A question for anyone who is a practicing Catholic?

[Catubodua]

I have a different sort of situation at work and I’m wondering if I could get some input.

Just to be up front - I was raised Catholic, but am no longer practicing that, or any faith.

There is a cleaning crew person who has recently started to use incense on his cart when performing his tasks. I don’t mean to imply he’s got things burning or smoking or whatever, just the smell / scent. But, clearly, he’s burning the incense sometime right before he enters the building because the smell is quite strong. It also seems to be the same type of incense they use during some masses. Even though I no longer practice, I can still remember that smell.

Someone asked him about it and he said he was using it as a way to practice his faith. When the person asked him which faith that was, he answered Catholic.

Has something changed within the religion lately where they are encouraging people to use incense in their daily lives? I have to be honest that I find this very odd. I have many friends and relatives who are still practicing and I don’t know of anyone else who would do this.

I’m not looking to get him in trouble or even to get him to stop, I’m just very curious about this. Any ideas?

[Arduinna]

I don't know, but I wonder if he is an altar server and is getting the extra dousing with the incense at mass and that is why the smell is following him?

[moonshoes]

This could be cultural, do you know his ethnicity? I ask because many people from other areas use a lot of symbolic and ritual items that are not as familiar to Catholics in the U.S.

[Catubodua]

i suppose this is possible, but i don't think so. his shift is 6 am to 2pm. he's usually cleaning in/around my area about 10 to 10:30 am.

i don't know of any daily masses that would take place before he had to report to work, but even if he was there, it would be extraordinary that he'd still have that strong of a smell on him 4-5 hours later.

i really think he's got something on his cart that is meant to make the smell continuously.


ETA: while i know he is black, i do not know his ethnicity.

[honey-lilac]

I'm not a Catholic but I would wager he uses it during prayer and the smell puts him in a "holy" or cleansed mindset - a trigger for spirituality. Perhaps he feels the need to cleanse spiritually before starting his work.

[Catubodua]

very possible. i guess the timing seems off to me - as in, he's starting work 4 hours before he gets near my area - so it would be hard to imagine the smell would stay that strong for that long of a time.

however, now that i think about it, it could be that he has a break right before he's in our area where he uses this for meditation or prayer or whatever. i could see the smell being strong then, as in, he'd just used it.

[xekomaya]

incense has been traditionally used on home altars for Catholics, just not so much in the US since VII. Most Catholics don't even have a home altar anymore.

So it is definitely more historic (in the US at least) than a recent change. It is not done as much anymore but I know a few people who do at least.

Personally, it is really bad for you to breathe so I take my weekly dose at Mass and that is it

[kdabbler]

I agree with XM. As far as I know, there is no huge push to use incense at home. However, he may be using it in prayer and in following his faith just as many Catholics keep and use holy water at home. And I too apologize that its so strong. I'm rather sensitive myself to certain fragrances.

[Ofwait]

Hmm... I would say that is a personal prefference of his, as no one that I know uses incense at home on a daily basis... perhaps on special occasions ie. Easter, but not on a daily basis.

[Tuesday]

Originally Posted by Kaleanani

I'm not a Catholic but I would wager he uses it during prayer and the smell puts him in a "holy" or cleansed mindset - a trigger for spirituality. Perhaps he feels the need to cleanse spiritually before starting his work.

This is pretty much what I was thinking. I was thinking of he may be using it as a cleansing/smudging tool.

[Comtessa]

FWIW, the scent is probably frankincense, or maybe a combination of frankincense and myrrh. I was an altar server as a kid and I remember the incense looking like little bits of resin that were smashed or ground into small pieces and then spooned onto a small lit charcoal in the thurible. (Don't ask me how I still remember that word!! Some stuff never leaves your brain from childhood...) Sometimes I think there were little bits of wood in it - sandalwood, I'd guess, but I'm not sure.