Katrina Rosales
The act of priests spreading incense is called incensing or censing. Incense has been used for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Egypt, China, Assyria, Babylonia, and in the rituals of pagan religions. In Catholicism, incense is used to purify and sanctify, and it is believed that the smoke from the incense represents prayers rising to heaven. The use of incense in Catholic masses is optional, and the priest may choose to incense the altar, cross, offerings, priest, and people.
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What You'll Learn
- Incense is used to purify the coffin at funerals and to bless statues and images
- Incense is used in the Anglican church as a guide to churchmanship
- The use of incense in the ancient world was common, especially in religious rites to keep demons away
- Incense is burned on the altar during its consecration by a bishop in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church
- The purpose of incensing and the symbolic value of the smoke is that of purification and sanctification
Incense is used to purify the coffin at funerals and to bless statues and images
Incense has been used in religious ceremonies for millennia, with the practice dating back to at least 2400 BC in Egypt. It is also prevalent in Buddhist, Shinto, and Taoist traditions. In Catholicism, incense is used to purify the coffin at funerals and to bless statues and images. It is optional for most masses, and its use has declined in recent years, with many Catholic priests choosing not to employ it in their services. However, it remains a powerful symbol of prayer and a means of sanctification and purification.
The act of burning incense is believed to drive away evil spirits and please the "good spirits" or gods. In the Catholic tradition, the smoke symbolises the burning zeal of faith, while the fragrance represents Christian virtue. The use of incense in Islamic worship is based on the example of the Prophet Muhammad, who used it in his personal rituals. It is also mentioned in the Quran in the context of the story of King Solomon, who is said to have used incense to purify his court.
In the Old Testament, God instructed Moses on how to build a tabernacle, including an altar of incense that stood beside the altar of sacrifice. The priests were commanded to offer incense each morning and evening, creating a constant pillar of smoke ascending to heaven. This pillar of smoke symbolised God's guiding presence, reminiscent of the column of smoke that led the Israelites through the wilderness.
The act of spreading incense is known as "censing" or "incensing." During funeral services in the Eastern Orthodox Church, the censer is swung almost continuously. In the Lutheran Churches, an acolyte known as the thurifer carries the thurible, and its use is normative during the celebration of the Mass, including the entrance and gospel processions.
The use of incense in an Anglican church can indicate how "high" or "low" the church is in terms of liturgical style. Anglo-Catholic churches tend to use generous quantities of incense, while some middle-of-the-road Anglican churches may use it on special occasions. The term "smells and bells" colloquially refers to the use of incense and chimes in high church parishes, sometimes as an inside joke or a pejorative term.
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Incense is used in the Anglican church as a guide to churchmanship
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. The use of incense in an Anglican church is a guide to churchmanship, indicating how 'high' (more Catholic in liturgical style) or 'low' (more Reformed) the church is. Anglo-Catholic churches may use generous quantities of incense, while some middle-of-the-road Anglican churches use incense sparingly for special occasions.
The act of spreading incense is called censing, and the person who does it is called a thurifer. The thurifer carries a thurible, a type of censer, that contains the incense as it is burned. The incense is usually in the form of pebbly grains or powder and is blessed with a prayer before being spooned onto red-hot charcoal. The thurible is then closed, and the smoke from the burning incense is used to cense objects or people.
The use of incense in Christianity is inspired by passages in the Bible. In the Book of Exodus, there are instructions to build an altar of incense next to the altar of sacrifice. The priest is commanded to offer incense morning and evening, just as the oil lamps burned constantly as a sign of God's presence. The smoke from the incense was seen as a symbol of God's constant guiding presence, reminiscent of the column of smoke that led the Israelites through the wilderness during the day and the column of fire that guided them at night.
In Anglican churches, incense may be used at various points within the liturgy, including the entrance procession, the beginning of Mass, the Gospel procession and proclamation, and the elevation of the host and chalice after consecration. If an Anglican church uses incense at only one point of the service, it is typically during the offertory, where the gifts and the altar are first censed, followed by the priest, other clergy, the choir, and the congregation. Incense is also used at Solemn Evensong, a sung celebration of vespers with incense, and at funeral services, where the censer is swung almost continuously.
The amount and frequency of incense use in Anglican churches vary depending on the individual church's churchmanship. While Anglo-Catholic churches may use incense liberally, more Reformed churches may only use it sparingly or for special occasions. The use of incense and chimes is colloquially referred to as "smells and bells" by members of high church parishes, sometimes as an inside joke or, by some, as a pejorative term.
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The use of incense in the ancient world was common, especially in religious rites to keep demons away
Incense has been used for thousands of years across many different cultures and religions. The practice of burning incense is thought to have originated in Ancient China, with the earliest documented use of incense coming from the Chinese, who used herbs and plant products such as cassia, cinnamon, styrax, and sandalwood in formalized ceremonial rites. Incense usage in China reached its peak during the Song Dynasty, with numerous buildings erected specifically for incense ceremonies.
