Does Holy Water have any power?

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Neithan

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Do sacramentals like Holy Water have any power to bless things? If we take a bottle of Holy Water home what are we supposed to use it for? For example, if I sprinkle Holy Water on my bed at night, would that have any actual spiritual effect on me while I sleep?
 
Holy Water drives the devil away, just as the Sign of the Cross dose. The Sacramenals’ power depends on the faith and prayer of the believer.

The Sacraments’ power depends on the intention and formula of the Priest* (“I baptize you in the Name of the Father…”, “I absolve you from your sins…”, “Take this, all of you, and eat it…”, etc.).
  • In case of emergency, anyone can baptize.
 
Is it okay for a layperson to bless someone else with Holy Water?
 
Only priests may bless people, for their office is angelic.
 
The way it was explained to me was that holy water is specially connected to the prayer of the entire Church. Thus, if the prayer of the entire Church is efficacious, the holy water is efficacious. This is what makes the emptying of fonts during Lent so offensive. This is our time of temptation and stepped up spiritual attacks from sin and evil, *and you are removing from the laity this powerful sacramental? :mad: *
 
Scottgun said:
The way it was explained to me was that holy water is specially connected to the prayer of the entire Church. Thus, if the prayer of the entire Church is efficacious, the holy water is efficacious. This is what makes the emptying of fonts during Lent so offensive. This is our time of temptation and stepped up spiritual attacks from sin and evil, *and you are removing from the laity this powerful sacramental? :mad: *
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Thanks for reminding me …

SAVE UP! (mental note to self, take lots of bottles to the church and fill up)

But you know, you do have a point, why remove holy water?
 
Neithan said:
Do sacramentals like Holy Water have any power to bless things? If we take a bottle of Holy Water home what are we supposed to use it for? For example, if I sprinkle Holy Water on my bed at night, would that have any actual spiritual effect on me while I sleep?
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Holy Water is a sacramental, which is to say it points beyond itself to another reality. It is a sign. In the case of Holy Water the reality beyond itself to which it points (signs) is the Sacrament of Baptism whereby we are incorporated into the Body of Christ and made heirs to the Kingdom of God.

Holy Water is blessed but it cannot be said to have “power” as though once blessed it has some sort of magical properties. Blessing an object does not give it “powers.” When an object is blessed all it means is that the object is “set apart” it is used in or for worship, or as an aid in worship.

The main difference between Sacrament and “Sacramental” is that a “Sacrament” is both a sign AND a symbol. A “Sacramental” is a sign only.
 
Question:Is it okay for a layperson to bless someone else with Holy Water?

Answer:Only priests may bless people, for their office is angelic.
It was quite common in convents for the Mother/Sister superior to sprinkle the nuns after Compline as they retired.
 
Why not? Ask any demon that has been driven out by holy water if he only left because a priest sprinkled it.
 
People can use holy water, but only a priest may bless people or objects, including with holy water. That’s what I meant.
 
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