Holy Water

[backtocatholic]

I blessed myself using the Holy Water Font in the church today. Unfortunately, a tiny part of my skin was loose and although very unlikely it’s possible that it fell into the font accidentally.

I checked, but it is so tiny it would be impossible to see.

I tend to suffer from scruples, but I assume I did nothing wrong. Also, I assume I don’t have to let anyone know about this.

Also, I assume that if we bless an object with Holy Water, the object itself does not become blessed.

Thanks

 

[phil19034]

I think you are fine. Holy Water doesn’t have to be distilled or even clean water. It just has to be water.

Besides, our skin cells fall off all the time. So before your skin fell in there, I’m sure there were already thousands of skin cells in the font already.

God Bless!

 

[AttendeDomine]

Also, I assume that if we bless an object with Holy Water, the object itself does not become blessed.

This is correct. Laypersons don’t have the authority to bless objects, and to thereby make them sacramentals, as we don’t have holy orders.

Regarding, the holy water font: we’re just talking about a small portion of the surface of your skin, which is simply keratinized and dead epithelial tissue. Such tissue poses no danger to anyone in any way: they’re just non-living cells that have lived out their lives and are being sloughed off by your body.

 

[Phil502]

A Priest told me to make Holy Water you have boil the hell out of it.

 

[phil19034]

A Priest told me to make Holy Water you have boil the hell out of it.

Funny, my pastor told me that that is not true. Because if it was true, then how can they perform Baptisms in the Jordan River (which the Church still does).

NOW, there was a practice or myth floating around like that, but it isn’t a requirement.

 

[Phil502]

Funny, my pastor told me that that is not true. Because if it was true, then how can they perform Baptisms in the Jordan River (which the Church still does).

NOW, there was a practice or myth floating around like that, but it isn’t a requirement.

He was joking.

 

[phil19034]

He was joking.

OH… LOL

 

[InThePew]

I think you are fine. Holy Water doesn’t have to be distilled or even clean water. It just has to be water.

Besides, our skin cells fall off all the time. So before your skin fell in there, I’m sure there were already thousands of skin cells in the font already.

God Bless!

Sad (well… perhaps icky would be the better word) but true - sadly some holy water stoops aren’t cleaned nearly as often as the need to be.

 

[Vico]

I blessed myself using the Holy Water Font in the church today. Unfortunately, a tiny part of my skin was loose and although very unlikely it’s possible that it fell into the font accidentally.

I checked, but it is so tiny it would be impossible to see.

I tend to suffer from scruples, but I assume I did nothing wrong. Also, I assume I don’t have to let anyone know about this.

Also, I assume that if we bless an object with Holy Water, the object itself does not become blessed.

Thanks

In the Order of Blessing of Holy Water Outside of Mass, we hear:The blessing of this water reminds us of Christ, the living water, and of the sacrament of Baptism, in which we were born of water and the Holy Spirit. Whenever, therefore, we are sprinkled with this holy water or use it in blessing ourselves upon entering the church or at home, we thank God for his priceless gift to us and we ask for his help to keep us faithful to the sacrament we have received in faith.

Bishop " Hincmar of Reims gave directions as follows: “Every Sunday, before the celebration of Mass, the priest shall bless water in his church, and, for this holy purpose, he shall use a clean and suitable vessel. The people, when entering the church, are to be sprinkled with this water, and those who so desire may carry some away in clean vessels so as to sprinkle their houses, fields, vineyards, and cattle, and the provender with which these last are fed, as also to throw over their own food” (“Capitula synodalia”, cap. v, in P.L., CXXV, col, 774)."

Leclercq, H. (1910). Holy Water. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. newadvent.org/cathen/07432a.htm