“When holy things, such as icons, the temple, are censed, that censing is directed toward God, giving Him due honor and glory. When the censer is turned toward people, it bears witness to the fact that the Holy Spirit is poured out onto all the faithful, for they have within them the image of God. It is tradition that in response to being censed, people ow.”
(Parish Life Journal of the Cathedral of St John the Baptist, Washington DC)