Holy Water

[Sister_Amy]

What is it?

 

[ibkc]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_water

In Roman Catholic, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, Old Catholic, and some other Churches, holy water is water which has been sanctified by a priest, or bishop for the purpose of baptism or for the blessing of persons, places or things.

Holy water can be found at the entrance to most Roman Catholic churches for the faithful to bless themselves as they enter.

Holy Water is water that has been blessed and set apart for baptism. It is also used as a sacramental. Holy water is kept in the font, the church furnishing used for baptisms, which is typically located at either the entrance to the church (or sometimes in a separate room or building called a baptistery); its location at the entrance serves as a reminder of the centrality of baptism as the primary rite of initiation into the Christian faith. Smaller vessels, called stoups, are usually placed at the entrances of the church. As a reminder of baptism, Roman Catholics dip their fingers in the holy water and make the sign of the cross when entering the church. The liturgy may begin on Sundays with the Rite of Blessing and Sprinkling Holy Water, in which holy water is sprinkled upon the congregation; this is called aspersion, from the Latin, to sprinkle. This ceremony dates back to the ninth century. An aspergill or aspergillum is a brush or branch used to sprinkle the water. An aspersorium is the vessel which holds the holy water and into which the aspergillum is dipped. Salt may be added to the water “where it is customary.”

 

[Sister_Amy]

What makes it holy? How is it blessed?

 

[justinthemartyr]

Remember the handkerchief that Paul had which healed the person who touched it?

What made that item holy, and how was it blessed?

it was blessed through the life giving breath of the Holy Spirit that Christ (God)breathed on the apostles (john 20:19-23) and their successors, and everyone whom the apostles laid their hands on to ordain them as priests. That is where the direct line of power flows.

In the exact same line of bishops(from the apostles) the laying on of hands and therefore the power of God is transmitted through each one to this very way. When the priest goes through the ceremony of blessing water, salt etc… that physical item becomes holy in a certain way which is the same as the handkerchief/washcloth that Paul had which healed the person.

I hope this helps. peace, Justin

 

[Reuben_J]

External sign of an inward grace. Denotes God’s presence among the believers. Yes, the authority to make it holy derives from God who appointed the apostles to build his church and their successors.

It has no outwards power other than to signify God’s presence and therefore, where God is, it is holy. Good for the individuals, churches and homes.

 

[Sister_Amy]

I still don’t get it. It’s just water. I mean, what kind of blessings do you think it will give you? If you cross yourself with it will it protect you from harm? Or will it relieve your headache or chest pains? I’m serious here, I don’t understand.

If anyone didn’t know by the way, I’m not Catholic…

 

[Reuben_J]

Just like any sacramental articles, their purpose to remind is a vey powerful thing in the lives of believers. Keep them in their faith and encourages it.

I hang a rosary on my car’s dashboard. Every time I see it, it remind me of Jesus death for me because of my sin. Everytime I have this wicked reaction against the other driver, I would think twice and do what Jesus would have done.

Beautiful, isn’t it?

 

[Sister_Amy]

So the fact that the water is holy makes you remember God?

Or… is it the act?

I’m sorry… but I still don’t see why the water is holy, how it gets holy, and how it conveys “blessings” and what those blessings are.

 

[Reuben_J]

So the fact that the water is holy makes you remember God?

Or… is it the act?

I’m sorry… but I still don’t see why the water is holy, how it gets holy, and how it conveys “blessings” and what those blessings are.

It denotes God’s presence. Where God’s is, it is holy. Where it is holy, it has no place for the Evil One.

Its blessing is that it has divine element to it. So it not just purely an article that reminds us of God. When we refrain from sins caused by the grace of its presence, it is a blessing. A blessing in a more tangible way is one that keeps believers always in communion with God - in other word, keeing us away from sins.

Of course one would hear supernatural occurances associated with sacramental articles, and they may be well true. But the primary blessing is the grace that keep us or places holy, i.e. refrain from sins or the presence of the Evil One. Thus faith and believe in God is sustained.

What do you have in mind regarding the holy water?

 

[Claire_from_DE]

When we use holy water to bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, it reminds us of our baptism and that we belong to Jesus.

 

[Linda_Marie]

Holy Water

Holy water, as our catechisms taught us, is “water blessed by the priest with solemn prayer, to beg God’s blessing on those who use it, and protection from the powers of darkness.”

The current Easter Holy Water Blessing:

Father, you give us grace through sacramental signs, which tell us of the wonders of your unseen power. In baptism we use your gift of water, which you have made a rich symbol of the grace you give us in this sacrament. At the very dawn of creation your Spirit breathed on the waters, making them the wellspring of all holiness. The waters of the great flood you made a sign of the waters of baptism that make an end of sin and a new beginning of goodness. Through the waters of the Red Sea you led Israel out of slavery to be an image of God’s holy people, set free from sin by baptism. In the waters of the Jordan your Son was baptised by John and anointed with the Spirit. Your Son willed that water and blood should flow from his side as he hung upon the cross. After his resurrection he told his disciples: “Go out and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Father, look now with love upon your Church and unseal for it the fountain of baptism.

