Heidi Norton
Incense has been used in religious ceremonies for thousands of years, dating back to the ancient world, where it was used to keep demons away. The use of incense in Christian worship is inspired by passages in the Bible, and it has been employed in Christian worship since antiquity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Church, Orthodox Christian churches, Lutheran Churches, and Anglican Churches. Incense is used at Mass to add a sense of solemnity and mystery, with the smoke and smell reminding worshippers of the transcendence of the Mass, linking heaven and earth, and allowing them to enter into the presence of God.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To sanctify, bless, and venerate |
| Religious Significance | The smoke from the incense is symbolic of the mystery of God Himself. The smoke and smell remind us of the transcendence of the Mass which links heaven with earth, and allows us to enter into the presence of God. |
| Religious Usage | Incense is used in Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Shintoism, and Taoism. |
| Christian Usage | Used to incense the offerings, the cross, the altar, the priest, and the people. |
| Christian Denominations | Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Church, Orthodox Christian churches, Lutheran Churches, Old Catholic/Liberal Catholic Churches, and some Anglican Churches. |
| Christian Occasions | Funerals, solemn occasions (e.g., Easter, Epiphany, Pentecost, Christmas), Holy Thursday, and the Easter Vigil. |
| Timing | There is no specific timeframe for when incense was introduced into Christian services, but it is mentioned in the Bible and has been used since antiquity. |
| History | The use of incense in religious worship started more than 2,000 years before Christianity. The first recorded use was in the Indus Valley Civilization in 3600 BC, and it was also used by the Egyptians in the Fifth Dynasty (2345-2494 BC). |
| Form | Incense can come in the form of sticks, pebbly grains, or powder. |
| Preparation | Incense is burned over charcoal, sometimes with added perfumes to enhance the fragrance. |
| Container | A thurible (censer) is used to contain the burning incense. |
| Server | A thurifer (server) approaches the person conducting the service with the thurible, assisted by a "boat bearer" who carries the incense receptacle. |
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What You'll Learn
Incense usage in different religions
Incense is used in many different religions, including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, and Shinto. The practice of burning incense has its origins in antiquity, with the first recorded use by the Indians in the Indus Valley Civilisation around 3600 BC.
In Christianity, the use of incense is inspired by passages in the Bible, and it has been employed in worship by Christians since antiquity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Church, Orthodox Christian churches, Lutheran Churches, Old Catholic/Liberal Catholic Churches, and some Anglican Churches. Incense is also increasingly used in other Christian groups, such as Methodism. During a Christian service, a server called a thurifer approaches the person conducting the service with a thurible (a type of censer) containing burning bricks of red-hot charcoal. The incense, in the form of grains or powder, is blessed with a prayer and then spooned onto the coals. The thurible is then closed and swung towards what or who is being censed, such as the bread and wine offered for the Eucharist, the congregation, or the body of a deceased person during a funeral.
In Hinduism, incense is used for ritual and domestic offerings, and it has been a part of Hindu worship for centuries. In the daily ritual worship within the Hindu tradition, incense is offered to God in his various forms, such as Krishna and Rama, usually by rotating the sticks thrice in a clockwise direction.
In Buddhism, incense is burned at festivals, initiations, and daily rites. In Buddhist temples, the inner spaces are scented with thick coiled incense, which is either hung from the ceiling or placed on special stands. Worshippers light and burn sticks of incense, which they wave or raise above their heads while bowing to the statues or plaques of a deity or ancestor. The sticks of incense are then placed vertically into individual censers located in front of the statues or plaques.
In Chinese Taoist temples, incense is burned during festivals and processions to honour ancestors and household gods. Incense-bearing trees were imported into ancient Egypt, where it was used in religious ritual, such as at the daily liturgy before the cult image of the sun god Amon-Re and in mortuary rites. Incense was also used in China and eventually transmitted to other East Asian countries, including Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Thailand. In Chinese folk religion, incense sticks are burned daily, and thick coils of incense are often hung from temple ceilings.
In Japanese Shinto shrines, sticks of incense are placed horizontally into censers on top of the ash, as the sticks lack a supporting core that does not burn. The formula and scent of the incense sticks used in various temples throughout Asia vary widely.
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Incense usage in Christianity
The use of incense in Christianity is inspired by passages in the Bible, and its use in prayer and worship carries with it a Christian symbolism. Incense has been used in worship by Christians since antiquity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Church, Orthodox Christian churches, Lutheran Churches, Old Catholic/Liberal Catholic Churches, and some Anglican Churches. Incense is also increasingly being used among some other Christian groups, for example, in Methodism.
The use of incense in the ancient world was common, especially in religious rites where it was used to keep demons away. The first recorded use of incense was by the Indians in the Indus Valley Civilisation in 3600 BC. The use of incense in China is documented before 2000 BC. Trade in incense and spices was a major economic factor between the East and West when caravans travelled the Middle Eastern Incense Route from Yemen through Saudi Arabia, ending in Israel. It was here that it was introduced to the Roman Empire.
