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Anathama_Sit
Guest
Greetings Victory9,
Thanks for providing this link, I did not see anywhere where it mentioned holy water, unless I misread.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
Greetings Victory9,
Greetings Victory9,ydalia-tolentino.suite101.com/sacramentals-a128649
Sacramentals, like the sacraments, are also externals signs through which people can receive God’s grace or blessing. However, sacramentals do not confer blessings or grace in the same manner as do the sacraments.
vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p2s2c4a1.htm
The Holy SeeCatechism of the Catholic Church
ARTICLE 1
SACRAMENTALS
1667 "Holy Mother Church has, moreover, instituted sacramentals. These are sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments. They signify effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church. By them men are disposed to receive the chief effect of the sacraments, and various occasions in life are rendered holy."173
The characteristics of sacramentals
1668 Sacramentals are instituted for the sanctification of certain ministries of the Church, certain states of life, a great variety of circumstances in Christian life, and the use of many things helpful to man. In accordance with bishops’ pastoral decisions, they can also respond to the needs, culture, and special history of the Christian people of a particular region or time. They always include a prayer, often accompanied by a specific sign, such as the laying on of hands, the sign of the cross, or the sprinkling of holy water (which recalls Baptism).
1669 Sacramentals derive from the baptismal priesthood: every baptized person is called to be a “blessing,” and to bless.174 Hence lay people may preside at certain blessings; the more a blessing concerns ecclesial and sacramental life, the more is its administration reserved to the ordained ministry (bishops, priests, or deacons).175
1670 Sacramentals do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it. "For well-disposed members of the faithful, the liturgy of the sacraments and sacramentals sanctifies almost every event of their lives with the divine grace which flows from the Paschal mystery of the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. From this source all sacraments and sacramentals draw their power. There is scarcely any proper use of material things which cannot be thus directed toward the sanctification of men and the praise of God."176
Greetings Bookcat,PS: to what I have already noted in this thread. (particularly what St. Thomas explains)
Two notes: 1. Remember the Church blesses the holy water…in addition to what I noted above…remember there is the intercession …the blessing of the Church.
- Of interest too is the fact that the rite of sprinkling with holy water can take the place of the penitential rite at Mass.
Greetings Bookcat,
Okay in response to your first note. The Church blesses Rosaries and crucifixes, but they do not remove sin.
In response to your second note - the sprinkling with holy water reminds us of the baptism that we entered when we were iniatied into the Church. I think is is the actual rite that removes the sin.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
Greetings Bookcat,We have the prayer ( intercession) of the Church and the inclination to a movement of charity, of penance, of reverence of God and things of God etc…in the soul already living in Christ…already in a state of charity …of grace…
- Actually the pious use of blessed rosaries and crucifixes also can contribute to the forgiveness of sins…(similar to other acts of prayer and worship…and involving the intercession-prayer of the Church here as well).
- Yes of course it reminds us of baptism. It is of interest that the ordinary penitential rite is* replaced* by the sprinkling of holy water.
Thus such can contribute to the forgiveness of our venial sins…
St. Thomas explains what he means there. As I summarized in the last post.Greetings Bookcat,
And here we are again at the word contribute. I guess it is my understanding of the word contribute. If something contributes to something, the contributing factor is not what effects a change.
It seems like a never ending cycle. I have reread the document and well it is only in the writings of St. Thomas that it comes close to saying that Holy Water forgives venial sin. I have spoken with several priests and several of my professors and they hold with the view that holy water does not forgive venial sin. Further reserach has yielded no support that holy water forgives sin except the St. Thomas’s writings.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++Greetings Catholic Answers Forum,
I was reading in another thread a statement that I found very new and that I have not run across in the many years I have studies the Faith and Theology. But who knows, I may learn something yet.
I expressed in the thread that I did not think that this is correct. However, I am open to it being correct should it be correct.
- Can Holy Water remove venial sins? - I need actual references with your answers if you answer yes. Magisterial documents would be most helpful if you could provide them.
I am doing some research on this, but I thought I would enlist Catholic Answers Forum in getting to the bottom of this.
Thank you for reading this and answering this thread.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
So holy water does not remove venial sin it is God who does it. Okay this answers the question. Why oh why could this not have been said several posts earlier.St. Thomas explains what he means there. As I summarized in the last post.
God of course forgives. Not water.![]()
The old moral manual by Prummer OP (1950’s) he notes among the fruitful effects via the intercession of the Church (in dependence on the disposition etc of the person) of sacramentals is “remission of venial sin”.
Again one can look back to his confrere St. Thomas as to what that means…(as I noted above).
Found the rite of blessing and sprinkling Holy water at Mass in place of the Penitential rite- online:
"Lord God almighty, creator of all life, of body and soul, we ask you to bless this water: as we use it in faith forgive our sins and save us from all illness and the power of evil.
Lord, in your mercy give us living water, always springing up as a fountain of salvation: free us, body and soul, from every danger, and admit us to your presence in purity of heart.
Grant this through Christ our Lord."
catholic-resources.org/ChurchDocs/Mass.htm
Greetings Bookcat,
(Your welcome. As the dwarves say in the Hobbit “at your service” …)Greetings Bookcat,
Thank you so much for the time it has taken you to look these sites up for me and link them. I think I am willing and quite ready to say that God working through His sacramental Holy Water remits venial sin, but by God’s work and blessing alone that effects the removal of venial sin.
How is this?
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
GreatGreetings Bookcat,
So Holy Water can move us to a place where we can have venial sins remitted by increasing our charity, our virtue or penance, and things of this nature?
I think this is what you are meaning, I just wanted to clarify.
Ever since this thread, I have been using Holy Water every day. I have put holy water fonts by my doors of exit and entry of the house. And it has made me more aware of Confession of venial sins. I am thinking more about the Mercy and Love of God. I am going to Confession at least once a week. I have noticed a change in my life. Perhaps this is what St. Thomas means of Holy Water moving us to sanctity and removing venial sins.
I am just looking for something that I have experienced that I can relate to what St. Thomas is saying.
God Bless.
Anathama Sit
Greetings Bookcat,GreatLet us more and more follow Jesus of Nazareth!
Yes that is part of it…Holy Water is a great gift and helps us renew or baptismal promises etc …is one help in following Christ.
St. Thomas is basically saying there that the use of Holy Water (via the intercession of the Church) etc can cause such movements of charity and penance etc in us who are already the living…
Such is getting sort of at the “behind the scenes” of what can happen when we “take holy water”…that the use of the Holy Water (hopefully) moves us then and there (the charity…the penance etc…via the blessing…the intercession of the Church)…which involve the forgiveness of venial sins. Venial sins can be forgiven in many ways in daily life…our daily following of Jesus (via prayer etc) and we should seek such forgiveness and “renewal” often. Which is good… cause …we daily commit them!. Holy Water can help us in terms of forgiveness of venial sins and in other ways.
I am glad you are making use of Holy Water more oftenIf you have not yet…you may wish to read the blog I noted earlier. There in are quotes too of St. Theresa of Jesus and her experience with Holy Water.
Praised be Jesus Christ! In him is our life and our sanctity!
Greetings Bl Pope Pius IX,See, I was right![]()