By the power of the Holy Spirit give to this water the grace of your Son, so that in the sacrament of baptism all those whom you have created in your likeness may be cleansed from sin and rise to a new birth of innocence by water and the Holy Spirit.

Before continuing, the celebrant pauses and touches the water with his right hand, or he may instead lower the Easter candle into the water once or three times, then hold it there for the remainder of the blessing.
We ask you, Father, with your Son to send the Holy Spirit upon the waters of this font. May all who are buried with Christ in the death of baptism rise also with him to newness of life.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen."

Holy Water is a sacramental.
From the Catechism:
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.”

Priests possess special powers conferred on them at their ordination; powers which were given to the Apostles by God and passed on through the laying on of hands to the successors of the Apostles. Some of these powers are the power to confect the Eucharist (ie change the bread and wine into the Body and Blood of Jesus), to forgive confessed sins and to bless things or people.

Imams and mullahs have no special powers conferred on them by God and have no ordination which confers authority. Any man can declare himself a mullah or imam and be accepted as such, if any will follow him. A blessing from an imam has the same power as the blessing of any person, such as you or me, although you may value their blessing more if you feel they are particularly holy. Islam has no tradition of blessing objects so that the bearer of those objects may be blessed by their use. I think this practice might be regarded as bordering on idolatry by Islam. However, blessed objects, or holy water are not idols. They are not worshipped.

Here is a link which explains Blessing in more detail. In this instance, “It signifies the sanctification or dedication of a, person or thing to some sacred purpose;” is the definition you are seeking. Holy Water is sanctified to sacred purposes.

When we bless ourselves with holy water, we re-dedicate ourselves to God as we first did when we were Baptised. Here is the Renewal of our Baptismal Promises from the Easter Vigil. This is used if there is no one to be Baptised.

V. Do you reject Satan? R. I do.
V. And all his works? R. I do.
V. And all his empty promises? R. I do.
V. Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth? R. I do.
V. Do you believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was born of the Virgin Mary was crucified, died, and was buried, rose from the dead, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father? R. I do.

Do you believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting? R. I do.

V. God, the all-powerful Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has given us a new birth by water and the Holy Spirit, and forgiven all our sins. May he also keep us faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ for ever and ever.

R. Amen.

Here is another article on Holy Water:
newadvent.org/cathen/07432a.htm
and Sacramentals:
newadvent.org/cathen/13292d.htm

Sorry for all the links but I don’t think your questions could be answered in a few words. I hope this helps.

 

[flameburns623]

So the fact that the water is holy makes you remember God?

Or… is it the act?

I’m sorry… but I still don’t see why the water is holy, how it gets holy, and how it conveys “blessings” and what those blessings are.

Sister Amy:

I’m about to vastly oversimplify things here but hopefully this helps. If you are a Protestant you are more accustomed to thinking of grace as a verb rather than as a noun: grace, in Protestant theology is something God does, rather than something He gives. Grace is God’s sovereign act on behalf of humanity to save us. As such, the word grace has a relatively limited range of use within Protestant theology, though of course it is a very popular subject of Protestant sermons and teaching.

In Roman Catholic theology, grace is more of a noun than a verb: it is an energy or power that can be transmitted, through sacraments most directly but also via sacramentals. So holy water, in Catholic understanding, can be a repository of grace. The same is true of any number of other items which serve as sacramentals: holy books, rosaries, religious medals, and so forth. They are, by being blessed, made repositories of God’s divine grace, of His power if you will.

That grace might be understood as a sort of magnetism, to use a crude analogy: the Divine grace in the holy water draws the receptive human spirit towards God, in a manner sort of like the way a magnet draws iron. It is important to understand that a person must in some way be receptive to God’s drawing-power in the holy water. It is also important to understand this is a spiritual force, not a natural force that might be measured or detected by some sort of natural means.

Since sacramentals contain the power of God, it is always possible that they will be instruments of some sort of physical benefit: holy water MIGHT be part of the instrumentality God uses to cure someone for example. A medal of St. Anthony might be part of the instrumentality by which God enables someone to find a lost article–I think St. Anthony is the patron saint of lost articles. But sacramentals are merely ‘signs’ or symbols of faith: they are not magic devices that have power in and of themselves. Any power that they have is only due to the fact that they symbolize in a material way the faith of the person who has recourse to them.

