Would you prefer your parish use incense more often?

[Jegudiel]

, indeed. Good grief.

I’ve not been in a parish where overuse of incense could remotely be described as “a genuine concern.” The priest and deacon doing the incensing have to get 10-50 times the exposure to carcinigens that anyone else in the building gets, and I would still wager that if confounding variables were corrected for, there is zero point zero zero percent difference in cancer rates between clergy who use “a lot” of incense and clergy who never use it at all.

The tobacco industry, in contrast, was trying to deny very large differences in cancer rates.

There has NEVER been a case of cancer associated with incense used in Christian worship/prayer. Not ever. There has been in the case of Buddhist monks but their exposure level is many, many, many times higher (hours upon hours per day) to far more toxic incense in far close proximity.

 

[Jegudiel]

our parish doesnt use it at all, if the priest can get away without out putting anything extra into the mass he will. it might make mass go over 50 minutes!

also i have asthma but id deal with it.

Sounds like we share the same pastor. Git 'ur done!

 

[Jegudiel]

I recently began attending Byzantine liturgy where it is used every day. Always loved it. I imagine it going up to God’s altar of incense in heaven. During Lent or the Great Fast vespers, the priest sings “let my prayer ascend to you like incense…”

Stick around. Just wait until YOU get to chant Psalm 141:2* “Let my prayers ascend to you like incense. And the lifting up of my hands, like an evening sacrifice!”* in response to the priest. It’ll give you goose bumpies.

 

[ProVobis]

Stick around. Just wait until YOU get to chant Psalm 141:2* “Let my prayers ascend to you like incense. And the lifting up of my hands, like an evening sacrifice!”* in response to the priest. It’ll give you goose bumpies.

What gave me goose bumpies was incensing the congregation while they stood up.

 

[EasterJoy]

There has NEVER been a case of cancer associated with incense used in Christian worship/prayer. Not ever. There has been in the case of Buddhist monks but their exposure level is many, many, many times higher (hours upon hours per day) to far more toxic incense in far close proximity.

Yep…zero point zero zero percent difference in cancer rates…seems the most reasonable likelihood to me. (It’s as likely that there’s some endorphin release or who know what with the incense at Mass that lowers your cancer rates as that it is higher.)

Honestly, I think the priest could smoke three cigars on the days we have incense, and it wouldn’t change his chance of cancer compared to the other carcinogens around.

 

[Jegudiel]

Yep…zero point zero zero percent difference in cancer rates…seems the most reasonable likelihood to me. (It’s as likely that there’s some endorphin release or who know what with the incense at Mass that lowers your cancer rates as that it is higher.)

Honestly, I think the priest could smoke three cigars on the days we have incense, and it wouldn’t change his chance of cancer compared to the other carcinogens around.

“ScienceDaily (May 20, 2008) — Religious leaders have contended for millennia that burning incense is good for the soul. Now, biologists have learned that it is good for our brains too. An international team of scientists, including researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, describe how burning frankincense (resin from the Boswellia plant) activates poorly understood ion channels in the brain to alleviate anxiety or depression. This suggests that an entirely new class of depression and anxiety drugs might be right under our noses…”

sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080520110415.htm

 

[Jegudiel]

What gave me goose bumpies was incensing the congregation while they stood up.

I’ve done that. When I bowed before censing them about 1/3 didn’t bow – they just looked confused. After censing them only about 1/4 did not bow. Possibly less. Maybe it was the incense.

 

[Daizies]

I love the incense, but my lungs can’t handle too much of it. And before anyone asks, yes I use anti-histamines for my allergies (way stronger than benadryl…) but it does nothing for the asthma. I still love the smell, even though I suffer with it…

 

[Peter57]

Yes I prefer my parish to use incense more often.

 

[hilde_the_dog]

We use it at most Masses that I go to sooo its hard to use it more.

 

[ProVobis]

There has never been a reported case where anyone developed cancer based on exposure to incense smoke in a Christian worship environment. Not ever.

I didn’t say anything about cancer. I didn’t even say anything about dying. I merely pointed out that I had to sweat a little bit when they did CT-scans on my lungs. I had burnt a lot of incense indoors but decided to stop. Lungs are very resilient, even after 24 hours without smoking, the lungs clear up a lot, but I’d like not to test them to the limit anymore if it’s okay. Temple of the Holy Spirit, you know.

 

[pardrepiochild]

The best incense, is our interior life… in union with jesus! i don’t really mind either way about the smells.

 

[Monty61]

“magnificent and triumphalistic”

There is the problem. A lot of people have a problem with triumphalism in Catholic liturgy (sounds like your priest is one of them.) That’s why we have had so many years of burlap poncho looking vestments, no incense, no holy water.

I guess there are many reasons underlying this thought process:
-Being excessively Catholic puts off the Protestants, in a mistaken attempt to encourage reunification by watering down the Catholic faith.
-Lay person resentment because only the priest or deacon gets to handle the incense.
-the mistaken idea that triumphalism glorifies the clergy, when it is really Christ’s triumph over death which we are celebrating.

In my opinion, there is no excuse for not using incense at Easter Mass.

 

[Jean_Anthony]

Post: Would you prefer your parish use incense more often?
User: Jegudiel
Infraction: Giving medical advice and rudeness
Points: 5

Administrative Note:

Giving medical advice and rudeness

Message to User:

Apart from giving medical advice to other members, challenging them about their own health conditions as if you had that right, your posts have been rude and combative simply because others disagree with you. CAF exists to help people, not judge them according to one’s own personal standards.

Original Post:

Bendryl generic is a sleeping aid.

…

It’s an antihistamine. It works well in my case with respect to incense. It works well in the cases of friends and family too.