Love Letters to the Latin Mass 5: Incense and Bells

May this incense, which Thou has blessed, O Lord, ascend to Thee, and may Thy mercy descend upon us.  (from the Ordinary of the Mass)

The beauty, power, and majesty of our God and His creations are beyond our wildest imaginations and abilities. Even the greatest artists and musicians can only attempt to copy the magnificence of what we see, hear, and feel surrounded by His brilliant gifts. In the most solemn Latin Mass, we attempt to reflect and recreate some of that brilliance in two ways: the use of incense and the sound of bells.

Liturgical History of Incense

The burning of incense, made of dried herbs, aromatic wood, and ritual spices, has been practiced for thousands of years as part of various religious rituals. It is mentioned in the earliest Jewish Talmud and has been used extensively in Eastern religious rites. Its earliest use in the Catholic Church came from Eastern-rite Masses and then was taken up by the Western church as early as the 6th century.

The rituals of the Divine Liturgies of Saint James and Saint Mark dating from the 5th century include the use of incense. In the Western Church, the 7th century Ordo Romanus VIII of Saint Amand mentions the use of incense during the procession of a bishop to the altar on Good Friday. Documented history of incensing the Evangeliary (Book of Gospels) during the Mass dates from the 11th century. The use of incense within the liturgies continued to be developed over many years into what we are familiar with today. (Ordinary of the Mass)

The Meaning and Use of Incense

The use of incense has traditionally served four purposes: 1) to distinguish the ceremony as something separate and above the common occurrences of the day; 2) to remind us of the sweetness of our Lord; 3) to acknowledge the transcendence of the Mass as a link between heaven and earth; and, 4) to represent the burning zeal of faith which we Christians should always carry within us. Incense essentially serves to sanctify and consecrate, and we know instinctively that something different and special is occurring when incense is burned.

As stated by Fr. Roman Guardini, in his precious breviary The Sacred Signs:

The offering of an incense is a generous and beautiful rite. The bright grains of incense are laid upon the red-hot charcoal, the censer is swung, and the fragrant smoke rises in clouds. In the rhythm and the sweetness there is a musical quality; and like music also is the entire lack of practical utility: it is a prodigal waste of precious material. It is a pouring out of unwithholding love. (Op. cit., 33)

 Blessing With Smoke

During the high Latin Mass, incense is used when the priest and servers process up the center aisle, to bless the altar at the beginning of the Mass, prior to the reading of the Gospel, before and at the Consecration, and when the priest and servers process down the aisle at the end of Mass.

The most touching use of incense occurs prior to the Consecration. After the priest incenses the altar and the gifts, he blesses the deacon or server who is assisting him. Then he hands the thurible over to that server and accepts the blessing of incense from him. The server then steps away from the altar, blesses the other servers, and finally walks to the center spot behind the communion rail.

Facing the members of the congregation, who now stand to receive the symbolic purification of the incense, he bows and swings the thurible toward the people. They, in turn, bow back to him and cross themselves upon receiving the smoky blessing. This serves as another reminder that we are all in this together, participating in something holy and beyond our understanding—indeed, something utterly miraculous.

The Bells and the Eucharist

Similarly, the frequent use of bells during the Latin Mass is not just a meaningless embellishment (or an attempt to wake up those who are daydreaming, though it may have that effect). Like the incense, it is a human reference to the heavenly, in this case, like the songs of angels.

The bells have great spiritual power and alert our senses to what is unfolding before us. They not only provoke our attention but are also a “joyous noise” at the pivotal moments in the Mass when God comes down from Heaven and takes the appearance of bread and wine.

In the high Latin Mass, the bells are rung several times during the Consecration to signify each major and minor elevation of the bread and wine as it becomes the Body and Blood of Christ.

Conclusion

As with every aspect of the Latin Mass, there is a deeper meaning to each ringing of the bells and burning of the incense. We are reminded that this is not just a simple gathering, but a way for us to truly transcend the mundane and touch the immortal.