Use of Incense?

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Hello, i hope this is in the right section. If not, I ask that a moderator please move it to the proper section. Anyways, I have a friend who is of the Hindi faith and he uses incense to pray as well as to make the room smell good. If I prayed to the lord and, is ot ok to use insencse during prayer for me? is it ok to do I mean? is it anti Catholic? All responses welcome. Thank you for your attention,

hortoholic
 
Hello, i hope this is in the right section. If not, I ask that a moderator please move it to the proper section. Anyways, I have a friend who is of the Hindi faith and he uses incense to pray as well as to make the room smell good. If I prayed to the lord and, is ot ok to use insencse during prayer for me? is it ok to do I mean? is it anti Catholic? All responses welcome. Thank you for your attention,

hortoholic
I pray the Hours and use incense every time I pray. Our Priest used incense several times during the eatser vigil. it is perfectly accpetable for a Catholic to burn incense when they pray
 
From the Melkite Vesper service (my favorite hymn)

Hasten to me O’Lord,
Let my prayer rise like incense before you,
The lifting up of my arms like an evening sacrifice,
Hasten to me, O’Lord.

Everytime I sing that in church or when I pray before my own icons I visualize my prayers rising like the incense unto God.
 
From the Melkite Vesper service (my favorite hymn)

Hasten to me O’Lord,
Let my prayer rise like incense before you,
The lifting up of my arms like an evening sacrifice,
Hasten to me, O’Lord.
Actually that is Psalm 140 (using the psalm numbering from the Septuagint).
 
It’s more common among Eastern Christians of whatever church than among Western Christians to use incense during prayers at home, probably because incense is easier to obtain in these cultures.
 
It’s more common among Eastern Christians of whatever church than among Western Christians to use incense during prayers at home, probably because incense is easier to obtain in these cultures.
In the age of the internet it has gotten much easier to get incense. one must be careful as lot of sites selling incense are wican.
 
In the age of the internet it has gotten much easier to get incense. one must be careful as lot of sites selling incense are wican.
Good point. It’s always best to get your charcoal from a site that’s clearly Christian.
 
Good point. It’s always best to get your charcoal from a site that’s clearly Christian.
I have recently started to try to pray with insence and I has been a learning experience. The smoke slowly rising reminds me that pray is not an ATM that spits out a response. For my impatient personality it was quite helpful. But I am having a hard time getting the charcoal to burn. No matter how hard I try I can’t get the smoke to roll out like it does at Liturgy. The charcoal only burns a little bit and slowly moves across the brick. And when I do put the insence on the charcoal goes out. Any suggestions?🤷

Thanks
 
…I am having a hard time getting the charcoal to burn. No matter how hard I try I can’t get the smoke to roll out like it does at Liturgy. The charcoal only burns a little bit and slowly moves across the brick. And when I do put the insence on the charcoal goes out. Any suggestions?
Charcoal can be rather tempermental. My suggestion is to get self-starting charcoal. It’s imbued with a tad of lighter fluid and normally catches quickly. The so-called “regular” kind can be nearly impossible to light. I get mine at a Christian-owned Middle Eastern specialty shop.

BTW, there are usually two sizes: the large is about the size of a silver dollar, but it can be split into 2 or three pieces. The small one (which I much prefer) is round with a “well” and is about the size of a quarter.
 
Hello, i hope this is in the right section. If not, I ask that a moderator please move it to the proper section. Anyways, I have a friend who is of the Hindi faith and he uses incense to pray as well as to make the room smell good. If I prayed to the lord and, is ot ok to use insencse during prayer for me? is it ok to do I mean? is it anti Catholic? All responses welcome. Thank you for your attention,
hortoholic
It is a pious gesture to set your prayer time apart. The use of blessed Christian incense in the home has quite a history.

If you have the resources try to buy a good icon like “Our Lady of Perpetual Help” and build a dignified cabinet, curio, or case to rest it in, where when you are done praying you can shut the door. Use the incense when ever you decide to sit down and do the Liturgy of the Hours or Divine Office, or whatever.

You can even go so far as to designate a corner of the home for this purpose.
 
