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Numbers 5:17
"And he shall take holy water in an earthen vessel,
and he shall cast a little earth of the pavement of the tabernacle into it."
For the Christian, water, as the matter of Baptism, is life. Tertullian (b.
160), making a play on words based on the Greek acrostic
ICQUS , or Ichthys, meaning "fish" and
indicating "Jesus Christ, Son of God, Saviour", wrote in "De Baptismo," "But
we, little fishes, after the example of our Ichthys Jesus Christ, are born
in water, nor have we safety in any other way than by permanently abiding
in water; so that most monstrous creature, who had no right to teach even
sound doctrine, knew full well how to kill the little fishes, by taking them
away from the water!" In the same treatise, he wrote of water's symbolism:
"In the first
beginning," saith Scripture, "God made the heaven and the earth. But the
earth was invisible, and unorganized, and darkness was over the abyss; and
the Spirit of the Lord was hovering over the waters." The first thing, O
man, which you have to venerate, is the age of the, waters in that their
substance is ancient; the second, their dignity, in that they were the seat
of the Divine Spirit, more pleasing to Him, no doubt, than all the other
then existing elements. For the darkness was total thus far, shapeless, without
the ornament of stars; and the abyss gloomy; and the earth unfurnished; and
the heaven unwrought: water alone -- always a perfect, gladsome, simple material
substance, pure in itself -- supplied a worthy vehicle to God.
He continues:
See how many then
are the advocacies of nature, the special provisions of grace, the customary
observances of conduct, the types, the preparations in act or word, which
have laid down the rule for the sacred use of water. The first, that when
the people of Israel are set free from bondage in Egypt and by passing through
the water are escaping the violence of the Egyptian king, the king himself
with all his forces is destroyed by water. This is a type made abundantly
clear in the sacred act of baptism: I mean that the Gentiles are set free
from this present world by means of water, and leave behind, drowned in the
water, their ancient tyrant the devil.
Secondly, water is healed of the blemish of bitterness, hand restored to
its own sweet usefulness, by the tree Moses throws in: and that tree was
Christ, who from within Himself heals the springs of that nature which was
previously poisoned and embittered, converting them into exceedingly healthful
water, that of baptism. This is the water which flowed forth for the people
of Israel from the rock that followed them: and as that rock was Christ,
without doubt this shows us that baptism is made blessed in Christ by water.
See how great is the grace that water has in the presence of God and His
Christ for the corroboration of baptism.
Wherever Christ is, there is water: He himself is baptized in water: when
called to a marriage He inaugurates with water the first rudiments of His
power: when engaged in conversation He invites those who are athirst to come
to His everlasting water: when teaching of charity He approves of a cup of
water offered to a little one as one of the works of affection: at a well-side
He recruits His strength: He walks upon the water, by His own choice He crosses
over the water, with water He makes Himself a servant to His disciples. He
continues His witness to Baptism right on to His Passion: when He is given
up to the Cross water is in evidence, as Pilate's hands are aware: when He
receives a wound water bursts forth from His side, as the soldier's spear
can tell.
St. Hipplolytus
(d. 236), in his Discourse on the Holy Theophany, writes:
Good, yea, very
good, are all the works of our God and Saviour -- all of them that eye seeth
and mind perceiveth, all that reason interprets and hand handles, all that
intellect comprehends and human nature understands. For what richer beauty
can there be than that of the circle of heaven? And what form of more blooming
fairness than that of earth's surface? And what is there swifter in the course
than the chariot of the sun? And what more graceful car than the lunar orb?
And what work more wonderful than the compact mosaic of the stars? And what
more productive of supplies than the seasonable winds? And what more spotless
mirror than the light of day? And what creature more excellent than man?
