St. Paul
Saint Paul, also called Paul the Apostle, the Apostle Paul or Paul of Tarsus was a Hellenistic Jew, who called himself the
"Apostle to the Gentiles" and was, together with Saint Peter and James the Just, the most notable of early Christian missionaries. His efforts to accept gentile converts and to define the Torah as superseded by Christ were successful and "decisive."
St. Paul’s Church
60 Park Lane,
Tottenham,
London, UK
N17 0JR.
Tel: 020 8808 7297
info@stpaulstottenham.org.uk
Incense
Incense is used in many Christian services as a symbol of prayer and holiness. It was used in the worship of the Jewish Temple, in which there was an altar of incense. Revelation 8 vv. 3-5 suggest that it may have been used in Christian worship since the earliest times. It is used with the authority of Scripture: Malachi 1 v. 11 says, ‘From the rising of the sun to its setting my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name’.
Incense is used to honour things that have been set aside for the worship of God, thus it is used to cense the Blessed Sacrament and statues, bishops, priests and the people of God, who have been called to holiness, because the God whom we worship is holy.
It is used in the Mass at significant points: during processions to herald the entrance of the bishop of the priest, or in front of an object of devotion such as a statue or the Blessed Sacrament; it is used to cense the altar at the beginning of Mass and at the Offertory, when the gifts of bread and wine are censed as well; it is used to cense the Gospel book, and to herald the proclamation of the Gospel and its accompanying procession; it is used to cense the Host and the Precious Blood as the priest elevates them for the people to adore after their consecration.
Incense is also used at the Offices of Morning and Evening prayer when they are said or sung solemnly. It is burnt during the Benedictus and Magnificat as well as during the Te Deum. The use of incense at any service indicates its solemnity, hence it is used at Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament as the Lord’s presence is worshipped and his blessing is given.
Christ himself was given incense by the Magi as a symbol of his holiness, and sometimes in churches today frankincense is used today. Incense itself is a blend of aromatic resins, which produce a sweet-smelling fragrance and smoke when they come into contact with hot charcoal. The object in which incense is burnt is called a thurible, and the container which holds the incense grains is called a boat.