at home when praying too. It brings us closer to God. they have a non-choaking variety as well.
 
I voted Yes, but only on holy days, but we actually use it more often than that, perhaps on holy days and maybe once or twice a month at other times. Either there is no pattern, or I haven’t been observant enough to pick it up. Regardless, I love it when they use it! I’m tempted to get some to use around the house!
 
I agree…various smells can be triggers to so many memories!

**A funny thing happend to me in regard to incense. CCM, the church my dh attends was having a big Christmas production…There was a need for incense…Evangelical churches don’t use it, of course, so I was asked…as the resident Catholic to procur it for the production…I did so, and then took it to the large narthex to “practice”…I needed to see how much it took and how long it woudl burn, etc…So, there I am, in a evangelical church, swinging the censor for all I’m worth…One of the ministers…as good friend…came by, and said “What are you doing…You’re not Catholic anymore”…I set him straight right away! Now I am careful to be visible there as a Catholic…I wear my medals, carry one of those big blue Catholic Study Bibles (I prefer the Ignatius RSV), and arrive with a rosary hanging over my rear view mirror…Now I am often asked Catholic related questions in the Sunday School Class the two of us attend together, and I find it a great opportunity to witness for my faith. **

Believe it or not, being closely associated with an evangelical church (non-denom. Church of Christ) has deepened my appreciation of and love for the Catholic Church. I am a stronger Catholic for it…

Oh…I know there are a few there who would dearly love to convert me, and secretly think it is only a matter of time…But, that will never happen…They don’t realize it, but being with them actually strengthens my own Catholic faith…
 
I don’t like insence one bit…of course thats becasuse I am extremely allergic to it.

I am glad they don’t use it every week or else I would never get to go to Mass.

I think that it should be used, tho, its a good symbol of lifting things to God.

My church used it on Holy Days, Adoration, and important feast days and funerals…that sort of stuff.

They used it at the Steubenville youth confrence so it was kind of a bummer for me because I didn’t get to participate fully.
 
Father is asmatic, not in church since he came… we still use the sensor, just no smoke… :confused:

As a young alter boy in the sixties, i hated it… i thought i was gonna die… :eek: .

now as an adult, i miss it, and the reverential mood it puts me in when it’s used properly… 👍
 
What fragrance is used? Does anyone know? I’m talking about the really strong smelling stuff…

I used to love lighting the charcoal!
 
I have said we do not use it - not 100%true - Easter Vigil and Midnight Mass only.

However I do use Incense at home during prayer - it really does help - but I use Flower varieties - rose , white flowers and such. I have a small incense burner and rolls of charcoal tablets to use with my pieces of Incense
 
I voted for yes, but only on holy days.

The truth, however, for me is that there is one exception: Most Expositions/Adorations of the Blessed Sacrament
 
We use it; especially for weekly and monthly Benediction. With all the complaints the Pastor has threatened to set up smoking and non-smoking sections in the congregation. 😃
 
We use it very rarely, funerals, (some) holy days, benediction and when the Bishop stops by.

I wish we used it more. It is my favorite job as a server. lol, there isn’t much competition for the job, though.

This is a little off topic, but once my parish priest had neighboring priests come over to hear confessions, and to thank them he made this wonderful smelling chicken for them. The smell wafted through the church. I turned to my mom and said, “If incense smelled like that there would be alot more Catholics.”

In Him, through her,
Pio Magnus
 
Mike C:
I am a Byzantine Catholic. We use incense for everything! Daily Liturgy too. Some of us use it at home when praying too. It brings us closer to God. they have a non-choaking variety as well.
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My fellow Byzantine Catholic is correct on this point.
We use incense ALL the time and as much as Father wants to use.
The incense odors and smells also change depending on the Liturgical year and season!

Tonight, we used incense for the Festival Vespers for the Holy and Prophet Elias.

If you are not getting enough incense at your church, drop in at your friendly neighborhood Byzantine or other Eastern Catholic Churches.
(even for a small wiff). 🙂

Go with God!
Edwin
 
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