Posted on 07/12/2014 3:53:00 PM PDT by NYer
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Our altar boys practically fight for the honor of being the thurifer.
That's the name for the server who carries the thurible — the censer — in the procession at Mass. They like being thurifer because they get to wear the more ornate lace surplice, and they know thurifer is the most complicated job and is reserved for the older, more experienced boys.
The use of incense is optional for most Masses. It's used to purify the coffin at funerals and to bless statues and images. However, many Catholic priests choose not to use incense at Mass, and the people of many parishes have forgotten the uses and meaning of incense in worship.
Over the last 50 years many Catholic traditions have been abandoned and forgotten. Too many Catholics simply went through the motions and did not understand what the different devotions and actions of worship meant. When the chance came to abandon the old ways many priests set them aside in an attempt to simplify Catholic worship and make it more accessible for the people.
Ancient Incense
The first recorded use of incense for worship is from Egypt around 2400 B.C. That's 400 years before the time of Abraham. Incense was also used in ancient China and plays a part in Buddhist, Shinto and Taoist ceremonies. Hindus have also used incense in worship from ancient times.
In the Old Testament, God gave Moses instructions on how to build the tabernacle — the traveling temple of God. The Book of Exodus recounts the instructions to build an altar of incense to stand to the side of the altar of sacrifice (see 30:1-10). When the priest enters the tabernacle each morning and evening to tend the perpetually burning lamps he is also commanded to offer incense.
Just as the oil lamps were to burn constantly in the Temple as a sign of God's presence, so there was a constant pillar of smoke ascending to heaven from the tabernacle. The pillar of smoke was a sign of God's constant guiding presence to the people. It hearkened back to the column of smoke that led the people through the wilderness by day and the column of fire that led them during the night.
 Too many Catholics simply went through the motions and did not understand what the different devotions and actions of worship meant. |
God even gives Moses a recipe for making the incense: "Take these aromatic substances: storax, onycha and galbanum, these and pure frankincense in equal parts; and blend them into incense. This fragrant power, expertly prepared, is to be salted and so kept pure and sacred. Grind some of it into fine dust and put this before the covenant in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you. This incense shall be treated as most sacred by you" (Ex 30:34-36).
The Jewish offering of incense continued throughout the Old Testament period — first in the tabernacle, and then in the Temple in Jerusalem. Incense was also offered as part of the religious ceremonies in the surrounding pagan religions. In fact, most of the references in the Bible to incense are the Old Testament prophets lamenting the fact that too often the Jewish people had forsaken the Lord and chosen to make sacrifices, including the offering of incense to the false gods.
Why did people offer incense in the first place? The priests of pagan religions believed that the incense was a "spiritual offering." The smoke was an intermediary substance between earth and air. The demons were marked by a sulfurous stench, and the fragrant incense would drive them away; meanwhile, the beneficial gods would be appeased and grant the worshiper protection and prosperity.
The New Age practice of "smudging" connects people with the supposedly Native American tradition of using fragrant smoke to purify the atmosphere of an area — driving away negativities and creating a positive mood. Implied in the calm discussion of smudging is the superstitious idea that evil spirits are being driven away be the fragrant smoke and the "good spirits" will be pleased and invited.
The pagans offered sacrifices to gain benefits from the gods. Offering incense was forbidden by God in the Old Testament because it was not only a way to offer pagan gods worship, but was a way to invite them into one's life.
The Increase of Incense
John the Baptist's father, Zechariah, was a priest of the Jewish religion. He was taking his turn serving in the Temple when the angel Gabriel appeared, informing him of the pregnancy of his wife, Elizabeth. The Temple duty he was performing at the time was the evening offering of incense. As he did so his actions echoed Psalm 141:2: "Let my prayer be incense before you; / my uplifted hands an evening offering."
The offering of incense at Mass is therefore an important part of Catholic worship. It is at that moment that our worship on earth becomes connected with the worship of heaven. |
The psalmist expresses the true meaning of the offering of sacrifice. It is not to appease angry false gods or to drive away the fearsome demons. Instead, the rising smoke is a symbol of prayer. The wafting smoke and the lifting up of one's hands in the traditional gesture of prayer provides a most powerful and poignant symbol of pure and heartfelt prayer to the true God.
This beautiful prayer action is seen at the announcement of John the Baptist's birth. That a priest of the Old Covenant was offering incense when the birth of the forerunner of the New Covenant is announced links the use of incense as a prayer offering to the worship of Christ the Lord.
The fulfillment of this worship is pictured in the Book of Revelation when St. John has a vision of the worship in heaven (see Chapter 4). He understands the worship in heaven to be a completion of the Jewish worship in the Temple. Because of his vision and because the first Christians were Jews, it would make sense to assume that the early Christians used incense in their Eucharistic ceremonies.
