drinking holy water

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In the Ukrainian tradition, after the Great Blessing of Waters everyone comes up for a drink from the vessel the water was blessed in. We take home bottles and drink it later at home as well.
 
As a kid I did this on my own for I have no idea what reason anymore… Just did, never realized that there was a proper setting in which this was done… Next time my family brings it up I’ll just point out I was being a good Eastern Rite Catholic 😉

More seriously I find the practice interesting, I’d like to know about it.
 
Actually the practice of drinking is likely much older than “marking”. When the True Cross was presented in Constantinople and Jerusalem, it was plunged into water bodies and the water readily drunk by masses of people. The services for the Lesser and Greater Blessing of Water in the Byzantine and Alexandrian traditions still call for the submerging of a Cross during the blessing.
 
crazzeto said:
As a kid I did this on my own for I have no idea what reason anymore… Just did, never realized that there was a proper setting in which this was done… Next time my family brings it up I’ll just point out I was being a good Eastern Rite Catholic 😉

More seriously I find the practice interesting, I’d like to know about it.
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My daughter did the exact some thing! 👍
 
Diak said:
Actually the practice of drinking is likely much older than “marking”. When the True Cross was presented in Constantinople and Jerusalem, it was plunged into water bodies and the water readily drunk by masses of people. The services for the Lesser and Greater Blessing of Water in the Byzantine and Alexandrian traditions still call for the submerging of a Cross during the blessing.
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I find that rather awesome… 🙂
 
chrisb said:
In the Eastern Rite, yes. Traditionally, in the West it is used for ‘marking’ only.
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That is actually pretty interesting. I was just a bit surprised because–yes, I thought it was for marking only, and two. . well, someone told me the water was perfumed or something. My first, instant thought was, “Doesn’t that make people sick?!”
 
Our western water isn’t perfumed. In the older rite it would have salt in it, but in the newer rite, it comes straight from the faucet and is blessed with no additions.
 
Ohhh, okay. Thank you for letting me know. Now I know. : )

Hey, do you know what the salt was for?
 
Well, the salt itself was blessed, so it made Instant Holy Water. Or so i’m told 😉 A bit more portable for some situations, I suppose.
 
EvelynEVF said:
Well, the salt itself was blessed, so it made Instant Holy Water. Or so i’m told 😉 A bit more portable for some situations, I suppose.
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In the Latin Rite, Holy Water is made from a mixture of exorcised salt and exorcized water with an appropriate prayer, as can be seen from the order in the Pre V2 altar missal and those translated from it.
 
Oh, okay. That’s pretty interesting, guys. I don’t really have too much to say, or a lot to add to this thread–the concept of drinking holy water is new to me.
 
I’ve been a Roman Catholic all my life and have never heard of anyone drinking holy water, so this is news to me, nor as a child did it ever occur to me to try drinking it. Gosh, it was really good to learn something new today.
 
I have a stupid question. My parish doesn’t have spigots, faucets, or wells to draw from. Would it be disrespectful or improper to dip a canteen in to extract some holy water?
 
Scardinoz said:
I have a stupid question. My parish doesn’t have spigots, faucets, or wells to draw from. Would it be disrespectful or improper to dip a canteen in to extract some holy water?
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No, but ask your priest first…they might have a container you don’t know about for people to use
 
My parish has a big tank of holy water, but there is a sign on it that says “Don’t drink”. I’m guessing the container is not for portable water or the water itself is not portable. I never knew we can drink holy water. I thought it would be bad to do so. Live and learn.
 
If you have a big tank, I bet they don’t want you to drink it because people have been sticking their hands into it, and God alone knows where some of those hands have been 😉

We have little dipping fonts, and then a larger covered container with a spigot off to the side. That one would be potable, if one really wanted to drink it. I guess if someone really wanted to drink it and know for sure it was clean, they could just ask the priest or deacon to bless a container from home.
 
“Let us begin the fast with joy!”
Ghosty said:
I can’t speak to others, but I always save a bottle of Theophany water for use throughout the year, including putting some in newly opened bottles of wine. 🤷

Peace and God bless!
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I put a drop in my soy milk just now for my cereal meal. 🙂
 
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