No church service does not pass without the oliban's burning, because this is the most ancient form of sacrifice to God in his peaceful appearance. Together with the smoke of incense, prayers, tears and aspirations of Orthodox Christians, their gratitude to the Savior's father, are carried to the sky. What is the incense will be told in this article.
Frankincense - what is this?
Ladan (oliban) is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the Boswellia genus. This is the component of the Incense, which includes 11 incense, used for the incense in the Temple. The trees used for its production grow on the Arabian Peninsula, Syria, Cyprus and Palestine, but Somalia is the main exporter of the resin. Gather it in the same way as pine gum, making cuts on the bark of the tree and waiting for the whole trunk to cover with dried juice. Then it is broken off into pieces and divided into grades.
What is church incense?
It is an unchanging component of the Divine Services, which, when heated, gives off a pleasant, sweetish balsamic odor, and when ignited, it emits smoke that smokes. This property is due to the composition of the material, because what is myrrh and incense is in both cases the frozen juice of plants. The first is the resin of the Stirac tree. In the Gospel they are mentioned in the three gifts that the Magi presented to Jesus at his birth. Gold he received as King, incense as God and son of God, and myrrh symbolized death, for the Savior was to die for people.
What is the incense made of?
From the same juice of trees. For those who are interested in what incense is made of, it can be answered that to make it, the pieces of resin are ground into powder, add fragrant oils and water, crush, form sausages, grind and dry. So that they do not stick together, sprinkle with magnesia. The composition may include grinded herbs and other aromatic resins, but all of them will be called one word - incense. It is used not only in temples, but also in dwellings.
Church incense - home application
Vetserkovlennye Christians and Catholics, praying before the icons in their apartment, also prefer to do it with perfume. The incense of the church sets on prayer, helps to concentrate and think about the message sent to God and the Saints. In addition, the resin is used in meditation and aromatherapy to relieve stress and emotional arousal, stress.
Can I burn incense at home?
Its use is allowed, but for this special crockery is used - a censer. If you set fire to tar in ordinary plates, you can spoil it and not get the desired effect. In addition, a strong smoke can provoke a phenomenon such as an allergy to incense, especially if you "go too far" and burn too many pieces. It is especially dangerous to do this before going to sleep, because instead of peace and tranquility it is easy to get a headache, cough and a sore throat.
How to make incense in the home?
This is done just before the prayer rule. Asking how to light an incense at home, it is necessary to answer, that for this purpose in a censer is put a charcoal, it is better self-igniting, is ignited by matches or a lighter, and from the top pieces of pitch are laid out. Do not put them immediately on hot fuel - it is better to give it a chance to cool down a bit, otherwise the smell of incense will be very thick, the room very quickly smoke and it will be difficult to breathe in it.
Another way involves using a "spider" - a special device that looks like a small bowl on three legs. Filled with pieces of resin, it is installed on top of a burning lamp, and judging by the popularity among Christians, it helps to get an unobtrusive delicate fragrance without the abundance of blue smoke. Alternatively, you can use chopsticks with the addition of resin, which is convenient to set fire on one side.
How to clean the house with incense?
Improve energy in the home can be, inviting the priest to consecrate the apartment. If this is not possible, then you can do it yourself. Those who ask how to fumigate an apartment with incense can answer that it needs to be set on fire from the front door, moving from left to right around all the rooms, reading "Our Father" , "50th Psalm", "The Symbol of Faith" or any other prayer to the Lord, which master knows. It is important that all corners, doorways and windows be crossed with a cross sign.
Interested in how to use incense still, you can sprinkle walls, floors and ceilings with holy water to sprinkle it in the form of a cross. The ideal time for the rite is a great feast of Baptism , but if there is a desire, it can be done on other days. The main thing is to believe in the power of prayer and then to be at home will be nicer and calmer, and in the future, try not to quarrel with the household, especially with the use of obscene words. Then the atmosphere in the dwelling will not be worse than in the temple.
How to extinguish incense?
At the end of prayer or cleaning of the house, the incense must be stopped. It is advisable not to interrupt the fumigation of the house with incense, that is, in advance to put new pieces of resin, and if the ceremony is over, and she still exudes the fragrance, then it is better to wait until it all burns out. The puzzling question is how to extinguish the incense, if by force of circumstances it is necessary to do this before full evaporation, it is recommended to use holy water. In the future, the remaining pieces can be ignited repeatedly.
Where to use the used incense?
Completely burnt coal and tar are poured into an unbroken place or into running water, a river is possible. Asking where to put the burned incense, you can advise to take it to the church shop. There it is put in a special place and disposed of in accordance with the rules. For those who all these actions seem unnecessarily tedious, you can recommend to light special candles at home - nuns, which already contain wood tar.
Can I carry incense with me?
To date, you can find on sale lindens, which look like a small box, a compact handbag or a bag. Inside is wood tar, which is designed to protect its owner from both spiritual and physical threats. Ladens are worn around the neck along with a cross, or cling to clothing by means of a pin, but necessarily above the waist. Interested in how often you need to change your incense in an incense, you should answer that it is not subject to change, just before bathing the bag needs to be removed, and when it gets dirty, transfer the contents to a new one and carry on.
If for some reason the incense has become worthless, then it must be burned, ashes buried in the ground and purchased a new one. Some believe that the resin worn on the body for 3 months and buried in the territory of the existing monastery can enhance the protection of a person, but this is an element of occultism and the church does not approve of it.
Incense from the evil spirit
Everyone knows the expression "afraid of the devil." By itself, wood resin from demons does not save and its burning without any purpose, too. Wishing to know why devils are afraid of incense, it is worth replying that incense is the oldest ritual of addressing God. In this way the believer makes the Lord pleasing, attracts him, and where there is grace and the Holy Spirit, demons and devils are bad. The savor of Christ is unbearable for the devil's brethren, which is why they flee from him without looking back.
Why does the smell of incense get bad?
Not everyone likes the smell of burning resin and this is normal, but the fact that smoke has an antidepressant effect on the body has already been proven. The properties of incense are due to its composition, and it contains the acetate of an in-interest, which some low-minded people compare to marijuana. It's unclear whether this is addictive, but there are those who specifically attend the services in order to breathe freely and experience the effect of euphoria.
Frankincense is a psychoactive substance, but the essential oils used in aromatherapy also have the same effect. Some are called to calm, others to cheer up. Another thing is that the smoke rising from the censer is a symbol of prayer, ascending to God. After all, what is this - incense, it is clear only to the true believer, glorifying Christ. And the one who came to the temple to "breathe" and enjoy, is a spiritual sweetheart, and not a humble Christian. The essence of the Divine service is in prayer and union with the Lord, but in nothing else.