Catholic Growth

In our spiritual battles against the evil enemies that wish to lead us astray, the Catholic Church provides sacramentals to aid us. Holy Water is one of the best and most abundant sacramentals we have available to us. At the sprinkling of Holy Water demons flee in terror.

How does Holy Water work?

Like all sacramentals, Holy Water is a reminder of a Sacrament. The Sacrament of Baptism is so important in the Catholic Church. Through this Sacrament, we are marked with an indelible mark, which shows that we are a child of God. Nothing can remove this mark, and once we are baptized we are forever a child of God. Even when we stray from our path toward Him, we are always a child of God.

When we sprinkle Holy Water to bless things or people, we are reminding ourselves of this powerful sacrament. This can have a profound effect, especially if we are conscious of the way in which holy water is linked to baptism. We renew our baptismal vows, promising to follow Our Lord and reject satan.

Holy Water in Spiritual Warfare

The sanctity of the blessed holy water, combined with the link to a powerful sacrament, has a way of repelling the demonic. Some people refer to holy water as a sort of spiritual bug repellent, or fly swatter. St Teresa of Avila observed how powerful this sacramental is, as did many saints.

From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again. They also flee from the Cross, but return; so holy water must have great virtue. For my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most notable consolation.

—St. Teresa of Avila

Types of Holy Water

There are several types of this sacramental that we use in the Catholic Church.

Standard Holy Water- this is the common Holy Water you can find at churches in holy water fonts and in the metal tanks with spigots, so the laity can refill their bottles.

Old Rite Holy Water- this holy water is blessed in a special way. The water is blessed and exorcised, and then salt is blessed and exorcised, and then they are mixed together. Many exorcists believe that this form of holy water is more powerful in fighting evil and repelling demons than ordinary holy water.

Epiphany Water-this is holy water blessed in a special rite, which is very lengthy, on the Vigil of the Feast of the Epiphany. This water is held in high regard by many exorcists, and they believe it is the most powerful holy water.

Easter Water- this is the water blessed on the Saturday before Easter Sunday. This is typically blessed through a ceremony in which the priest inserts the Easter Candle into the water three times, and breathes on the water three times. This is the water that is typically used in Baptisms.

Gregorian Water- this is a special holy water mixed with wine, salt, and ashes. This holy water is typically only used in blessing a church and/or altar.

Other Types of Water

When we talk about water, many Catholics may start thinking about Lourdes Water. This water is reported to have a miraculous property of healing. It’s also linked with a famous apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is not the same as a blessing from a priest, however, so it is different.

This also applies to water from the Jordan River, water from the spring in Banneux, Belgium, and water from the spring of Castelpetroso, Italy.

This is not to say that these waters do not have special significance or miraculous healing properties. The point is that these waters are not technically holy water, unless they are blessed as holy water by a priest. Even if they are not blessed they are wonderful devotional items to help deepen our Faith.

How Can We Use Holy Water?

The typical use of holy water would be to bless yourself with it. To do this you dip your fingers in holy water, or sprinkle it on your finger if you have a bottle and no holy water font. Then make a sign of the cross, saying, ” in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Because holy water is a sacramental that brings to mind our baptism, which forgives sins, it has the ability to rid our souls of our venial sins. So when we use holy water water, we should be asking God for forgiveness of these sins with a contrite heart. This of course does not negate the necessity of confession for mortal sins.

Many Catholic homes have holy water in a font by the door. Doing this will allow family members to bless themselves as they come and go. Many people will also bless their own homes by sprinkling holy water in each room and each entrance.

Keeping in mind how demons hate holy water, it would be a good idea to keep a bottle nearby when we go to bed. Demons love to strike in the night, when we cannot defend ourselves as well as we could in the day. When you feel an uneasy presence, sprinkle holy water towards the direction it is coming from or bless yourself with it.

Where Can I Get Holy Water?

The good news is that most churches have a tank with a spigot full of holy water near the entrance. If they do not try asking the priest where you could get some. If all else fails you could always have a priest bless some water for you specially.

One important thing to remember is that you shouldn’t ever buy holy water, because that is actually the sin of simony. This must be avoided. You can purchase bottles or receptacles that hold holy water, because these are not actually blessed.

Concluding Remarks

Holy water is a sacramental that every Catholic needs to have in their home. It protects us, heals us spiritually, and reminds us of the moment we became christians in our baptism. Holy water is vitally important to the Catholic home, so go to your local church and get some!