Holy
Water
When the Israelites entered the
Temple, they had to undergo purifcation by immersion in a mikvah (modern
Jews still make use of mikva'ot on Yom Kippur, on wedding days, for
purification after menstruation or coming into contact with a dead body
or semen, etc.). These ritual purifications by water prefigured Christian
Baptism, which we recall when we bless ourselves (cross ourselves) using
holy water upon entering our churches. Devoutly blessing one's self
with Holy Water remits venial sins.
When you enter a church, you might find a holy
water font ("stoup") attached to the wall at one or both sides
of each door, or you might find a free-standing font. Simply dip the
tips of the fingers of your right hand into the water and cross yourself
while mentally contemplating the words, "In the name of the Father,
and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." Don't rush through this;
make it meaningful, remembering the meaning of your Baptism and mentally
expressing your gratitude to God. Many Catholics repeat this process
upon leaving the church, too. (Note: you might see one Catholic dip
his fingers into the Holy Water and touch fingers with another Catholic
to share it if that second Catholic can't reach the font comfortably)
This
holy water is also used by the priest to sprinkle the people before
the beginning of Mass. This is called "Asperges" and the accompanying
words (which should be chanted) are rooted in the Psalms, "Thou
shalt sprinke me, O Lord, with hyssop and I shall be cleansed; Thou
shalt wash me, and I shall become whiter than show. Have mercy on me,
O God, according to Thy great mercy." ("Aspérges me,
Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbador.
Miserére mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam.").
Holy water is blessed on the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6).
Holy Water
for Personal Use
Where to
get it
To get holy water to use in your home, bring a clean flask to your parish
church and look for a faucet that will probably be labelled "Holy
Water." If there is no faucet, it might be kept in an urn of some
sort. If you can't find it, don't be shy; just ask! Unlike votive candles,
there is no real cost to the church in making holy water, so there is
no offering expected.
How
to use it
You can keep it in a nice flask, put it into little bottles made for
this purpose to carry with you, or, as is most common, put it into holy
water fonts.
Holy water fonts for the home come in all sizes
and shapes, some tacky and plastic, others quite lovely and made of
alabaster, marble, porcelain, sandstone, or metals -- as inexpensive
or as expensive as you like -- some resting on tables, most hanging
on walls. One example is shown at left. You can buy one from most Catholic
gift shops or make your own (consider using bivalve seashells as basins
or the shell motif in design. The shells of large molluscs -- weighing
up to 500 pounds -- have been used in churches as basins for holy water).
Catholics often keep a font near their front
door, in their bedrooms' doorways, and near the family altar. Use the
water in the same way you do at church, dipping your fingers into it
and making the Sign of the Cross. Bless your children with it as you
tuck them in at night, using your thumb to sign them with a cross of
holy water on their foreheads.
Most Catholics pray "In the Name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost" when blessing themselves
with Holy Water, but this is another beautiful prayer:
By
Thy Precious Blood and by this Holy Water, cleanse me (him/her) from
my (his/her) sins, O Lord.
Written
by Tracy Tucciarone López
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