Why do we use holy water?

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atassina

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Why do we as Catholics use holy water? What is the purpose of holy water? Is holy water successful in producing a desired or intended result simply because we use it? What would be beneficial for me to think when I enter a church and bless myself with holy water? Why would I even consider blessing my work tools, kitchen, car or family with holy water? Why would a demon be afraid of or repelled by holy water?

I want to know what I am doing with holy water and why.
:hmmm:
 
=atassina;7290513]Why do we as Catholics use holy water? What is the purpose of holy water? Is holy water successful in producing a desired or intended result simply because we use it? What would be beneficial for me to think when I enter a church and bless myself with holy water? Why would I even consider blessing my work tools, kitchen, car or family with holy water? Why would a demon be afraid of or repelled by holy water?
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I want to know what I am doing with holy water and why.
:hmmm:
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GREAT QUESTION! 👍

“Holy Water” [Blesed water] falls under the catagory of what the CC calls “sacramentals.”

“Sacramentals” are things that in a varity of ways bring us closer to God in personal relationship with HIM." Very often, BUT not always they are in a way reminders of a Sacrament.

Holy Water is used to “Bless ourselves” [make the sign of the Cross with Holy Water on our finger tips] on our persons.

Holy water founts are found at the entrance and exits of all Catholic Chuches to facilitate this practice.

WHY?
  1. It reminds us [or at least its supposed too] of our Baptism into the One True Church of Christ.
  2. By making the sign of the Cross, we are reminded of the Sacrifice that Christ endured for us. That God is a TRINITY, and that we are called to Catholic Unity.
  3. It therefore becomes a PUBLIC profession of our Catholic Faith!
  4. Blessing oneself, conscious of what we are doing and WHY we are doing it; is a source of ADDITIONAL GRACE!🙂
OTHER sacraments include the Rosary, statues [non-catholic would do well to read the Exodus account of Yahweh’s DIRECTIVES for building HIS ARK of the Covenant…, Holy Cards [Pictures of Mary and the Saints], the crucifix, and many such items that an aid us in growing closer to God…👍

Exod.25: [18] “And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. [20] The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. [22] There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.”

Love and prayers,

Pat
 
JerrySeibert said:
Wow, awesome detail. Some I was not aware of.
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I concur, great post PJM.

To answer your question about why demons are afraid of water, the prayers for blessing the water contain a minor rite of exorcism. Its not the water they’re afraid of, its the prayers!
 
PJM said:
GREAT QUESTION! 👍

“Holy Water” [Blesed water] falls under the catagory of what the CC calls “sacramentals.”

“Sacramentals” are things that in a varity of ways bring us closer to God in personal relationship with HIM." Very often, BUT not always they are in a way reminders of a Sacrament.

Holy Water is used to “Bless ourselves” [make the sign of the Cross with Holy Water on our finger tips] on our persons.

Holy water founts are found at the entrance and exits of all Catholic Chuches to facilitate this practice.

WHY?
  1. It reminds us [or at least its supposed too] of our Baptism into the One True Church of Christ.
  2. By making the sign of the Cross, we are reminded of the Sacrifice that Christ endured for us. That God is a TRINITY, and that we are called to Catholic Unity.
  3. It therefore becomes a PUBLIC profession of our Catholic Faith!
  4. Blessing oneself, conscious of what we are doing and WHY we are doing it; is a source of ADDITIONAL GRACE!🙂
OTHER sacraments include the Rosary, statues [non-catholic would do well to read the Exodus account of Yahweh’s DIRECTIVES for building HIS ARK of the Covenant…, Holy Cards [Pictures of Mary and the Saints], the crucifix, and many such items that an aid us in growing closer to God…👍

Exod.25: [18] “And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work shall you make them, on the two ends of the mercy seat. [19] Make one cherub on the one end, and one cherub on the other end; of one piece with the mercy seat shall you make the cherubim on its two ends. [20] The cherubim shall spread out their wings above, overshadowing the mercy seat with their wings, their faces one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubim be. [22] There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will give you in commandment for the people of Israel.”

Love and prayers,

Pat
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Pat, thank you.

That was excellent
 
runningdude said:
I concur, great post PJM.

To answer your question about why demons are afraid of water, the prayers for blessing the water contain a minor rite of exorcism. Its not the water they’re afraid of, its the prayers!
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Thanks to you, too, runningdude.

I didn’t realize the minor rite of exorcism element to it.
 
Whatever holy water was supposed to mean, I was alienated from it since my childhood. The holy water fonts in my parish church were dirty. Even now as an adult, I can still picture the filth in the water, and I am repulsed by it.

Today, we should all know about hygiene and how much bacterial contamination there probably is in the water, even owing to all the unwashed fingers that dip into it.

Is there not a symbolic echo of the ritual water purifications (micvah baths) that the Jews practiced before they went up to the Temple? (That “baptism” with water is what John the Baptist was doing, was it not?)

Did not those ritual baths of total immersion themselves provide an symbolic echo of the flood of Noah’s generation? They symbolize a kind of ritual death and rebirth (re-creation) that occurred with Noah?
 
Crumpy said:
Whatever holy water was supposed to mean, I was alienated from it since my childhood. The holy water fonts in my parish church were dirty. Even now as an adult, I can still picture the filth in the water, and I am repulsed by it.

Today, we should all know about hygiene and how much bacterial contamination there probably is in the water, even owing to all the unwashed fingers that dip into it.

Is there not a symbolic echo of the ritual water purifications (micvah baths) that the Jews practiced before they went up to the Temple? (That “baptism” with water is what John the Baptist was doing, was it not?)

Did not those ritual baths of total immersion themselves provide an symbolic echo of the flood of Noah’s generation? They symbolize a kind of ritual death and rebirth (re-creation) that occurred with Noah?
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Are you saying we should not use Holy Water because the font might be dirty?

Is hygiene more important then using sacramental we know to be beneficial to our souls?

I certainly don’t think so!
 
Pat:
:tiphat:
Thank you for a good reply to my question; I tip my hat to you. I am now on a long term self-education process of attempting to understand the meaning and inter-relationships of everything that we engage in on a regular basis as Catholics; I’m not attempting to understand high theological concepts. As an adult Catholic, I want to be able to explain the basics of our faith in a simple, clear and precise way.
 
I attempted to find an article on holy water. Has anybody found any articles describing the spiritually efficacious use or the theology behind holy water? If so, please provide a link or reference.
 
I can’t answer all your questions, but what my priest told me is that when we bless ourselves with holy water as we enter the church we are remembering our baptismal vows.
 
dear mswood:
thanks for your response. the baptism – holy water relationship is an important one. i’m attempting to understand all the facets of the use of holy water so that i can explain it to my adult catholic students and to non-catholics.

by the way, congratulations on being happily married.
 
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