When you go to a funeral in a catholic church.....?

Question

and they're swinging that smoking lantern thing around the casket....what are they burning in there?

death from above: Catholic bashing my azz! I asked a simple question and got lots of rather nice, simple answers. Have you kicked your dog yet today?

Death from above: Man, it must be hard to be a card carrying member of the biggest, richest church on the planet and still feel as persecuted as you do. Catholic bashing pales in comparison to the bashing christians do to gays. By the way, you got a load of thumbs down for your smug and snoty answer.

As for the rest of you...thanks for your kind and thoughtful answers.

Answer 1

I can't say it. I just can't say it....

Answer 2

Incense made from specific resins and other aromatics, typically frankincense and/or myyrh, .a granulated aromatic resins, obtained from certain trees in Eastern and tropical countries, especially from those of the terebinth family. When sprinkled upon a glowing coal in the "censer", it burns freely and emits an abundant white smoke of very fragrant odor. Various spices are sometimes mixed with the resin to increase its fragrance.

The censer is a vessel in the form of a bowl, provided with a cover, the whole being generally adorned with gilding and ornaments and suspended from chains, so that it may be swung to and fro for the better diffusion of the sweet odor. It is held in both hands when being used, elevated to the height of the eyes, while the left hand holds the ends of the chains against the breast. The censer is swung forward toward the person or thing to be incensed, once or oftener, according to the requirements of the rubrics.

The use of incense is optional in any form of Mass:

a. during the entrance procession;

b. at the beginning of Mass, to incense the altar;

c. at the procession and proclamation of the gospel; [see sec.1154 of the Catholic Catechism.]

d. at the preparation of the gifts, to incense them, as well as the altar, priest, and people;

e. at the showing of the eucharistic bread and chalice after the consecration.

236. The priest puts the incense in the censer and blesses it with the sign of the cross, saying nothing.

This is the way to incense the altar:

a. If the altar is freestanding, the priest incenses it as he walks around it.

b. If the altar is not freestanding, he incenses it while walking first to the right side, then to the left.

If there is a cross on or beside the altar, he incenses it before he incenses the altar. If the cross is behind the altar, the priest incenses it when he passes in front of it.' General Instruction of the Roman Missal, Fourth Edition, 1975. And see, §§ 276-77 in the new General Instruction.


The censer [has been] swung as a mark of respect before the celebrant, ministers and assisting clergy at a Mass, and incense is used also in many of the public services of the Church - in processions, blessings and other functions, and in the [sevices] for the dead. Not only persons but inanimate things are thus honored -- things which are in themselves sacred, such as relics; things which have been previously blessed, such as crucifixes, altars and the book of the Gospels; and things to which a blessing is being given, such as bodies of the dead and sepulchres.

Answer 3

Incense

Answer 4

Incense

Answer 5

Incense.

Incense has been used to accompany and symbolize prayer in Judaism and Christianity for thousands of years.

In the Old Testament, God mandates the use of incense in Jewish worship:

"For burning incense you shall make an altar of acacia wood, ... "On it Aaron shall burn fragrant incense. Morning after morning, when he prepares the lamps, and again in the evening twilight, when he lights the lamps, he shall burn incense. Throughout your generations this shall be the established incense offering before the LORD. (Exodus 30:1-9)

Aaron makes an offering of incense:

"Thus shall Aaron offer up the bullock, his sin offering, to atone for himself and for his family. When he has slaughtered it, he shall take a censer full of glowing embers from the altar before the LORD, as well as a double handful of finely ground fragrant incense, and bringing them inside the veil, 3 there before the LORD he shall put incense on the fire, so that a cloud of incense may cover the propitiatory over the commandments; else he will die. (Leviticus 16:12-13)

See also Numbers 7:13-17.

And in the New Testament, the Magi bring frankincense, a type of incense, as an offering to Christ himself:

Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

John the Baptist's father, Zechariah makes an offering of incense in the Temple sanctuary:

Once when he was serving as priest in his division's turn before God, according to the practice of the priestly service, he was chosen by lot to enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense. Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outside at the hour of the incense offering, the angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right of the altar of incense. (Luke 1:8-12)

John describes an angel with a golden censer offering large amounts of incense before the throne of God:

Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel. (Revelation 8:3-4)

In modern use, incensing is a symbol of purification and sanctification.

Incense may be used during the Mass during:
+ The entrance procession
+ The beginning of Mass, to incense the altar
+ The procession and proclamation of the Gospel
+ The offertory, to incense the offerings, altar, priest and people
+ The elevation of the Sacred Host and chalice of Precious Blood after the consecration

During funeral Masses, the priest may incense the coffin as a sign
+ Of honor to the body of the deceased which became the temple of the Holy Spirit at Baptism
+ Of the faithful’s prayers for the deceased rising to God

"Let my prayer come like incense before you." (Psalm 141)

For more information, see: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07716a.htm and http://landru.i-link-2.net/shnyves/incense_offering.htm
http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/INCENSE.htm
http://www.usccb.org/liturgy/current/revmissalisromanien.shtml

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

Terry O Catholic said it perfect. It is incense which symbolizes a blessing and our prayers rising to God.

Answer 7

Incense, dear Gandalf.

Answer 8

It's just incense. Won't hurt you. It's a very old tradition,apparently going back to the days when it was the only way to repel insects carrying disease. This is way back. it's preserved today on a kind of sanctification basis,rather like sprinkling holy water,but ultimately it's simply a tradition.

Answer 9

Incense. The smoking thing is called a censer.

Answer 10

The smoking lantern thing is called a censer, and it is used to burn incense.

Answer 11

Incense. Its symbolic of our prayers going up to God. The symbology is taken from the OT, where it speaks of prayers going up to God that have a sweet smell. (I can't remember which scriptures mention that off the top of my head. Go to http://www.catholic.com and do a search.)