A Video depicting Orthodox daily ritual of Incense Burning at the Holy Sepulcher- Jerusalem

In our Orthodox church, the incense is burnt in a metal vessel that hangs on three chains and has a sliding cover that regulates the burning of charcoal. The whole apparatus is called a censer. On the chains are twelve small bells, signifying the Twelve Disciples.
 

The grains of incense are put on burning charcoal in the censer with a prayer, “We offer thee incense, O Christ our God, for an odor of spiritual fragrance. Receive it upon your heavenly altar and send down upon us, in return, the gift of your Holy Spirit.” Incense is a mix of spices and gums that we burn during services to produce fragrant smoke.

The incense burning symbolizes prayer. “Let my prayer come before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. . . .“ (Psalm 141: 2 – used during Vespers as the whole church is censed). In Old Testament times, the people would pray before the Holy of Holies while the priest within made the sacrifice. “And the whole multitude of people were praying outside at the hour of incense.” (Luke 1: 10) Symbolically, the incense represents prayer ascending to God.

Below is the video depicting a daily performed ritual of the incense burning by the fathers that reside and serve at the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.

During our Holy Liturgy the incense is burnt to symbolize:
 
1. Worship of God who is present in the Temple and in the Eucharist.
 
2. Prayer rising to God like the smoke.
 
3. The Grace of the Holy Spirit (presented in the prayer above), which God pours upon all of us as incense pours fragrance throughout the Church.
 
The clergy censes icons and other Holy objects to honor God who crowns these saints in heaven, who worked wonders through them here on earth, and who sanctified and glorified their bodies; and to demonstrate our devotion to these special friends and servants of God called Saints.
 
Also, the clergy censes bishops and priests to honor in them Jesus Christ, whom they represent and with whose sacred character they are clothed.

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