During the solemn celebrations of Easter and Christmas, incense is used abundantly in all parishes. Once burned in the thurible, this resin has the power to make celebrations particularly intense and solemn... But what is the significance of this rite? Let’s examine its meaning.
What is incense?
It is a gum resin obtained by making incisions in the trunks of certain plants found in the Middle East and East Africa; when burned, it gives off a distinctive aromatic smoke.
Using incense is actually very simple: in a small brazier (in a liturgical context, called a “thurible”), “charcoal briquettes,” that is, small charcoal disks, are lit, and some grains of resin are placed on them; as they burn, they produce thick, fragrant smoke.
Incense in the Bible
The use of incense in worship is ancient. Incense was used in Jewish worship, but also in other cultures and religions. Incense did not easily enter Christian worship. Since it was associated, until the 4th century, with the pagan and idolatrous worship of the gods and the emperor, it was viewed with distrust and suspicion. Only with the Peace of Constantine (314) did it begin to enter Christian ritual as well.
In the Bible, God himself commanded Moses to build a special altar reserved for incense in divine worship (cf. Ex 30:1-10). In Jewish worship, incense was burned every morning and evening as a sacrifice of praise (Ex 30:7-8). The fragrance of incense symbolizes the believer’s prayer which, like smoke, rises toward heaven, believed to be the place where God dwells: “Let my prayer stand before you like incense, my hands raised like an evening sacrifice” (Ps 141:2). In Scripture, the fragrance of incense that “rises toward heaven in smoke” is interpreted as a sign of the “sacrifice pleasing to God,” and when added to oil, it was poured over an offering of fine flour (Lv 2:1-2,5). Incense was also used on the Day of Atonement (Lv 16:14) as a sign of purification and atonement.
In the wisdom books, the fragrance of incense gladdens the heart (Pr 27:9), and incense is one of the seven fragrances that describe Wisdom (Sir 24:15). Those who, having participated in worship, were incensed were expected, through their wise conduct and praise of God, to spread the fragrance they had received: “Spread a sweet fragrance like incense” (Sir 39:14).
In the Gospel of Luke, the priest Zechariah receives the announcement of the Baptist’s birth when it falls to him - a rare or perhaps unique occasion in his life - to enter the Lord’s temple to offer incense (Lk 1:9-11). In the Gospel of Matthew, incense is one of the gifts offered by the Magi to the Child Jesus, precisely symbolizing the worship due to the Son of God.
In Revelation, fragrances, including incense, are offered to God together with the prayers of the saints (Rev 8:2-5).
This is why incense also has a very specific function in Christian liturgy, one that is often underestimated.
When incense is used in the liturgy
The General Instruction of the Roman Missal says that it may always be used at Sunday Eucharist, but its use is optional. That is, it is not strictly obligatory, but using it in celebrations expresses their particular solemnity.
Currently, during the Eucharistic celebration, incense may be used during the entrance procession; at the beginning of Mass, to incense the cross and the altar; during the procession and proclamation of the Gospel; at the offertory, to incense the offerings, the cross and the altar, the priest, and the people; and at the elevation of the host and chalice after the consecration.
It can also be specified that the use of incense is normally provided for during the exposition of the Eucharist; in the processions of the Presentation of the Lord, Palm Sunday, and the Body and Blood of the Lord; at the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the celebration of the Passion, the Easter Vigil, and the Archbishop's Pastoral Visit.
Incense has a special place in the Dedication of a church, where it is burned directly on the altar. In addition, the altar itself and the walls of the church are incensed.
Incensation is also provided for at funerals (the body of the deceased is incensed).
What significance does it have at funerals?
The use of incense is explicitly provided for in the funeral rite.
The incensation of people should always be understood in reference to their condition as baptized persons: children of God and temples of the Holy Spirit. The same applies to the deceased, whose bodies were sanctified during life by the sacraments and await the final resurrection.
Just as incense rises to God, so may the existence of the deceased be pleasing to the Lord. «The fragrance of incense is a sign of that sacrifice of praise which is the life of the righteous,» explains the funeral rite.
The quality of incense
When burned, incense releases a highly pronounced fragrance that varies according to its botanical origin and the quality of the raw materials. Pure incense of 100% natural origin is also available. The pleasant fragrance therefore depends on the quality of the resin.
Various types of fragrances are available on the market, such as rose, amber, honeysuckle, nard, myrrh, jasmine, sandalwood, and magnolia. Those of excellent quality are delicate, pleasant, elegant, and incredibly long-lasting. In short, not all essences are the same.
But when choosing incense, it is not enough to consider only the fragrance; the grains of incense, whether small or large, must also produce a good amount of smoke without becoming bothersome. The strength of the incense used, in fact, also lies in its ability to produce smoke, which rises upward as a metaphor for prayer to God.