I emphasise: it is not the blessed article itself which heals or finds the lost article or whatever: it is God who does whatever supernatural work is done, and that only on the basis of a person’s faith. The sacramental is merely a means of actualizing or symbolizing the faith of the person. A sacramental is sort of a prayer made manifest in the shape of some sort of physical object.

Hope that helps. I work nights and just got off so hope my contribution doesn’t meander too widely.

 

[holy_wood]

III**. Holy Water**

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Ex. 29:4; Lev. 8:6 - Aaron and his sons were washed in holy water in their consecration to the priesthood. Thus, we see the use of holy water during the beginning of salvation history.

Ex. 30:18-19 - the Lord requires Aaron and his sons to wash their hands and feet in holy water before they offered sacrifices to Him. The Church uses holy water for various purposes, and holy water fonts are generally located at the entrance of Catholic churches to be used before the sacrifice of Christ is offered to the Father.

Num. 5:17 - here again, the priest uses holy water. God uses natural matter to convey the supernatural, just as God who is Spirit became flesh in Christ Jesus.
Num. 8:7 - the Lord says to “sprinkle them with the water of remission.” The Lord uses water, a physical property, to convey His supernatural property of grace.

1 Kings 7:38-39 - in King Solomon’s temple, there were ten large basins of holy water. Holy water has always been used in the context of worship.

John 9:6-7 – Jesus uses clay and spittle to heal the blind man’s eyes, and ordered him to wash in the pool of Siloam to effect the cure. Jesus did not need to use spittle, clay and water, but He does to demonstrate that God uses the material things He created to give graces and heal us.

John 13:4-10 - the Lord uses water to wash the apostles’ feet to prepare them for their sacramental priesthood.
John 19:34 - water and blood flowed from Jesus’ pierced side on the Cross. The Church uses holy water as a symbol of our Lord’s life giving water that flowed from His sacred Heart, and as the property which brings about the power of Jesus Christ Himself, in baptism, the Eucharist, and other sacred rites of the Church.

 

[Miserissima]

Let me see if we can answer the particulars of your questions:

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So the fact that the water is holy makes you remember God? Or… is it the act?

**
There is no "either/or, it’s both.

Psalm 51, A Contrite Sinner’s Prayer for Pardon:

1 Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.
4 Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
6 Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
9 Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.*

So, under the New Covenant, we still use water a) as a way to remember God’s goodness and beg His pardon for the sins we have committed since our Baptism and b) it is for this that we use it.

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I’m sorry… but I still don’t see why the water is holy, how it gets holy,

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Holy water also a demonstration of the Jewish roots of our Catholicism. It hearkens back to the Mikvah, a ceremonial bathing. Holy water is a link to the Jewish roots of our Catholic faith.

The world’s natural bodies of water – its oceans, rivers, wells, and spring-fed lakes – are mikvahs in their most primal form. They contain waters of divine source and thus, tradition teaches, the power to purify. Created even before the earth took shape, these bodies of water offer a quintessential route to consecration. But they pose difficulties as well. These waters may be inaccessible or dangerous, not to mention the problems of inclement weather and lack of privacy. Jewish life therefore necessitates the construction of mikvahs (“pools”), and indeed this has been done by Jews in every age and circumstance.

Immersion in the mikvah has offered a gateway to purity ever since the creation of man. The Midrash relates that after being banished from Eden, Adam sat in a river that flowed from the garden. This was an integral part of his teshuvah (repentance) process, of his attempt at return to his original perfection.
Before the revelation at Sinai, all Jews were commanded to immerse themselves in preparation for coming face to face with G-d. (from here) (And there’s More at Wiki)

Since the coming of the Messiah, we do not need to wash in water to purify ourselves (a Mikvah), since we are covered in the blood of the Paschal Lamb, Jesus Christ. (I am not talking about Baptism here.)

However, the symbolism of water and its purification has never been totally done away with…just abbreviated when we use it Holy Water on a regular basis (unless you’re talking about Baptism, of course).

When we use holy water to bless ourselves with the sign of the cross, it reminds us of our baptism and that we belong to Jesus.

That couldn’t have been better stated, Claire!

(Continued below)

 

[Miserissima]

(Continued from above)

We “bless” ourselves with Holy Water in order to remind ourselves that we are God’s children, an outward physical sign of inward grace. Even Christ allowed himself to be baptized with water, demonstrating His submission to the will of the Father and RITUALLY PURIFYING HIMSELF – though He was sinless – before the trials He was about to experience).

Under the New Covenant, we moved away from the Mikvah and began to use Holy Water that was local and not “moving water.”

From New Advent (emphasis mine):

]…in the earliest Christian times, water was used for expiatory and purificatory purposes, to a way analogous to its employment under the Jewish Law. As, in many cases, the water used for the Sacrament of Baptism was flowing water, sea or river water, it could not receive the same blessing as that contained in the baptisteries.

