Holy Water
Walk into any Catholic church and one of the first things
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you’ll notice are people dipping their fingers in water
and making the sign of the cross, reminding them of
their baptismal promises. Whether it comes from the holy water
font found near the main entrance to the church or from a small
receptacle beside the doors, this water is always holy water.
Holy water is water that has been blessed by a priest to be used for
baptisms and blessings. The holy water font, sometimes called a
stoup, is the place where baptisms are done in the church. Some
holy water fonts are quite large, perhaps with steps that lead down
into a small pool. This is for baptisms by immersion, which is
more commonly done with adults than infants. Other fonts are
more like large bowls.
Holy water is not only used for baptisms, but for other blessings,
such as the Rite of Sprinkling, when the priest or deacon goes
through the church sprinkling water on the faithful. Many Catholics
take holy water home with them in small containers and use
it to bless themselves, their children, their homes, or just about
anything else that needs blessing!
Holy water has been used since the earliest days of Christianity. It
reminds us of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan, our own baptism, and
the cleansing power of water, which washes us clean.
For further study:
CCC 1668-1670
Notes