Holy Water uses when entering not leaving the Church

[Pondero]

I read that it was an old custom in Anglo Saxon England to dip your finger in holy water when entering the church and make the sign of the cross on your forehead. The purpose of this is to wash away any venial sin you may have before entering a holy place, the church.

Now, I do this but I am the exception it seems. Many parishioners dip their fingers in holy water when leaving not entering the church. I have never heard any priest talk about this practice and I am wondering what the churchgoers on this board think about it.

 

[Tonks40]

As a cradle Catholic, I was taught to bless myself with holy water when I both enter and leave the church by my mother.

 

[maryjk]

I was taught that blessing myself was to remind me of my baptism. This is the first time I have heard about it washing away any type of sin.

 

[Br.Rich_SFO]

Pondero:

I read that it was an old custom in Anglo Saxon England to dip your finger in holy water when entering the church and make the sign of the cross on your forehead. The purpose of this is to wash away any venial sin you may have before entering a holy place, the church.

Now, I do this but I am the exception it seems. Many parishioners dip their fingers in holy water when leaving not entering the church. I have never heard any priest talk about this practice and I am wondering what the churchgoers on this board think about it.

Holy water is a sacramental. The Holy water fonts at the entrance to the Church were originally fountains located just outside the doors for pilgrims to “wash-up” from the journey before entering the church.

They remind us of our Baptismal promises and give us Actual grace. Holy water can be used by all. Even the unbaptized can benefit from the Actual grace. The idea of blessing yourself on the way out is if visiting and not attending Mass it provides some additional protection for going forth into the world. When leaving Mass after receiving the source of grace Himself, it does seem redundant. However it is just fine to do so.

 

[mosher]

One cannot have enough Actual Grace.

 

[Lux_et_veritas]

Pondero:

I have never heard any priest talk about this practice and I am wondering what the churchgoers on this board think about it.

I agree that it is not really talked about. Romano Guardini wrote an excellent booklet decades ago (pre-v2) called, Sacred Signs. In it, there is a short Chapter on Holy Water. I’ll paste just that section here from an online source which carries the book in its entirety. A theologian working through my parish advised me to read it and I highly recommend it to others.

It probably won’t answer your question, but it will give some thoughts on Holy Water in general.
HOLY WATER

WATER is a mysterious thing. It is so clear and frictionless, so
“modest,” as St. Francis called it…

 

[Marian_Carroll]

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[Pondero]

Thank you all for your comments: I will continue to make the sign of the cross on my forehead as I enter the church to symbolically wash away venial sin. The book by Romano Guardini appears to be very good and I notice that he would have one touch the head, breast and shoulders and the whole body with holy water,when entering the church.

That custom is very similar to the Anglo Saxon one used in England centuries ago, and as I emigrated from that country to Canada I am glad I found support for what I do.(Thanks, lux et veritas).