grace to drive away devils and to cast out Holy Saturday, and the eve of Pentecost Holy Water diseases; that whatever in the house or where the traditional base for Baptisms in possessions of the faithful may be sprinkled the early church. Blessed or Holy Water is a Sacramental. by this water may be freed from everything Sacramentals are holy things or actions unclean and delivered from whatever is Gregorian water is blessed for use in the which the Church is given to the faithful for hurtful. But no spirit or pestilence or baleful consecration of churches, altars and altar the spiritual benefit. They are called breath abide therein; let all the snares of the stones. After being mixed with wine, ashes, sacramentals because they have some enemy whom lie in wait be driven forth that and salt and receiving its blessing, this water outward resemblance to the sacraments and everything threatening the safety or peace of is sprinkled on the walls of the church by the obtain favor from God. They must not be the dwellers therein may be banished by the celebrant, usually a Bishop. This water is so confused with the sacraments which were sprinkling of this water; so that the health named because its use was ordered by Pope given by Christ himself. Sacramentals obtain which they seek by calling upon Thy holy Gregory IX. It is also called water of favor from God through the prayer of the Name may be guarded from all assault." consecration. church offered for those who use them.

Of the three other kinds of holy water, that While all these forms of blessed of water are The three kinds of sacramentals are which is blessed for use in the Easter season used for sacred purposes by the Church, blessings given by priests and bishops, is much like the ordinary holy water. This is only ordinary holy water and Easter water exorcism against evil spirits, and blessed are blessed with a different formula, but its directly concerned the faithful and are objects of devotion. The blessings of priests value and use are much the same. When the provided for their use. Many Catholics to and bishops include the blessings of Easter water has been blessed on Holy take-home containers of the Easter water on churches, of people, of holy water, of Saturday morning, part of it is placed in the Holy Saturday preserve this water for use candles, and of palms. Some of the blessed baptismal font. While the rest, some is used throughout the year. Easter water, however, objects of devotion most used by Catholics for sprinkling the people immediately after is blessed for use only in the Easter season, are holy water, candles, ashes, palms, the blessing. Later the water is distributed to that is until the feast of Pentecost. Ordinary crucifixes, medals, rosaries, scapulars, and the faithful for use in their homes until holy water should be used in homes at all images of our Lord, the Blessed Virgin, and Pentecost. other times of the year. the Saints. Other sacramentals are the

prayers of the church and alms given in the After the blessing of the faithful with the The Evangelization Station name of the church. new Easter water on Holy Saturday, some of Hudson, Florida, USA this water is poured into the baptismal font E-mail: [email protected] Water, the natural and universal cleansing and the priest makes his oil of catechumens www.evangelizationstation.com agent, has been used from very ancient times and holy chrism with it to form the to signify the purification of the soul just as baptismal water. Pamphlet 443 it actually cleanses the body. The ancient

Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and evenly into After this, Baptism is conferred on any who you in North America used water in are present to receive the sacrament. The purification ceremonies. Fields were water is then kept in the font for use in sprinkled with water in preparation for future Baptisms. This same kind of water is crops, and armies were blessed with water blessed on the eve of Pentecost, because before going into battle. In the material so holy water promotes the health of the double blessing, one in exorcism to free order, water is the common purifier, so that soul. them from all power of the evil one and the it was natural for man to see in it a symbol other a positive blessing to sanctify them of spiritual purification too. The Law of The use of water as a sacramental, apart with a good of souls. Salt, symbol of Moses in the Old Testament called for the from the administration of baptism, dates, at wisdom and of preservation from corruption, use of water and liturgical sprinkling of the least in the East, from the second century. In is fittingly mingled with water, the purifier. people, the sacrifices, the sacred vessels, etc. the West the blessing of water can be traced Likewise in Christian times, water has been to the period from the sixth to the eighth Only ordinary water is used in the used for sacred purposes, as in baptism from century. For the use of the faithful and "Asperges" or sprinkling of the faithful the very time of Christ, and is a powerful blessing themselves, fountains and basins before the main parish Mass, on Sunday; is sacramental from early in the Christian era. containing the sacred water were placed, kept in churches and homes for the use of first on the outside walls of churches, then the faithful, and is employed in most Some ceremonies owe their institution to inside the doors, that all might bless blessings, and the ceremonials of matrimony purely physical reasons or necessity, e.g. the themselves as they entered the house of and Anointing of the Sick, and taking Holy lights used in the catacombs, which were God. Catholics still dip their fingers in holy Communion to the homes of the sick, and retained by the Church for the mystical water and make the sign of the cross as they the services for the dead. reason that they represent Christ, the Light enter a church so that they may come into of the World; others are founded on mystical God's presence with pure souls. The blessing of the salt begins with a solemn or symbolic reasons, e.g. all the ceremonials exorcism: "I exorcize being, created at baptism which proceed the pouring of the Formally, the water was used only on substance of salt, by the living God... that water on the person to be baptized; many are entering the church to denote that you may be for the healing of soul and body founded on historical, natural and mystical purification was necessary before, but not to all those receiving you, and that there reasons at the same time, e.g. the mixing of after Mass. Today we use it both in entering may be banished from the place in which wine and water at Mass recalls to her mind and on leaving to gain the indulgence you have been sprinkled every delusion and what Christ did at the Last Supper, and attached to making the sign of the cross with wickedness of the devil, and every unclean represents the blood and water that flowed holy water. Catholics also keep holy water spirit..." The second prayer asked God to from his side on the cross, as well as the in their homes to use with reverence upon bless the salt that "it may be, unto all who union of the faithful with Christ. Catholic rising in the morning, going to bed at night, take it, for health of mind and body; and that ceremonies therefore are not superstitious leaving or entering the house, or going from what so ever is touched or sprinkled with it practices, meaningless observances or relics one room to another, etc. may be free from all uncleanness..." If the of heathen and Jewish customs, but salt has been blessed previously, this part of regulations of divine, apostolic, and There are four kinds of holy water: 1. the ceremony is omitted. ecclesiastical institution. Ordinary holy water. 2. Easter water. 3. Baptismal water. 4. Gregorian water. The water is exorcized "for the banishment As water cleanses the body, so holy water, of every power of the enemy." The second through the blessing of the Church and the The ordinary kind is usually blessed us prayer over the water is a beautiful good dispositions of those who use it, before the principal parish Mass on Sunday, exposition of the purposes for which the purifies the soul. And as the drinking of but may be blessed at any other time. Salt is water is blessed. The prayer asked God that water is necessary for the health of the body, mixed with the water, and both are given a the water "may be endowed with divine