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JGMendes4049
Guest
Why not during Advent or Lent?
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Oneofthewomen
Guest
I don’t ever “expect” incense.
Sadly, it is rarely used around here, and when it is, it’s at funerals.
I have learned that there are a few practical (or not so practical, depending on your POV) reasons as to why it is not used on a regular basis, at least in my little part of the world.
Just another reason to pray for our priests…
it seems that whatever they do, someone isn’t happy.
Sadly, it is rarely used around here, and when it is, it’s at funerals.
I have learned that there are a few practical (or not so practical, depending on your POV) reasons as to why it is not used on a regular basis, at least in my little part of the world.
- Cost. Good incense is expensive, and IMHO, if you’re going to use it, it has to be the good stuff!
So, it is used sparingly! - Allergies & sensitivities. Which is another reason to use a higher quality product. I have pretty severe allergies, and cheaper incense uses fillers and other things that can aggravate them. I have never had a problem with a higher quality product, unless it is an overly “flowery” blend. The other problem here is that there are some people, who even if incense was used in an earlier Mass, would still be bothered by it.
- Having someone who can be responsible for the thurifer, who has been trained properly in how to handle it, and how to responsibly clean and maintain it.
Just another reason to pray for our priests…
it seems that whatever they do, someone isn’t happy.
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Irishgal49
Guest
Our parish announces in the bulletin which masses will have incense used. It’s helpful if it’s a problem for asthmatics, etc. I LOVE incense and ALWAYS go to mass where it’s used, I like all the senses involved in worship but I understand why some people cannot be where it’s being used.
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Kathryn_Ann
Guest
Amen! Bring on the incense!**
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odile53
Guest
Maybe really old churches were draftier and thus had better air flow? Or maybe more people are sensitized to environmental things nowadays. It’s probably the latter: There are more complex hydrocarbon compounds in our environment nowadays, many, many more than in, for example, the 1920s. Naturally, more people are going to react, and as an allergy sufferer, let me tell you that it’s no picnic, and it’s not a matter of being whiney, as some of us allergic types are occasionally accused of. My experience if I’m at a Mass where a priest is using a large amount of incense is this: I sneeze repeatedly (enough to be a distraction to others.) My eyes water and my nose runs. In extreme cases, my skin itches and I start to wheeze. I think a lot of the commercially available incense has a lot of additives in it. Set a flint to that, and I’m at least uncomfortable, and when there’s a lot of it, actually sick.
I’ve taken antihistamines before attending Masses where I could reasonably expect to encounter the stuff. On a couple of occasions, they knocked me out. Yep, that was me, snoring in the pew. I’ve also sat in the back and off a side aisle. One time in particular, when I was a RCIA sponsor and attending Midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s in New York with my protege RCIA candidate who was a coworker, Roz (my old coworker and friend, and new convert) thought the Holy Spirit had granted me the gift of tears at Midnight Mass! Nope, just incense allergy.
I’ve often thought that parishes might want to consider, as a favor to those of us who truly do suffer from an incense allergy, a “smells and bells” disclaimer at Masses where incense is to be used. And since kids tend to be more sensitized to environmental allergens, it might be a good idea for Father to use a light hand with the stuff, if he’s going to use it at all.
Aaahh–Chooo!
I’ve taken antihistamines before attending Masses where I could reasonably expect to encounter the stuff. On a couple of occasions, they knocked me out. Yep, that was me, snoring in the pew. I’ve also sat in the back and off a side aisle. One time in particular, when I was a RCIA sponsor and attending Midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s in New York with my protege RCIA candidate who was a coworker, Roz (my old coworker and friend, and new convert) thought the Holy Spirit had granted me the gift of tears at Midnight Mass! Nope, just incense allergy.
I’ve often thought that parishes might want to consider, as a favor to those of us who truly do suffer from an incense allergy, a “smells and bells” disclaimer at Masses where incense is to be used. And since kids tend to be more sensitized to environmental allergens, it might be a good idea for Father to use a light hand with the stuff, if he’s going to use it at all.
Aaahh–Chooo!
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odile53
Guest
Oh, crum. I just looked at a commercial site for frankincense. On the same page is a link for purchasing juniper based incense. I really react to juniper, can’t even touch a shrub without breaking out. I drank a martini once (gin is made from juniper berries) and went into shock from an allergic reaction, bad enough to require an overnight stay in an ICU (one drink, I was not drunk!)
I wonder if a lot of the incense burned in churches isn’t juniper-based. The real frankincense is only made from trees grown in certain parts of the world, and most of those parts of the world are in political turmoil. Maybe ecclesiastic incense is really juniper based? If so, that would really explain my reaction to the stuff.
