Early Church Fathers
Subsequently the theme of worship is taken up by many of the Church Fathers including Justin Martyr, Irenaeus and Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170-c. 236), and seems to be liturgical. The Holy Eucharist was the central act of worship in early Christianity. The liturgical aspect of the synagogues and the ritual of the Jewish temple, both of which were participated in by early Christians, helped shape the form of the early Christian liturgy of the word and the liturgy of the Eucharist in the Mass of the Catholic Church. The early Christian use of incense in worship seemed first to originate in Christian funeral rites, and later used during regular worship services. Incense was also used in the Bible to worship God and symbolize prayer, in both the Old Testament and New Testament; one of the three Magi offered Christ frankincense, and in the Book of Revelation, angels and saints appear in Heaven offering incense to God, thus setting a precedent for Christian use of incense in worship.
Read more about this topic: Christian Worship
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