4 Ways to Use Holy Water

4 Ways to Use Holy Water. We all know the basics, when you get to the Church, dip your hand in the holy water and make the sign of the cross. Very few understand the significance of this simple gesture, blessing oneself, or that we are supposed to recall our baptismal promise to renounce Satan and sin.

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

We forget a few things about the Holy Water, for one it is a very powerful Sacramental and the Church exhorts us to use it regularly. Daily if possible.

Here are things you can do with Holy Water:

1. Bless yourself and your family

The obvious one, bless yourself and your family daily, don’t wait to get to the Church first. You can keep it in a container in the house, people can spray themselves and you can do so while blessing your children as well.

You can also have a small bottle for when you are leaving the house.

2. Bless Your House, Garden and other stuff

Blessing your home is a special ritual to entrust your house to God’s protection and heavenly care. Remembering the Church is the domestic church and should be as sacred as possible. You can have this done by a priest or you can do it yourself. The special prayer and the ordination of the priest make this more powerful and formal, but in the absence of a priest, you can do this yourself. Insofar as you are baptized.

Holy water can also be used to bless other things in the house. You can also bless your garden. This is actually an old practice: Catholics would sprinkle their vegetable gardens with holy water. This was because at the time many depended heavily on farming and this was a way to ask for God’s protection and favorable weather.

Your car too can be blessed with the Holy water to ask God to keep you from accidents. Another common practice by Catholics.

3. Bless the sick:

You can use Holy water to pray for the sick in your family and your friends too. If you visit sick people you can bless them and their surroundings with holy water.

4. Bless Your Pets

There are prayers in the Church asking God for pets. These are loved companions and we sometimes have very strong bonds with them and consider them family. They too can be blessed with holy water. Even livestock, if we have a farm, this is also applicable.

Prayer:

Very simple prayer while using Holy Water:

“By this holy water and by Your Precious Blood, wash away all my sins, O Lord. Amen.

4 Ways to Use Holy Water

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