Very good, then, are all the works of our God and Saviour. And what more
requisite gift, again, is there than the element of water? For with water
all things are washed and nourished, and cleansed and bedewed. Water bears
the earth, water produces the dew, water exhilarates the vine; water matures
the corn in the ear, water ripens the grapecluster, water softens the olive,
water sweetens the palm-date, water reddens the rose and decks the violet,
water makes the lily bloom with its brilliant cups. And why should I speak
at length? Without the element of water, none of the present order of things
can subsist. So necessary is the element of water; for the other elements
took their places beneath the highest vault of the heavens, but the nature
of water obtained a seat also above the heavens. And to this the prophet
himself is a witness, when he exclaims, "Praise the Lord, ye heavens of heavens,
and the water that is above the heavens."
 At the Creation, "the spirit of God
moved over the waters," and then God "divided the waters that were under
the firmament, from those that were above the firmament." At the flood survived
by Noe and his family, this was reversed when "all the fountains of the great
deep were broken up, and the flood gates of heaven were opened." The earth
was cleansed by this deluge of water -- and it was the Spirit (wind, "ruach")
that caused the waters to abate. Further foreshadowing Baptism, it was a
dove that flew back to the ark bearing an olive branch, signalling to Noe
that the flood was coming to an end. St. Peter makes this connection between
the cleansing effects of Noe's Flood and Baptism:
1 Peter 3:18-21
Because Christ also died once for our sins, the just for the unjust: that
he might offer us to God, being put to death indeed in the flesh, but enlivened
in the spirit, In which also coming he preached to those spirits that were
in prison: Which had been some time incredulous, when they waited for the
patience of God in the days of Noe, when the ark was a building: wherein
a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. Whereunto baptism being
of the like form, now saveth you also: not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the examination of a good conscience towards God by the
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
And, of course,
there is Our Lord's Baptism, which St. Hippolytus describes so beautifully
in his Discourse, continued from above:
Nor is this the
only thing that proves the dignity of the water. But there is also that which
is more honourable than all -- the fact that Christ, the Maker of all, came
down as the rain, and was known as a spring, and diffused Himself as a river,
and was baptized in the Jordan. For you have just heard how Jesus came to
John, and was baptized by him in the Jordan. Oh things strange beyond compare!
How should the boundless Rivers that makes glad the city of God have been
dipped in a little water! The illimitable Spring that bears life to all men,
and has no end, was covered by poor and temporary waters! He Who is present
everywhere, and absent nowhere -- Who is incomprehensible to angels and invisible
to men -- comes to the baptism according to His own good pleasure.
The Spirit appeared
as a Dove over the waters of the Jordan on that day, thereby making the symbolic
connection between water and Spirit complete.
The Use of Water in the Church
The ritual use
of this precious substance is ancient and rooted in the Old Testament. 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 (or "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 Ghost."
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. He will have a pail-like
vessel called an "aspersory" to hold the holy
water, and into this he will dip a stick called an "aspergillum" (or an
"aspergill"). The aspergillum has holes in it to catch droplets of the water,
and the priest's swinging it toward the congregation causes the drops of
water to fly out. This blessing of the congregation before Mass is called
"Aspérges" and the accompanying, chanted words come from Psalm
50:
Aspérges
me, Domine, hyssopo, et mundabor: lavabis me, et super nivem dealbador.
Miserére mei, Deus, secundum magnam misericordiam tuam |
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 |
Holy water is blessed
on the Feast of the Epiphany (January
6) and any time thereafter that holy water is needed. First, the
salt to be added to the water is exorcized and blessed.
Then the water itself is blessed with these words:
Exorcizo te, creatura
aquæ, in nomine Dei Patris omnipotentis, et in nomine Jesu Christi,
Filii ejus Domini nostri, et in virtute Spiritus Sancti: ut fias aqua exorcizata
ad effugandam omnem potestatem inimici, et ipsum inimicum eradicare et explantare
valeas cum angelis suis apostaticis, per virtutem ejusdem Domini nostri Jesu
Christ: qui venturus est judicare vivos et mortuos et sæculum per ignem.
