Frankincense
Myrrh
“Take fragrant spices – gum resin, onycha and galbanum – and pure frankincense, all in equal amounts, and make fragrant blend of incense, the work of a perfumer. It is to be salted and pure and saced. Do not make any incense with this formula for yourselves; consider it Holy to the Lord.” Exodus 30:34
“May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice. Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.” Psalm 141 verse 2
What is resin incense? Its made of aromatic organic materials that release fragrant smoke when burned. Incense (Khoung – in Armenian) is made out of tree sap, bark roots, shrubs or plants. The best known incense is Frankincense, Myrrh and Rose.
*Two of the three Wise Men brought Frankincense (which symbolizes “fit for a King”) and Myrrh (which symbolizes the new Messiah’s fate) as a present to Baby Jesus the day He was born*
What is it made out of? It was made from blends of herbs and plants (see the list below). For example: Frankincense is from the Bowellia tree and myrrh is from Commiphora tree (both pictures are above). Both are derived from the gummy sap that oozes out when the bark is cut off the tree. The leaking resin is dried and once hardened its scraped off the trunk. The resin may then be used in its dried form or steamed to produce essential oils. Both substances are edible and often chewed like gum.
What type of incense is there? Stick, Cone, Coil and Resin.
Which Churches use resin incense? Orthodox Christian, Roman Catholic, Eastern Catholic, Old Catholic, Liberal Catholic, some Anglican and Lutheran Churches. Since the days of Moses, incense was used during daily prayers to God.
Why do we burn incense in our homes and at church? We light the incense in a thurible (a mental censer suspended from chains) like the picture shown above. As Christians, we burn incense in our homes for a variety of reason; one is to raise our prayers and wishes to God and the other to get rid of any evil surrounding us and our homes. We pray the “Lords prayer” during incensing and any other prayers that we would like to recite. At church we burn incense mainly to praise the blessings of God which he has bestowed upon us and to bless the congregation. The scent of the resin (provided from trees which were made by God) represents Christ sweet aroma across the world. As the reason behind trees is to provide humans with fresh oxygen. Charcoal (which is also made out of slowly burning hardwood) represents the strong faith people have. These together raises our prayers up to God in Heaven.
Why should priest come into our homes to bless the home? It is important for the priest to come and bless our homes at least twice a year, during Christmas and Easter. The main reason in which a priest comes to bless the home, is to cleanse it from evil, to take away the supernatural ‘dirt’ that is dwelling in the home. The Armenian priest reads from a prayer book called “Mashdots” which has been used for hundreds of years. Not only is blessings of the homes very important for our faith building, it is also important to bless a variety of other things such as; stores, businesses, schools, crosses, vestments, sacramentals, clothes, the child’s first haircut (when the parents make a vow to God), etc.
Armenians use indirect form of burning incense. We take round instant flaming charcoal, light it and put a few pieces of resin incense on top then we begin our prayers in the home, church and burial grounds.
It is accustomed that in Armenians homes, incense is burned on Saturday’s, prior to sunset (due to the fact that in biblical teachings and traditions, the day ends at 5 p.m., and the start of the next day is after 5 a.m.). Click here to read more article by V. Rev. Fr. Barouyr Shernezian on his Wix website.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7.
Why is praying important? When we pray to God we must pray from our hearts. When we ask for things during prayer we should in return give up something our heart desires; to show our commitment and love towards God. The reason for prayer is to talk to God, to have a conversation with Him. When we are silent and we speak from our hearts we can actually hear Him answer back. God wants us to talk to him on a daily basis, we are his children. Like any Father, He wants His children to come to Him, especially in times of need, sadness and distress, also during times of wellness, joy and fortune. We don’t know what trials we are going to face, but as we go through the path of life we pray to God to help us through those difficult times to keep us from taking the wrong path, a path that will bring harm to our souls. We know that God is omnipotent and knows our every step from past to future, but that should not deter us from praying to Him.
How many styles of prayers are there? There are two main styles of prayers. The first style of prayer is called “Set prayers.” Prayers that we learn from childhood, prayers that are said through memory. For example, the “Lord’s Prayer,” and the prayer before meals, etc. The second style of prayer is called “Conversational prayers.” Those in which we recite from the heart. They are pleadings, basic conversations and questions that we raise to God, mainly in search of answers.
What prayers should we say? When we wake up, before we eat, before we go to bed, when we need Gods help during the day, when someone is born, when someone dies, when someone is sick, when we have sinned, etc. Praying can be done for every thing and every moment in our lives. In another post Rev. Fr. Moses will share some specific prayers for specific times.
The Lords prayer
* “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.”
* “Father in heaven, I stand before You today in Your omnipotent presence to ask that You grant me the strength to power through all of the task today – whether little or big. It is by Your will that I live oh Lord… Thank You for Your everlasting presence Lord and in Jesus’ name Amen.”
* Lord God, Heavenly Father, bless us and these Thy gifts which we receive from They bountiful goodness, through Jesus Christ Amen.”
* “Father, we thank thee for the night, and for the pleasant morning light. For rest and food and loving care, and all that makes the day so fair…Now I lay down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, watch and guard me through the night, and wake me with the morning life.”
Below is a list of different types of incense made throughout the world.
Woods and barks
Agarwood
Cedar
Sandalwood
Cypress
Juniper
Cassia
Seeds and fruits
Star anise
Juniper
Nutmeg
Coriander
Vanilla
Resins and gums
Benzoin
Copal
Frankincense
Myrrh
Labdanum
Dragon’s blood
Storax
Galbanum
Elemi
Camphor
Sandarac
Guggul
Opoponax
Tolu balsam
Leaves
Patchouli
Sage
Bay
Tea
Roots and rhizomes
Vetiver
Orris
Calamus
Spikenard
Galangal
Flowers and buds
Clove
Lavender
Saffron