I wonder if a lot of the incense burned in churches isn’t juniper-based. The real frankincense is only made from trees grown in certain parts of the world, and most of those parts of the world are in political turmoil. Maybe ecclesiastic incense is really juniper based? If so, that would really explain my reaction to the stuff.
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Cat
Guest
Thank you for describing this.
You’re absolutely right that the incidence of asthma and allergies is on the rise. Lots of explanations for why, and probably all of them have some truth. To simply poo-poo the increase in the number of allergies is not a good idea.
We need to remember that in the past, many children didn’t survive past birth or their first birthday, so perhaps had they lived, they would have had allergies or asthma, too.
I don’t think it’s likely that the parishes in our city would use incense at a children’s Christmas Mass because they don’t want to take a chance and cause hurt to an allergic or asthmatic child in the congregation, and they don’t want entire families walking out of the Christmas Mass when the incense is brought out. (Seen that happen.)
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TrueLight
Guest
Exactly.
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jimrob
Guest
The use of incense appears to be falling out of favour. This is a great pity, a serious loss to the Church and an example of ignorance taking over from understanding.
Smoke is considered “bad”. It’s what you get from tobacco and polluting factory chimneys. We have heard all kinds of non-science about incense smoke causing cancers and giving rise to asthma and other allergic reactions. This is the opposite of truth and the Catholic Church should be making a stand against this daft propaganda.
The smoke from pure frankincense is actually quite good for you. It contains a natural disinfectant which is one of the reasons for its original liturgical use by the ancient Jewish and Zoroastrian religions - and why it is so greatly prized. The main cause of childhood allergy problems is living in too sterile an environment. Before antibiotics, incense was widely used as a treatment for asthma.
We use incense at Mass partly because of the symbolism of smoke rising and taking our prayers to heaven, but also to indicate that the Mass is a sacrifice. In the ancient Jewish religion, the altar would be purified with incense smoke, as would the gifts to be sacrificed and the congregation. We continue this tradition.
Yes, if the church uses incense at all, it should be included in a children’s Mass. You’d probably get a queue of children all wanting the job of thurifer or boat carrier. There will be those who are convinced that the smoke is harming their children - but they’ll probably also want to replace the bread and wine with a cupcake and a Coke.
Smoke is considered “bad”. It’s what you get from tobacco and polluting factory chimneys. We have heard all kinds of non-science about incense smoke causing cancers and giving rise to asthma and other allergic reactions. This is the opposite of truth and the Catholic Church should be making a stand against this daft propaganda.
The smoke from pure frankincense is actually quite good for you. It contains a natural disinfectant which is one of the reasons for its original liturgical use by the ancient Jewish and Zoroastrian religions - and why it is so greatly prized. The main cause of childhood allergy problems is living in too sterile an environment. Before antibiotics, incense was widely used as a treatment for asthma.
We use incense at Mass partly because of the symbolism of smoke rising and taking our prayers to heaven, but also to indicate that the Mass is a sacrifice. In the ancient Jewish religion, the altar would be purified with incense smoke, as would the gifts to be sacrificed and the congregation. We continue this tradition.
Yes, if the church uses incense at all, it should be included in a children’s Mass. You’d probably get a queue of children all wanting the job of thurifer or boat carrier. There will be those who are convinced that the smoke is harming their children - but they’ll probably also want to replace the bread and wine with a cupcake and a Coke.
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Cat
Guest
We have a friend whose boy died of an asthma attack when he was in 5th grade.
The disease is real and very serious, and those who have children with asthma, or who suffer from it as adults will probably not take a chance with smoke of any kind. Perhaps in the past, frankincense odours were considered restorative, but I"m guessing that nowadays, much incense contains impurities that make the smoke dangerous for those with allergies or asthma.
One of the explanations that you mentioned has a lot of merit–that children are raised in too-sterile environments. So what? Once a person has asthma, they can’t make asthma go away by exposing themselves to the triggers. They are taking a chance with their life.
I would beg you to please be more empathetic towards those who have children with asthma and allergies. It is terrifying to watch a child who can’t get his breath, and to have to sit in the E.R. and hope that the docs have once again managed to stabilize him/her after an attack.
I don’t blame the parents who don’t take any chances, and walk out of Mass when incense is used.
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TrueLight
Guest
My son is asthmatic and the couple of times he went to mass with me he didn’t have any issues.
I was mildly asthmatic as a child but grew out of it.
The first couple of times I attended mass, my nose itched, but I just had to get used to it.
There will always be people who are overly-sensitive to smells, including perfume, but that doesn’t mean the majority are.
I believe kids who are raised with incense are not likely to have issues like those who have never been exposed to it.
In short, have incense at most masses, and there will be few issues.
Have some masses with no incense for those who just cannot bear it.
I was mildly asthmatic as a child but grew out of it.
The first couple of times I attended mass, my nose itched, but I just had to get used to it.
