How to Benefit from the Holy Liturgy - Pope Kirillos Scientific Family

and give them back to the priest for offering and praying to
the Lord for the departed.
Therefore, we conclude...
V The deacon goes out to the congregation with a plate of
incense beads, not the censer, before the Diptych and not
after, to collect from the believers the beads of incense,
distributed for the Litany of the Departed. He then
prepares it for the priest, and at the moment of the
Diptych, the priest places it in the censer to request God's
mercy for the departed.
V This incense is not to be offered before saintly icons or
amidst the congregation, but for the mercy of the
departed souls of the church believers.
Notes:
i. The deacon must not take the censer after the incense of
mercy has been placed in it and pass through the
congregation blowing in it. This distracts the people from the
sacrifice on the altar and the continuance of the Mass.
ii. It is preferable for the censer to hang in its place after the
incense of mercy has been placed in it and left until it is
completely free from the smoke of incense. Then the deacon
takes it, after the Mass, and empties the ashes.
iii. It is necessary to empty the censer after using it in every
Mass, so that it may 'fast' in preparation for the next Mass. If
it is left without being emptied, either by mistake or
forgetfulness, it should not be used for the next Mass, but
instead be replaced by another censor which has 'fasted'. This
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