**

and how it conveys “blessings” and what those blessings are.

**

The “blessings” of acts of faith in God’s goodness are nthe ability to physically purifiy ourselves as much as we can to come into His presence. (Again, I am not talking about Baptism, but about the use of holy water)

Here is an old Ritual: Blessing of Holy The Old Catholic****Water (which the Anglicans have adopted, emphasis mine):

Almighty Creator, Lord of heaven and earth**, who in holy baptism hast made water to be an emblem of the cleansing of our souls;** grant, we beseech thee, of thy goodness, to all of us who use this water in enlightened piety and in a Christian spirit, the heavenly water of thy grace, that in accordance with the promise of thy Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, there may be within ourselves a well of living water springing up into everlasting life. This we pray thee through the merits of the same thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, God for ever and ever. Amen.

Hope this helps a little.

 

[Scottgun]

To put it simply, the water is holy because it is connected to the prayer of the entire Church. Similar to a blessing from the priest or deacon. When they do that they are invoking the prayer of the Church.

 

[ZuzuBailey]

We have Holy Water and You have Zamzam water.

islamweb.net/ver2/archive/article.php?lang=E&id=138390

Allaah has made all living creatures out of water. People require water for almost everything; for agriculture, construction, transportation, and for cooling and heating. But not all water carries the same value and significance? Muslims refer to the water of Zamzam as something revered and unique. They crave this mysterious liquid and love to drink it whenever they can.

link for zamzam water

I still don’t get it. It’s just water. I mean, what kind of blessings do you think it will give you? If you cross yourself with it will it protect you from harm? Or will it relieve your headache or chest pains? I’m serious here, I don’t understand.

If anyone didn’t know by the way, I’m not Catholic…

 

[ZuzuBailey]

I am interested to know what the “muslims” here think about zamzam water …
I mean if holy water is so hard to believe what about zamzam?
Maybe I should start a new thread?

 

[Miserissima]

I am interested to know what the “muslims” here think about zamzam water

Sister Amy,

Please forgive me, I thought you were a Christian of another denomination in my earlier reply. Understanding you are a Muslim, let me draw an analogy between Catholic Holy Water and Muslim Ritual Purification:

**

Islam

Islamic ritual purification is particularly centred on the preparation for ritual prayer; theoretically ritual purification would remain valid throughout the day, but is treated as invalid on the occurrence of certain acts, such as sleep, contact with the opposite gender, unnconsciousness, and the emission of blood, semen, or vomit.

According to Ibn Hazm (994-1064), who has discussed the subject in detail, there is not a single verse of the Qur’an nor any authentic hadith stating that a state of ritual purity is a pre-requisite for touching the Qur’an; however, all the schools of thought universally agree that ritual purity is preferable prior to contact with the book.

Ritual purification takes the form of ablution, in a lesser form, and greater form, depending on the circumstance; the greater form is obligatory by a woman after she ceases menstruation, on a corpse that didn’t die during battle, and after sexual activity, and is optionally used on other occasions, for example just prior to Friday prayers, or entering ihram. An alternative dry ablution, involving clean sand or earth, is used if clean water is not available or if suffering from an illness which would be worsened by the use of water; this form is invalidated in the same circumstances as the other forms, and also whenever water becomes available and safe to use.

The obligatory activities of the lesser form include washing of the feet arms and head, while some optional acts also exist such as recitation of the Basmala, recitation of the Shahadah, and/or brushing of the teeth; the greater form includes the acts of the lesser form, as well as ensuring that the entire body is washed. Many details of Islamic ritual purification vary between as well as between the different divisions of Islam and between the different schools of thought within each division.

**

So, our use of Holy Water would be considered a “lesser ablution.”

I hope my earlier answer, though long, helped you to understand how water can be holy and answered your original questions.

%between%

 

[Sister_Amy]

In Islam, water is just that–water.

Muslims use ordinary water for purification. The lesser purification, ablution–that is called “wudhu.” The other kind is called “ghusl.” I thought about drawing an analogy before to wudhu and holy water but it’s not there… not really. You see, Muslims can use any kind of water. Salt water, fresh water, tap water, bottled water, purified water–clean water that is available.

There’s nothing special about the water.

In fact, if water isn’t available, the Muslim will use dirt!

And it is the ACT of purifying oneself that is rewarded. In fact, it expiates for minor sins. Allah is forgiving us, because we purify ourselves. There’s nothing special about the water at all though.

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And ZamZam water isn’t the Muslim version of holy water either. It is well water from a particular well in Mecca–a well Muslims believe was dug by the angel Gabriel for Hagar and Ishmael. Some people believe the mineral content in it makes it more nourishing than ordinary water… but again–it’s not “holy” in any sense that I understand the word.