34 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum, sweet spices with pure frankincense (of each shall there be an equal part), 35 and make an incense blended as by the perfumer, seasoned with salt, pure and holy; 36 and you shall beat some of it very small, and put part of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting where I shall meet with you; it shall be for you most holy.” (Exodus 30:34-37)
Sometimes it’s hard to find a Catholic store–online or brick and mortar–when you need one. When we were preparing to join the Catholic Church in 2005, I remember combing through Catholic bookstores around the area trying to find either books or other items to help us along on our journey. With stores closed now due to COVID19 pandemic, online resources have become a particularly welcomed option. When I was recently asked to review some items from HolyArt.com, I jumped at the opportunity to discover another online source to support our Catholic life, the Church Militant (referring to the the the Church on Earth).
I’ve always been fascinated with the scents associated with faith and religious tradition. After my own first confession, for instance, I felt an inexplicable breeze of forest air, full of fragrant pine. The Catholic and Orthodox traditions after all are ones that acknowledges and embrace all of our senses of touch, sight, sound, and smell. Coming from the Protestant tradition, I was probably the least familiar with the scents associated with liturgical services. Bringing these marvelous smells and atmospheres into the home is a way of reminding us of what it means to be present within the Mass. As an icon of a saint may serve a similar purpose as a photograph of a loved one, incense can evoke powerful memories as well. It also serves to remind us of the mystery and sheer unknowableness of our Creator.
Besides ordering a new lighter and charcoal, I selected a number of different incense varieties for my first HolyArt order; I was delighted with the items I received. The pine and rose incense types are likely my favorites, but all of the ones I have tried so far have been truly lovely and aromatic. They seem particularly high quality. Next time, I’m interested to sample Greek Cinnamon incense. Watching Easter Mass from home is going to be difficult this year…but perhaps having some high quality incense on hand will make it a little easier to weather this passing storm. It will help to remind us of what we are truly missing, and what we will experience again soon as a parish family.
I hope you are as pleased with HolyArt as I was. Please don’t hesitate to share your experiences!
The Singing in the Wood 