Practically every divine service of the Orthodox Church is accompanied by censing. The smoking of fragrant incense (incense) during the service has an ancient history and is endowed with a special meaning.
Old Testament institution of incense
In the time of the Old Testament, sacrifices made to the Lord through the so-called burnt offerings were widespread. Even before the time of Moses and long before the creation of the liturgical Old Testament tabernacle, the smoke from the sacrifices that rises into the heights symbolized the prayer of a person turned to heaven, to the Lord.
From the moment the Old Testament divine service appeared in the tabernacle, burning incense before sacred objects has become a common practice. Thus, the Lord commanded the high priest Aaron to burn incense before the Ark of the Covenant, in which the tablets with the ten commandments were located. According to the book of Exodus, such a ceremony was to be performed in the morning and evening. From the same Old Testament book it is known about the censing of Moses before the golden altar, during which a cloud descended on the tabernacle and "the glory of the Lord filled it" (Ex. 40: 27, 34)
What modern incense symbolizes
In New Testament times, the practice of burning incense in front of shrines during divine services was preserved. The censing itself symbolizes the special grace of the Holy Spirit, as well as the prayers of people, ascending to the throne of the Most High God. During the burning of incense, a person symbolically participates in divine grace, therefore, in itself, the performance of burning incense during the service should be performed with special reverence. It is no coincidence that believers in the church part in front of the clergyman or deacon.
The Holy Fathers also cite one more symbolic designation for censing. Just as incense has a pleasant fragrant smell, the prayers of a Christian, offered up with strong faith and humility of heart, are pleasing to God. As warmth comes from a hot coal, so the prayer of a Christian should be especially zealous, "ardent".
In the Orthodox tradition, censing is performed not only in front of the throne, altar and icons. The priests during the divine service also cense and pray, thereby rendering pious reverence for the image of God that every person has.
Blessed Simeon of Thessaloniki especially clearly reflects the meaning of the censing in Orthodox churches:
There is also a practical side to burning incense. It is believed that the demons tremble with the consecrated incense and smoke from incense. From Christian practice, there are cases when demoniac people cannot stand the smell of incense and the smoke itself, which symbolizes grace. Some holy fathers describe how, during the censing, demons left the body of a suffering person.
Thus, through the performance of incense, everything around is sanctified.
When censing is performed at all-night vigil and liturgy
During the all-night vigil service, censing is performed several times. At the very beginning of the service, while the chorus is singing the 103rd Psalm, which tells about the creation of the Earth, the priest walks around the entire church with incense. At this time, the smoke of the censer symbolizes the Holy Spirit. The first verses of the Bible tell man about the creation of the planet:
Censing at all-night vigil is also performed during the singing of the stichera at "Lord I have cried" (Vespers), during the litiya (at the consecration of bread, wine, oil and wheat), polyeleos (matins), the song of the Mother of God "My soul will magnify the Lord."
The censing is performed at the end of the proskomedia (before the liturgy). At the main divine service, during which believers partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, the censer is used during the funeral litany, the cherubic song, at the end of the Eucharistic canon (the priest performs the censing of the throne in the altar), after the sacrament of the faithful.