Charcoal can be rather tempermental. My suggestion is to get self-starting charcoal. It’s imbued with a tad of lighter fluid and normally catches quickly. The so-called “regular” kind can be nearly impossible to light. I get mine at a Christian-owned Middle Eastern specialty shop.

BTW, there are usually two sizes: the large is about the size of a silver dollar, but it can be split into 2 or three pieces. The small one (which I much prefer) is round with a “well” and is about the size of a quarter.
I use the small ones also but you have to be careful to put the lid on your censor as soon as you light it-occassionaly they will “blow up” and I have two holes in my carpet and one in my robe to prove it!
 
I cannot overstate the convenience of those little butane torch lighters (commonly called crack torches around here, my suggestion is not to use them for crack 😉 ) for lighting charcoal. Get a pair of tongs to use while you’re lighting it, even self lighting charcoal can sometimes need a little extra time with the flame. A little aluminum foil covering the bottom of the inside of the censer wil also help keep the handle from getting too hot and burning your fingers off.
 
I cannot overstate the convenience of those little butane torch lighters (commonly called crack torches around here, my suggestion is not to use them for crack 😉 ) for lighting charcoal. Get a pair of tongs to use while you’re lighting it, even self lighting charcoal can sometimes need a little extra time with the flame. A little aluminum foil covering the bottom of the inside of the censer wil also help keep the handle from getting too hot and burning your fingers off.
I have one that i used before i switched to the small charcoal and you do get some funny looks when you but them!🙂
 
Hello, i hope this is in the right section. If not, I ask that a moderator please move it to the proper section. Anyways, I have a friend who is of the Hindi faith and he uses incense to pray as well as to make the room smell good. If I prayed to the lord and, is ot ok to use insencse during prayer for me? is it ok to do I mean? is it anti Catholic? All responses welcome. Thank you for your attention,

hortoholic
I think its fine to use incense. I read that it drives away Satan.
 
I cannot overstate the convenience of those little butane torch lighters (commonly called crack torches around here, my suggestion is not to use them for crack 😉 ) for lighting charcoal. Get a pair of tongs to use while you’re lighting it, even self lighting charcoal can sometimes need a little extra time with the flame. A little aluminum foil covering the bottom of the inside of the censer wil also help keep the handle from getting too hot and burning your fingers off.
I think you’re correct. I think crack lighter is the scientific name.

You ever watch COPS and notice how in every episode some poor soul with no-shirt and a mullet is predictably chased down and is revealed to be in possession of one these crack lighters? And, after the police cuff him they insist it’s for lighting crack pipes; searching all over for his drug stash? “Nobody ever uses these badboys for lighting incense! Likely story.” the cops would say. “This guy’s on drugs. Book 'em.” They’d think it was a cockamamie story if one of us were found with one.
 
I think you’re correct. I think crack lighter is the scientific name.

You ever watch COPS and notice how in every episode some poor soul with no-shirt and a mullet is predictably chased down and is revealed to be in possession of one these crack lighters? And, after the police cuff him they insist it’s for lighting crack pipes; searching all over for his drug stash? “Nobody ever uses these badboys for lighting incense! Likely story.” the cops would say. “This guy’s on drugs. Book 'em.” They’d think it was a cockamamie story if one of us were found with one.
"I swear, I use it for burning incense officer! " “To cover up the smell of crack???” “No, I burn frankincense…” “Is that what they’re calling it on the street these days?!” “NO! I… ugh- forget it, arrest me…” 😃
 
"I swear, I use it for burning incense officer! " “To cover up the smell of crack???” “No, I burn frankincense…” “Is that what they’re calling it on the street these days?!” “NO! I… ugh- forget it, arrest me…” 😃
👍
 
"I swear, I use it for burning incense officer! " “To cover up the smell of crack???” “No, I burn frankincense…” “Is that what they’re calling it on the street these days?!” “NO! I… ugh- forget it, arrest me…” 😃
Yeah… and don’t tell him that you’re a war veteran who happens to be a Christian who is opposed to abortionism and homosexualism, and happens to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.

catholic.org/politics/story.php?id=33162
 
The only restriction that I can think of is that one cannot use holy incense in order to have the aroma for aesthetic reasons. It is holy and should be used specifically for the purpose of prayer.

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