The offering of incense as viewed in the first few centuries of Church writings is usually negative. One of the most common ways to ask Christians to compromise their faith was to force them to offer incense to pagan gods. It is probable, therefore, that the practice of using incense in Christian worship was abandoned to avoid confusion among the faithful and to present a clear witness: incense offerings were associated with paganism and, therefore, abandoned by Christians.
Incense in worship made a comeback in the fifth century once Christianity was firmly established. Its use increased in the East and the West so that it's use as a symbol of prayer and as a means of sanctifying and purifying became universal.
Revelation of Incense
As the use of incense increased, its connection with the Book of Revelation was seen more clearly. The apostle John saw clearly that the offering of incense was a beautiful symbol of prayer. So, he writes, "the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones" (5:8). The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand.
The servers at Catholic Mass kneel before the altar during the Sanctus — when the faithful sing with the angels, "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts, heaven and earth are full of your glory." As they do so they echo the angels in heaven. Then the server swings the incense as the priest offers up the Lamb of God on the altar. At that point in the Mass heaven's doors are opened, earth and heaven are met, and we get a little glimpse of glory.
The offering of incense at Mass is therefore an important part of Catholic worship. It is at that moment that our worship on earth becomes connected with the worship of heaven.
Also, the prophecy of Malachi is fulfilled. He spoke the Lord's words, saying, "From the rising of the sun to its setting, / my name is great among the nations; / Incense offerings are made to my name everywhere, / and a pure offering" (Mal 1:11).
Ping!
OT
I’m not Catholic, so I need the answer to a question. My God child is a foot surgeon. One of the four surgeries that she is scheduled to perform tomorrow evidently won’t be happening. The patient, who has bone sticking out of his foot, refuses to go under the knife on a Sunday, because he is Catholic.
Is this a real rule?
TIA.
The patient, who has bone sticking out of his foot, refuses to go under the knife on a Sunday, because he is Catholic.
Is this a real rule?
Some here would say it would trump scripture if it became a tradition.
I MISS the incense.
.
.
NO.
It was started by a Catholic-hater.
Lol. There are PLENTY of Catholic surgeons.
NO, their surgical instruments are NOT blessed either.
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No. I don’t believe there is any rule against having a life saving procedure done any day of the week. Were this a nip and tuck facelift or vanity based tummy tuck, I can see that this may be delayed by the more devout. I’m sure many other Catholics will say I’m completely wrong. That is their choice to hold that interpretation. This sounds like someone who is afraid of both doctors and the idea of surgery. In their case, it may be best to postpone it anyway, because their anxiety level will be so heightened. If the doctor could appeal to their logic in that as long as the surgery is put off, they are much more prone to acquiring dangerous infections (such as MRSA!) that roam the hospital corridors 24/7. Would they say the same thing to a fireman or ambulance attendant, that they should just stand down on the Sabbath?
...storax, onycha and galbanum, these and pure frankincense.
What are the modern names for these substances?
You don’t go under the knife on Sunday because it’s usually the second or third team doing the work. Surgery is best done early Tuesday morning.
Religion is a great excuse though.
**”the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each of the elders held a harp and gold bowls filled with incense, which are the prayers of the holy ones” (5:8). **
Many forget that this is in Revelation.
Incense in worship made a comeback in the fifth century once Christianity Roman Catholicism was firmly established. Here is a repost of a clear understanding of the practice:
2 Kings 17:10-11 "And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree: And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger."
The burning of incense was never a part of New Testament worship. It was a practice for the temple worship of the Old Testament. But it was never given as part of the church service or to New Testament Christians for any reason.
The practice of the burning of incense by the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches and by those who follow them was added from false religions. In fact, it did not appear in so-called Christian worship until about 500 years after the time of Christ. It is unscriptural for a church that calls itself Christian to burn incense. God never gave this practice to us.
In no age has God given individuals the command or even permission to burn incense for religious reasons. This practice is becoming popular because of its connection to non-Christian religions like Hinduism and Buddhism.... conclusion, it is not honoring to God to burn incense to Him. Even under the law when incense had a particular use, God wanted true love and obedience more than the incense. On one occasion, He states, "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me" (Isaiah 1:13). He did not want their incense; He wanted their submission to His will.
I do not believe that this keeps us from enjoying scented candles or other spices if we wish. However, we should never put any spiritual or religious significance to them. In doing so, we are leaning towards idolatry. And God hates idolatry. - Learn the Bible
He could receive the Holy Eucharist and the Anointing of the Sick the day before.
Ahem.
My God daughter interned at Georgetown and was encouraged to go back to school to become a vascular surgeon.
I like the incense.
Apocalypse 8:3-4
And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer: and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints, upon the golden altar which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel.
I am saying the patient is using the excuse.
And, my wife works with surgeons. The “A” team is not working weekends in the big hospitals.
No offense to your Goddaughter, but ask her when the best surgical teams are working. Its not Sunday morning.
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