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I exorcise thee
in the name of God the Father almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ His
Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Ghost, that you may be able to
put to flight all the power of the enemy, and be able to root out and supplant
that enemy and his apostate angels; through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. |
Deus, qui ad salutem
humani generis maxima quæque sacramenta in aquarum substantia condidisti:
adesto propitius invocationibus nostris, et elemento huic, multimodis
purificationibus præparato, virtutem tuæ benedictionis infunde;
ut creatura tua, mysteriis tuis serviens, ad abigendos dæmones morbosque
pellendos divinæ gratiæ sumat effectum; ut quidquid in domibus
vel in locis fidelium hæc unda resperserit careat omni immunditia,
liberetur a noxa. Non illic resideat spiritus pestilens, non aura corrumpens:
discedant omnes insidiæ latentis inimici; et si quid est quod aut
incolumitati habitantium invidet aut quieti, aspersione hujus aquæ
effugiat: ut salubritas, per invocationem sancti tui nominis expetita, ab
omnibus sit impugnationibus defensa. Per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum filium
tuum, qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitate Spiritus Sancti, Deus, per omnia
saecula saeculorum. Amen. |
God, Who for the
salvation of the human race has built your greatest mysteries upon this
substance, in your kindness hear our prayers and pour down the power of your
blessing into this element, prepared by many purifications. May this your
creation be a vessel of divine grace to dispel demons and sicknesses, so
that everything that it is sprinkled on in the homes and buildings of the
faithful will be rid of all unclean and harmful things. Let no pestilent
spirit, no corrupting atmosphere, remain in those places: may all the schemes
of the hidden enemy be dispelled. Let whatever might trouble the safety and
peace of those who live here be put to flight by this water, so that health,
gotten by calling Your Holy Name, may be made secure against all attacks.
Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee
in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen. |
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 decorative bottles
1 for storage at home or in little
flasks, made for this purpose, to carry with you. Most Catholics keep at
least some in 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 right). 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 seashell is a very ancient symbol
of Baptism, and the shells of large molluscs
-- weighing up to 500 pounds -- have been used in churches as basins for
holy water). Tip: putting a thin sponge inside the font is said to make the
water evaporate less quickly.
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.
Another use of
holy water is to give tiny sips to the sick or spiritually oppressed. It
shouldn't be consumed as a beverage, mind you, but the ingestion of
small amounts, or adding a few drops to foods, is common.
How to dispose of
Holy water is usually made with a touch of salt which is a preservative,
but if your holy water were to go a little, um, green, the proper way to
dispose of it is the same as for any sacramental:
you want to return it to the earthly elements. You should dig a hole and
pour it into the earth.
Easter Water
Easter water, or
baptismal water, is the water that is blessed on
Holy Saturday (the day before
Easter) and is used to baptize Catechumens.
This water receives a more solemn sort of blessing than "regular holy water":
the Easter Candle is dipped into it three times, and the priest blows his
breath over it thrice, recalling the Spirit over the waters at Creation,
and the Spirit causing the waters of Noe's flood to subside, and how the
Spirit appeared as a dove over the waters at Christ's
Baptism.
Mind you, any clean water can be used in Baptism, and often is, as in cases
of emergency; but the use of Easter water is the normal way of doing things.
Gregorian Water
And finally (on
the liturgical level), there is "Gregorian Water" -- holy water mixed with
wine, salt, and ashes -- which is used in the consecration of churches, altars
and altar stones.
Non-Liturgical "Holy Water"
There are also
waters derived from holy wells and from places associated with Saintly
apparitions, said waters having special curative properties by the grace
of God. The most famous of these sites is
Lourdes, where Our Lady appeared to
the young girl who was to become known as St. Bernadette and instructed her
to dig. St. Bernadette did so, with her hands, and revealed a spring whose
waters have cured many.
Footnotes:
1 For an idea on how to make a decorative bottle
to store your Holy Water, see this
page.
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