What does that have to do with declining membership? And how do
you know for sure that membership is declining? 
The use of incense goes far back in time. The reference books tell
us that incense was in common use in Near East countries, burnt for
its perfume. Are they suggesting incense was an ancient kind of air
freshener? From a secular use it passed into religious service.
Pagans employed it in worship of their gods. According to one
source, at a fete in honor of Baal the Babylonians burned 1,000
talents of frankincense. Incense also played a part in honor given
to kings and the Roman emperor.
And among the gifts of the Magi was frankincense--a gift worthy of
a king. Illustrations of altars of incense can be found in the St.
Joseph edition of the New American Bible.
Already in the Book of Exodus there is reference to incense. In
Chapter 30, Moses is told to make an altar of acacia wood for the
burning of incense and Aaron is to burn incense morning and
evening. Also, in Exodus 30:34-38 Moses is given a formula for
incense to be used solely in the worship of Yahweh. It is to be
made of equal parts of storax, onycha, galbanum and frankincense,
blended and ground into fine dust. The incense is to be placed
before the Commandments in the meeting tent. Elsewhere in the Old
Testament incense was often burnt in connection with the burnt
offerings of animals.
The sweet smell of incense and its rising smoke gave it a kind of
natural symbolism. It became the image of something pleasing to
God. The rising smoke came to symbolize a person's or people's
prayers rising up to God. So in Psalm 141 we have the plea, "Let my
prayer come like incense before you."
Early Christians also found symbolic meaning in the use of incense.
In the Book of Revelation, for instance, John has a vision of
heaven and a kind of heavenly liturgy where the 24 elders worship
the lamb that was slain. The elders hold harps and gold bowls
filled with incense, "which are the prayers of the holy ones"
(5:
. In Revelation 8:3-4
an angel holding a gold censer is given a great quantity of incense
to offer and the smoke of the incense goes up before God with
prayers.
So, among Christians today, incense has ritual and symbolic
meaning. Its sweet aroma symbolizes something pleasing and
acceptable being offered to God.
Burning incense is also a sign of reverence and dedication.
Incensing the body at a funeral Mass is a sign of reverence for the
body that was once the temple of God. In a more solemn liturgy,
incensing the Book of Gospels indicates reverence for the word of
God and Christ himself who is the Word Incarnate. Incensing the
altar shows respect for Christ whom the altar represents and his
sacrifice made present upon the altar. Incensing the Easter candle
is, again, a sign of reverence for Christ who is the light of the
world. Incensing the Blessed Sacrament at Benediction is a sign of
adoration and worship given to Christ, truly present upon the
altar. It becomes a sign of our prayers rising to heaven.
http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Jan1997/Wiseman.asp
