Holy Sprinkles -- VID 8 -- Domestic Church Series

Household uses for Holy Water

Our bodies are mostly water; plant and animal life cannot exist without this life-giving refresher.  One dies of thirst, long before hunger.  The refuge of an oasis is possible as a source of available water, recognizable in an arid desert for miles by green growth and shade giving palm trees. Similar images ornamented ancient baptistries.

As with Noah and the ark, water can also destroy.  Hailing from Niagara Falls my entire life I know that Native Americans named this wonder of the world “thunder waters” the deep, persistant voice of their ancestors.  These waters lead them back both  to the origin of all human life, and its profound meaning which elders pass on by word-of-mouth from generation to generation. Similarly, the Book of Genesis presents the primeval “breath of God” hovering as the Holy Spirit over the original waters.

The same divine spirit and voice reappear at Jesus’s baptism in the Jordan river. Byzantine Eastern Christians celebrate this feast, equal to Christmas Day, as a global rebirthing event and salvation from death.  Breath, life, word, and origin bind together to find creating a home full of meaning, the center of which is a divine plumbing system.  The Orthodox rite of blessing Epiphany water ends with youths taking a celebrational dive for the Lord’s Cross —symbolizing Jesus’ victory over water’s destructive powers. Festal icons of this day portray Jesus as Conqueror-Son of God. This holy-day water is also taken home for the annual New Year house blessing.

Parents by virtue of their Baptism and Matrimony have the privilege to bless their children and younger members of their family.  While this can be done, as at Baptism, by the elder using their thumb to sign youthful forehead with the Lord’s Cross, some families include a holy water sprinkling.

On entering a church, making a sign of Jesus’ Cross to the Names of the Holy Trinity, after having immersed fingers into holy water, is in itself a prayer.  Most churches offer  holy water blessed by a priest in dispenser fonts near the Baptistry.  This holy water is available particularly for home use. 

Parents blessing their children has Biblical origins.  Elders and parents who gave life, have the responsibility to restore it through blessing.  Senior members may sprinkle their children to celebrate their Baptismal anniversary, patron’s feast-day, or birth-day.  Some traditional Catholic parents bless their children before sending them off to church for a wedding ceremony, to school on the first day, to college, or their first/new job.

Sprinkling is meant to be playful.  Dipping fingers into a jar of holy water (any washed and marked condiment or canning jar) is the simplest way for adults to bless. Immersing an evergreen branch or even a clean bottle brush helps spread refreshingly surprising droplets over an entire gathering.

An especially fun-filled feast is that of St John the Baptist (June 24). St John’s mission and life speaks of water and Baptism at the Jordan River.  Many believers commemorate his day (six months before Jesus’ birth) by taking a swim, for he is believed to have blessed the waters. 

A yard sprinkler party is most appropriate.  Or take a bucket of water and throw some flower buds (without stems) letting them float on the surface. Similarly, a holy day centerpiece can be a wide and/or clear soup bowl, filled with holy water with open flower buds floating on the surface (above photo).  As table grace, each person can dip their fingers into the bowl and bless themselves or the senior member may sprinkle everyone.

Having water available all year long may assist some people going through hard times.  I know children who bless themselves with holy water when afraid or sad, or when tempted to do something wrong.  When things seem to be not going right, a parent may sprinkle the home while praying the Sign of the Cross or the Lord’s Prayer, and even repeat the phrase, “deliver us from evil.” 

Whether you hold to this or not, official church exorcists (diocesan bishops are responsible to delegate a particular priest for this official office) have testified that a demon can distinguish between holy water and the tap variety.  The blessing of an ordained priest is a powerful prayer bestowing on holy water the power to purify, protect and bless.

FYI surf the web for the research of a Japanese scientist who studied how water over which prayers or the names of positive people have been invoked, differs from water which has been sworn or cursed over.

Next Saturday: Heaven Door Tool: Ring’in joy

All video and textual content of St Casimir’s Series on the Domestic Church and Tandem Blog Articles © CzMKrysa, Buffalo, NY April-June 2020

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