The use of incense in the ancient world was common, especially in religious rites. In ancient Egypt, incense was prominent in religious rituals, such as the daily liturgy before the cult image of the sun god Amon-Re and in mortuary rites, where the souls of the dead were thought to ascend to heaven in the flame. Incense was also used in ancient Egypt to counteract disagreeable odours, drive away demons, manifest the presence of the gods, and gratify them. The Babylonians also used incense extensively while offering prayers or divining oracles.
The use of incense in religious ceremonies was also adopted by the ancient Israelites, Hindus, Buddhists, and Greeks. The ancient Israelites used a mixture of frankincense, storax, onycha, galbanum, and salt as a preservative in their liturgy. Hindus, especially the Śaivas, use incense for ritual and domestic offerings, and Buddhists burn incense at festivals, initiations, and daily rites. In Greece from the 8th century BC, woods and resins were burned as an offering and for protection against demons, a practice also adopted by the Orphics.
Today, the use of incense is still common in many religious ceremonies, including those of the Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches, and Eastern Lutheran Churches. In the Catholic Church, the use of incense is optional for most Masses, but it is used to purify the coffin at funerals and to bless statues and images. The number of points within the liturgy at which an Anglican church may use incense varies, but if it is used at the entrance procession, a thurifer holding the smoking thurible leads the procession.
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Incense is burned on the altar during its consecration by a bishop in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church
The use of incense during worship is deeply rooted in the traditions of Judaism, dating back to the time of the Second Jewish Temple. Incense has been offered as gifts to God and others since ancient times, with the first recorded use of incense for worship in Egypt around 2400 BC. The practice later spread to ancient China and was also adopted by Buddhist, Shinto, and Taoist ceremonies.
In the Jewish faith, incense was included in the thanksgiving offerings of oil, rain, fruits, and wine, as mentioned in Numbers 7:13-17. The Book of Exodus recounts God's instructions to Moses to build a golden altar for burning incense (Exodus 30:1-10), which was to be placed in front of the veil leading to the meeting tent where the ark of the covenant was kept. The priests of the Jewish religion were commanded to offer incense during their morning and evening temple rituals, symbolizing a spiritual offering and a constant pillar of smoke ascending to heaven.
In the Catholic Church, the use of incense is symbolic of "cleansing and purification," representing the prayers of the saints and the faithful. It is also believed to symbolize Christ's robe of righteousness, covering the sins of humankind. While the use of incense is optional for most Masses, it is employed during solemn processions, graveside services, the blessing of new churches and their altars, and in the consecration of holy oils.
During the consecration of an altar, incense is burned on it, and grains of incense are placed into the sepulcher of the altar along with the relics of saints. This ritual symbolizes the burial rite of ancient martyrs and the prayers of the saints associated with the relics. The Roman Missal, revised in 1969, allows the use of incense at any Mass, including during the entrance procession, at the beginning of Mass to incense the altar, during the Gospel procession and proclamation, and after the consecration of the host and chalice.
In summary, the burning of incense on the altar during its consecration by a bishop in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church is a significant ritual symbolizing purification, prayer, and the presence of God. It is a beautiful and generous rite that adds solemnity and mystery to the Mass, linking heaven and earth.
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The purpose of incensing and the symbolic value of the smoke is that of purification and sanctification
Incense has been used in religious ceremonies since ancient times, including in ancient Egypt, China, and in Buddhist, Shinto, and Taoist ceremonies. In the Catholic Church, incense is used to venerate, bless, and sanctify. The act of incensing is called censing.
The smoke also symbolizes the prayers of the faithful drifting up to heaven. The Psalmist prays, "Let my prayer come like incense before you; the lifting up of my hands, like the evening sacrifice" (Psalm 141). Incense also creates the ambiance of heaven as described in the Book of Revelation: "Another angel came in holding a censer of gold. He took his place at the altar of incense and was given large amounts of incense to deposit on the altar of gold in front of the throne, together with the prayers of all God's holy ones." (Revelation 8:3-4).
In addition, incense adds a sense of solemnity and mystery to the Mass. The visual imagery of the smoke and the aroma reinforce the transcendence of the Mass, linking Heaven and Earth, and allowing worshippers to enter into the presence of God. The sweet-smelling aroma is also believed to symbolize the presence of God.
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Frequently asked questions
The act of spreading incense is called censing or incensing.
Incense is used at various times during religious services, including during processions, at the beginning of Mass, during the Gospel procession and proclamation, at the offertory, and at the elevation of the Sacred Host and chalice of Precious Blood.
The purpose of incensing is purification and sanctification. The smoke is also believed to symbolize the prayers of the faithful drifting up to heaven.
The container used for burning incense is called a thurible or a censer.
The type of incense used can vary depending on the church and its traditions. The Orthodox Church, including the Greek Orthodox Church, typically uses a blend called "Athonite-style" incense, which includes frankincense, resins, and essential oils.
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