The answer
In the Old Testament, the incense was a sacrifice that had a special altar in the Temple, called the altar of incense or the Golden altar. After the person offers the animal sacrifices on the altar of burnt offering and was purified in the basin, he was then able to pray to God who had accepted his prayers as a sweet savor upon the altar of incense. Likewise, in the New Testament, our prayers cannot be accepted as a sweet savor before God away from His cross that redeemed and purified us from our sins, so the deacons carry the cross in the procession of the Incense.Answered by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef (opens in a new tab)