Fr.TEDTalks
Instagram
Fr. Ted teaches children home incense use
What the video says
The speaker shows children a small brass censer (θυμιατό or λιβανιστήρι) used for burning incense at home. He explains that charcoal represents the earth and incense represents prayers rising to God as a sweet fragrance. He demonstrates lighting the charcoal on top of a flame, waiting for it to heat fully before adding one or two pieces of incense.
The smoke can be used to bless icons and rooms while saying the Lord's Prayer or the Trisagion. He recommends burning incense on Saturday nights, when the liturgical day begins at sundown, and on feast days or name days.
Key moments
- 0:00 The speaker introduces a small censer (θυμιατό/λιβανιστήρι) made of brass, used at home for burning incense.
- 1:00 In the liturgy the priest uses a large censer with bells; at home families use small ones of brass, silver, or gold.
- 2:34 Charcoal and incense (θυμίαμα) are the two components; charcoal represents the world, incense represents prayers rising to God.
- 4:41 Demonstrates lighting charcoal on top of the flame, not upside down, and warns against touching the hot charcoal.
- 5:44 Wait for the charcoal to heat completely before adding incense; too much incense too early will extinguish the charcoal.
- 6:48 Only one or two pieces of incense are needed; open a window to avoid setting off smoke detectors.
- 7:20 Walk through the house making the sign of the cross before icons, saying the Lord's Prayer or the Trisagion.
- 8:27 Best times: Saturday night at sundown (start of Sunday) and on major feast days or name days.
Fr. Ted speaks to the Prophet Elias Sunday School about burning incense at home. He shows the children a small brass censer, called a thymiaton or livanisteri, and explains the difference between the large censer with bells used by the priest in the liturgy and the smaller brass, silver, or gold censers families use at home. He identifies the two components: charcoal, which represents the world, and incense (thymiama), which represents prayers rising to God as a sweet fragrance.
He demonstrates lighting the charcoal on top of the flame rather than upside down, warning the children not to touch the hot charcoal. He stresses waiting for the charcoal to heat completely before adding incense, because too much incense too early will extinguish the charcoal. Only one or two pieces of incense are needed, and he advises opening a window to avoid setting off smoke detectors.
He then walks through the house making the sign of the cross before icons while saying the Lord's Prayer or the Trisagion. He recommends burning incense on Saturday nights at sundown, when the liturgical day begins, and on major feast days or name days.
Main points
- Fr. Ted shows a small brass home censer (thymiaton/livanisteri) and contrasts it with the priest's large censer with bells.
- Charcoal represents the world; incense (thymiama) represents prayers rising to God as sweet fragrance.
- He demonstrates lighting charcoal on top of the flame, waiting for full heat before adding one or two pieces of incense.
- Too much incense too early extinguishes the charcoal; open a window to avoid smoke detectors.
- Walk through the house crossing before icons while saying the Lord's Prayer or Trisagion; best times are Saturday night at sundown and feast days or name days.