The sacred smoke of prayer: incense in monastic worship
When the thurible swings and the grey-blue haze drifts through a church, something shifts in the air long before a single word is sung. The sense of smell, often overlooked in a culture saturated with screens and sound, becomes a doorway into reverence. At Mother of the Redeemer Monastery in Plaisance, Louisiana, incense is not a decorative flourish but a living element of the prayer the Olivetan Benedictine monks offer day by day. Its fragrant clouds accompany the chanting of the Psalms, the celebration of the Eucharist, and the solemn moments of the Divine Office.
For visitors arriving from across the world, including those who travel from Australian dioceses, the experience can feel both ancient and immediate. Incense carries the prayers of the community upward in a way the eye can almost follow, and it reminds everyone present that worship engages the whole person. The gentle haze that fills the oratory invites the heart to settle, even as the mind recognises centuries of tradition unfolding in real time.
Roots in scripture and ancient tradition
The use of fragrant smoke in worship stretches back to the earliest expressions of faith. In the Book of Exodus, the Lord commands Moses to construct an altar of incense, and the priestly liturgy of the Temple in Jerusalem included a daily offering of fragrant gums and spices. The Psalmist prays, "Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense," an image the Church has carried into her own prayer. Early Christian writers such as St. John Chrysostom and St. Ephrem the Syrian describe the fragrant cloud as a sign of the divine presence hovering over the assembly.
When the Roman Empire made way for Christian worship in public basilicas, the practice of incensing altars, Gospel books, and the gathered faithful continued without interruption. Monastic communities in Egypt, Gaul, and later Italy preserved the custom through the long centuries that followed. The Olivetan Benedictines, part of the wider Benedictine family to which Mother of the Redeemer belongs, inherited this tradition and wove it into the rhythm of their daily chant and sacramental life.
What the rising smoke signifies
Each movement of the thurible carries layered meaning. The rising column of smoke recalls the prayers of the saints ascending before the throne of God, and it visibly expresses the prayer of the local community joining that great chorus. When the celebrant incenses the altar, he honours Christ himself, for the altar is the sign of his sacrifice. When he incenses the Gospel, he acknowledges the Word made flesh as the heart of the celebration. When he incenses the people, he acknowledges their dignity as a priestly people washed in baptismal waters.
The smell itself plays a quiet pedagogical role. Frankincense and myrrh, the same resins offered by the Magi to the infant Christ, speak of kingship, suffering, and the offering of precious gifts. St. Bernard of Clairvaux, a patron of the Olivetan order, wrote often of the spiritual senses, urging the soul to perceive the sweetness of divine things. Incense provides one of the rare moments in ordinary parish life where the sense of smell leads the soul directly into mystery.
The prayer of the whole person
Contemporary liturgical theology often emphasises that worship is not merely something the mind thinks about but something the whole body does. Standing, sitting, bowing, kneeling, tasting the Eucharist, hearing the chant, seeing the candles, and smelling the incense all cooperate in forming the praying person. The Second Vatican Council's Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy famously called for the full, conscious, and active participation of the faithful, and the Council fathers understood participation as something far richer than verbal response alone.
In parishes across Australia, from the inner-city parishes of Melbourne and Sydney to the growing communities of Perth and Brisbane, incense appears more frequently now than it did a generation ago. Some parishes reserve its use to solemnities, funerals, and Benediction, while others, particularly those served by religious communities, incorporate it into weekly Mass. Visitors to the Mother of the Redeemer Monastery oratory will notice that incense is a regular companion to Vespers and the conventual Mass, not because it is showy but because it steadies the attention of everyone present.
Comparing forms of incense used in the church
| Type of incense | Primary resins | Scent profile | Typical liturgical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic frankincense | Boswellia carterii | Bright, citrusy, slightly piney | Daily conventual Mass, solemnities |
| Myrrh-blend | Commiphora myrrha blended with frankincense | Warm, earthy, slightly bitter | Funeral liturgies, Good Friday |
| Olive-charcoal mix | Frankincense with olive charcoal base | Soft, smoky, neutral | Weekday Lauds and Vespers |
| Spiced aromatic | Frankincense with benzoin, cassia, or copal | Sweet, balsamic, warm | Christmas, Easter, patronal feasts |
| Pure resin (loose grain) | Whole frankincense tears | Sharp, lemony, resinous | Solemn Vespers, monastic profession rites |
Each monastery develops its own preferences, often shaped by the availability of resins and the traditions of its founding houses. Mother of the Redeemer, like many Olivetan monasteries, leans toward a frankincense-forward blend accented with subtle spices, allowing the chant of the Psalms to remain audible while the air grows gentle with fragrance. The thurifer who prepares the charcoal and grains before Mass performs a small labour of love, a quiet ministry that prepares the senses of the whole assembly for prayer.
Incense within the monastic horarium
The monks of Mother of the Redeemer follow the Benedictine horarium, the daily schedule that punctuates the hours with prayer and work. Morning Lauds, the conventual Mass, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, and Compline each have their own character, and the use of incense shifts with the seasons and feasts. On great feasts such as Christmas, Easter, the Annunciation, and the titular solemnity of Our Lady of the Redemption, the thurible is used generously throughout the liturgy.
from-the-prior-s-desk-a-monthly-reflection often reflects on how the senses assist the soul in keeping watch. The rhythm of incense across the year forms a kind of olfactory calendar, marking the fasts of Lent with restraint and the rejoicing of Eastertide with abundance. Australian visitors who attend a monastery liturgy for the first time sometimes note that the incense helps them enter a slower pace, a pace that the monastic tradition considers essential to hearing the gentle voice of God. Even those who travel from Adelaide, Hobart, or the regional dioceses of New South Wales frequently speak of how the fragrant clouds carry their weariness upward, leaving them more present to the hour.
Welcoming visitors and supporting the work
The monks welcome guests who wish to pray with the community, attend liturgy, or spend a few days in retreat. The monastery guesthouse offers simple accommodation, and the church opens for the Divine Office throughout the day. Many Australians plan their visits during the cooler months, when Louisiana's climate resembles a southern spring more closely than the long humid summer. Hospitality has long been a hallmark of Benedictine life, and the monks extend it without haste, inviting each guest to find a pew and let the rhythm of the hours do its quiet work.
For those planning a visit, a few practical points may help.
- Arrive a few minutes early to settle into the oratory and observe the monks in silence before liturgy begins.
- Dress modestly and comfortably, keeping in mind that the cool stone of the building may feel brisk in winter months.
- Consider attending Vespers followed by Adoration, a combination that allows the incense to settle into the senses without rushing to the next obligation.
- Reflect beforehand on a passage of Scripture, since the monastic reading tradition values silence after the final blessing.
- Support the planned chapel expansion, which will provide additional space for the growing number of retreatants and worshippers.
Those wishing to deepen their understanding of the rhythm that shapes each day may find the monastic work and prayer essay a helpful companion. Reading it before a visit often allows guests to enter the oratory already attuned to the pace of the hours, and it pairs well with the brief written guide available near the entrance of the church.
If you feel called to walk through the fragrant haze of a Benedictine liturgy, plan a retreat at Mother of the Redeemer Monastery and discover how a few grains of resin can carry a lifetime of prayer.