Incense is burned over charcoal, producing a sweet-smelling aroma. To make the smoke thicker and to enhance the fragrance, other perfumes are sometimes blended with the incense. The smoke from the incense is seen by the church as an image of the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven. This symbolism is seen in Psalm 141:2: "Let my prayer be incense before you; my uplifted hands an evening offering". The smoke also adds a sense of solemnity and mystery to the Mass.
Incense is used at various times during the Mass. After the bread and the chalice are placed on the altar to incense the offerings, the cross, the altar, the priest, and finally the people are incensed. Incense is also used at funerals, both in the church at the casket and at the cemetery. It is used on Holy Thursday as the Blessed Sacrament is put into repose, and during the Easter Vigil, five grains of incense are placed into the Paschal Candle.
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Incense usage in Catholic Mass
Incense has been used in religious worship for thousands of years, including in ancient Egypt, China, India, and the Roman Empire. The practice is mentioned in the Bible, with the Book of Revelation describing the use of incense as an image of worship offered to God in heaven. Incense is also mentioned in the Talmud and the New Testament.
In the Catholic Church, incense is used during Mass to symbolise the prayers of the faithful rising to heaven. The smoke and aroma create a sense of solemnity and mystery, reminding the congregation of the transcendence of the Mass and its connection to heaven and earth.
During Mass, incense is typically used after the bread and chalice are placed on the altar. The offerings, cross, altar, priest, and congregation are then incensed. Incense is also used during funerals, both in the church and at the cemetery, and on Holy Thursday when the Blessed Sacrament is put into repose. It is also used during the Easter Vigil, when five grains of incense are placed into the Paschal Candle.
The type of incense used may vary, with grains or powder placed over burning charcoal to produce a sweet-smelling aroma. Sometimes, other perfumes are added to enhance the fragrance and thicken the smoke.
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Incense placement and preparation
The incense is typically in the form of pebbly grains or powder and is placed in a "boat," a receptacle carried by a "boat bearer." The boat bearer approaches the person conducting the service, presenting the incense to be blessed with a prayer. This blessing ritual symbolises the sanctification and veneration of the Mass.
After the blessing, the server, known as a thurifer, spoons the incense onto red-hot charcoal bricks within a thurible, a type of censer. The thurible is then closed, and the chain is held by the priest, deacon, or server to swing the censer towards the elements being censed. This action is steeped in symbolism, as the smoke rising from the incense represents the prayers of the faithful drifting up to heaven.
The elements that are typically censed with incense during Mass include the bread and wine offered for the Eucharist, the consecrated Eucharist itself, the Gospel during its proclamation, the crucifix, the icons (in Eastern churches), the clergy, the congregation, the Paschal candle, and even the body of a deceased person during a funeral. The incense is carefully prepared and placed to create a thick smoke, sometimes enhanced with additional perfumes, to fill the church with a spiritually uplifting aroma.
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Incense usage in funerals
Incense has been used in religious ceremonies since ancient times, with the first recorded use being in 3600 BC by the Indus Valley Civilisation in India. It is used in many religions, including Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism, Shintoism, Judaism, and Christianity. The use of incense in Christianity is inspired by passages in the Bible, and it has been employed in worship by Christians since antiquity, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Church, Orthodox Christian churches, Lutheran Churches, Old Catholic/Liberal Catholic Churches, and some Anglican Churches.
Incense is used in Catholic funeral rites to symbolise the rising to heaven of the prayers of the faithful and the saints. It is also used to show reverence and prayer, expressing the respect of the community of believers for the deceased. The smoke from the incense symbolises the ascension to heaven of the soul of the deceased. Incense is used at the casket in church and also at the cemetery.
The type of incense used may vary from parish to parish, with some using frankincense as the main ingredient, while others may use myrrh. Parishes may use up to 13 ingredients to enhance the aroma of the incense. The formula and scent of the incense sticks used in various temples throughout Asia also vary widely.
The burning of incense is a tradition that is deeply rooted in the Catholic Church, and it is used at other solemn occasions such as Easter, Epiphany, Pentecost, and Christmas, in addition to funerals.
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Frequently asked questions
Incense is used at various points during a Mass. After the bread and chalice are placed on the altar, the offerings, the cross, the altar, the priest, and the congregation are incensed. Incense is also used during funerals and on Holy Thursday.
Incense is burned in a thurible, a type of censer, and swung by the priest, deacon, or server towards what or who is being censed. The incense is usually in the form of pebbly grains or powder.
The use of incense during Mass has been dated to millennia before Christ. The smoke from the incense is seen as symbolic of the mystery of God and the transcendence of the Mass, linking heaven and earth. The aroma of the incense is also intended to be sweet-smelling and uplifting.
