Hi, Monica —

Good question.

Catholics don't believe in holy water, we believe God can extend His blessing incarnationally, in a special way, through the hands of His delegates, and that they can further extend His blessing by imparting it to persons and things. We call these things sacramentals, because they are signs to us of God's grace.

Unlike sacraments, they do not effect (cause) the grace they signify, but by carrying and extending the prayer of the Church, and being set aside for God, they help us to be open to grace, if we have faith in God, (not in the item!)

Holy water is water that is blessed by a cleric (a priest or deacon) with the prayer of the Church. It becomes holy, which means consecrated, set aside for God, God's territory. We use it to remind us of our Baptism, and to surround and anoint ourselves with something dedicated to God.

Of course, we are also dedicated to God, in a special way, but holy water becomes a silent and enduring prayer. Moreover, it does not partake of our weaknesses, but is pure, carrying only God's blessing. Satan therefore does not like it, and avoids it. He hates whatever is holy, which is why he hates us.

Only a cleric has the power and authority to bless holy water. A parent has the authority and power to bless his or her children, but only a cleric may bless in the name of the Church. Others can ask God's blessing, but not invoke it in the same way.

Lay people are not allowed to perform any blessing at Communion or at grave services for miscarried babies, at retreats, etc.

You can use holy water by putting it on yourself and your surroundings frequently. It is a great protection against the evil one, because, as I said, he avoids what is holy.

Mary Ann

Hi Monica,

I just wanted to add a cent to Mary Ann's fine answer.

When she says:
A parent has the authority and power to bless his or her children, but only a cleric may bless in the name of the Church. Others can ask God's blessing, but not invoke it in the same way.

Some may ask where do the parents get that authority from?

The answer is their Baptism. Everyone who is baptized becomes a priest, prophet and king. You see, there are two different priesthoods in the Church:

1. The ministerial priesthood is a call from Our Lord to Catholic men to serve in the ministerial priesthood of Jesus Christ to administer the sacraments to the faithful along with teaching and preaching to them. It is a call only to men, because Jesus was a man; and as a man, Our Lord uses the priest's physical body to administer the sacraments, in the person of Christ.
   
   
2. The universal priesthood everyone receives at Baptism, is a calling to an active faith in the Church and the world to teach, preach, and perform whatever calling we are drawn to in the Church.

Mike