A reflection for Advent 2
Today's homily is about frankincense or sweet incense.
We use incense in Christian worship for three reasons.
First, as the visit of the magi gets closer we remind ourselves that incense was one of the three gifts that the wisemen brought to honour Jesus. In doing so the incense recognises the Christ child's divinity. So what the wise man is saying by offering his gift is “I recognise and honour this tiny squawking bundle of humanity as God. Nothing more… nothing less.” And if it’s good enough for the magi, it is certainly good enough for us as well.
So when we honour the altar, a coffin, the gifts and each other at the Eucharist, with incense we are in fact saying that we honour the God that is in you and the things around us.
The second reason that incense is used is to remind us of our prayers that ascend to God. Our prayers and those who pray for us and love us. This imagery is beautifully explained in the bible in the book of revelation. “The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints”. (Revelation 5:6-8).
In this passage, we are told that incense is identified with the prayers of the saints. So too with this verse.“And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God”.But in case you thought that incense was just a new Testament fad, I have to confess that we pinched this custom from our Jewish brothers and sisters.Check out Exodus 30“You shall make an altar to burn incense upon; of acacia wood shall you make it . . . And Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; every morning when he dresses the lamps he shall burn it, and when Aaron sets up the lamps in the evening, he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations”.In fact there are 146 references to incense in the bible.
So when Jesus went to his local parish synagogue he would have been quite used to and expected to see incense used. He would have grown up with it.
The third reason Christians use incense has to do with the use of our physical senses. When we come to the eucharist we use all of our senses. We see the Church. We touch and taste the host, we hear the words and music and when incense is used we smell the incense. And so in a very special way, by using all our senses, we are totally immersed in the act of worship. Every part of us is worshipping God.
But there is something else about incense and the potency of the aromas. Smells as we all know bring back memories and affect our emotions.Once I went to visit a house and the thing that really struck me was not the pristine garden, or the lovely drapes or the heated indoor swimming pool. No no no. The thing that I remember most vividly from this visit was the stench of cigarette smoke. Obviously this was a long time ago and thus in quite a different parish from this one.It left me feeling sad somehow and a bit queasy. And it got me thinking that the use of smell is quite important to us. And just as a cigarette smell can bring back the memory of that visit, so too a pleasing perfume or aftershave can bring back all sorts of lovely memories. It does make a difference.
I reckon that the magi knew all of this on a conscious or at least subconscious level. They probably burnt incense themselves. Frankincense was a great gift to bring the Christ-child.
Heavenly Father, the Magi came on bended knee to adore your Son and offer their gifts.
Implant deep within us that same sense of mystery and awe for all your generous gifts to us.
So fill our hearts with your love, that we may come one day and see what they saw,
the face of your beloved son, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.