There will always be people who are overly-sensitive to smells, including perfume, but that doesn’t mean the majority are.
I believe kids who are raised with incense are not likely to have issues like those who have never been exposed to it.
In short, have incense at most masses, and there will be few issues.
Have some masses with no incense for those who just cannot bear it.
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jimrob
Guest
I have every sympathy for those suffering from asthma and other childhood allergies. The Catholic Church has been using incense for 2,000 years but the current asthma pandemic is very recent. There are no recorded cases of incense smoke causing ill health. Some people have a bad reaction to incense smoke, but this is extremely rare. A number of our altar servers suffer from asthma and they find that incense smoke is helpful. We have one asthmatic thurifer.
Of course we also have the smoke haters who insist upon sitting at the front, coughing loudly throughout Mass and fanning themselves with their Mass sheets every time the thurible is brought onto the sanctuary. If you have real problems with incense, sit out of range.
Of course we also have the smoke haters who insist upon sitting at the front, coughing loudly throughout Mass and fanning themselves with their Mass sheets every time the thurible is brought onto the sanctuary. If you have real problems with incense, sit out of range.
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anp1215
Guest
At a neighboring parish, the bulletin stated which Masses would have incense and which would not. The Christmas Eve children’s Mass and the 9:30 Christmas Day Mass did not. The 7 PM Christmas Eve Life Teen Mass, Midnight Mass, and 11:30 Christmas Day Mass will have incense.
I like that they laid it out in the bulletin as now people can choose which Mass to attend if they have incense allergies, etc.
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TrueLight
Guest
I agree there should be some masses without incense. But there is a subtle innuendo here by some that because it is a children’s mass, it would be borderline abusive to include incense, IMHO.
If anparia does not regularly have incense, then yes that should be published. B
F
FAH
Guest
Is it children who mostly suffer from asthma and thats a big reason why Family Masses are devoid of incense? I think in my parish its due to the fact that people don’t like this ancient Sacramental.
I was talking recently with the pervious Parish Priest who likes to use incense (every Sunday in his new Parish) and he told me that in my Parish he was told that he could only use incense once a month and published it in the bulletin. He did not say why but I don’t think its all down to allergies. One lady who was afflicted by incense at Assumption day Mass didn’t complain and when the thurifer apologised for the incense she said don’t worry or something along those lines.
In my Parish I don’t think its down so much to allergies but these people with a liberal view of the Holy Sacrifice of The Mass.
I was talking recently with the pervious Parish Priest who likes to use incense (every Sunday in his new Parish) and he told me that in my Parish he was told that he could only use incense once a month and published it in the bulletin. He did not say why but I don’t think its all down to allergies. One lady who was afflicted by incense at Assumption day Mass didn’t complain and when the thurifer apologised for the incense she said don’t worry or something along those lines.
In my Parish I don’t think its down so much to allergies but these people with a liberal view of the Holy Sacrifice of The Mass.
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odile53
Guest
It doesn’t seem to me that anyone insinuated that the use of incense is subtly abusive. Those of us who are reactive to it really react, and some of those reactions can be life threatening in some people. We just wish there would be some sort of warning that it was going to be used so that we don’t end up in an emergency room (in the case of severe reactors,) or miserable for several hours after Mass!
I’ve smelled all sorts of scents (everything from piney odors to florals to woodsy ones) when incense is in use. I don’t think that what is burning in that thurifer is pure frankincense, because it has a characteristic and constant odor. You can go to a church supply website and see that there are many scents available, so it isn’t pure frankincense.
I’ve smelled all sorts of scents (everything from piney odors to florals to woodsy ones) when incense is in use. I don’t think that what is burning in that thurifer is pure frankincense, because it has a characteristic and constant odor. You can go to a church supply website and see that there are many scents available, so it isn’t pure frankincense.
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Filii_Dei
Guest
I like the use of incense in mass, but let’s not jump to attributing it incredible properties in a attempt to rationalize its use. Its purpose is solely to bless and sanctify, not to provide healing.
I honestly think that most parents overreact over incense, but I understand the reluctance of the church to use it if there is a danger of somebody developing an allergic reaction to it. Though rare, respiratory allergies can be quite serious, and no church would want to cause ill upon their congregation or find themselves in the hot seat if something untoward does happen. They don’t have much time or money to fight any potential lawsuits, so they would rather take the safe route of using hypoallergenic incense, using less incense, or avoiding its use completely.
I honestly think that most parents overreact over incense, but I understand the reluctance of the church to use it if there is a danger of somebody developing an allergic reaction to it. Though rare, respiratory allergies can be quite serious, and no church would want to cause ill upon their congregation or find themselves in the hot seat if something untoward does happen. They don’t have much time or money to fight any potential lawsuits, so they would rather take the safe route of using hypoallergenic incense, using less incense, or avoiding its use completely.
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