“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
By reading the above quote, we can understand the power of the Holy Water. Catholics have a tradition of dipping fingers in holy water and making the Sign of the Cross when entering a church in order to recall our baptism and our baptismal promises.
As you know, the baptismal promises included renouncing Satan and disdaining sin. We forget this, however, and take holy water for granted most of the time. If we use it regularly, that’s an easy thing to do.
We must remember that holy water, through a priest, is blessed by God in virtue of Christ’s baptism. The Catholic Church possesses enormous power in being able to impart sacramental grace—and holy water as a sacramental receives its power through the prayer and authority of the Church.
The rite of blessing said over water by a priest to make it holy contains prayers of exorcism. It can banish demons, heal the sick, and send unwarranted grace upon us—yet most of the time we cross ourselves with this water without even thinking about how holy it really is.
Behind all these, only one matter is that holy water is a powerful sacramental and we ought to use it daily. We have to use this very consciously. Holy water can be used to bless people, places, and things that are used by humans in their goal of glorifying God with their lives.
Here is a list of eight ways to use holy water in your everyday life:
1. Bless Yourself
This suggestion is obvious. If we are blessing ourselves with holy water on Sundays, why can’t you do it on the weekdays? Keeping a holy water font in the home is a great idea so that you, your family, and guests can be blessed in the comings and goings of your home. Keep the font right by the front door to ensure you never leave home without it.
2. Bless your House
If you haven’t taken the time to bless your house with holy water, then no time is better than the present. Your home is the domestic Church and is in need of the spiritual protection of God. You can sprinkle holy water in your home yourself, or have a priest formally bless your home using holy water as part of the house blessing ceremony.
3. Bless your Family
Use holy water to pray and make the Sign of the Cross over your spouse and children before they go to sleep at night. Bonding the family to each other and to God in this way is a great family tradition to adopt. Keep a holy water bottle by the bedside for this purpose.
4. Bless your Work Space
If you work outside of the home, sprinkling your workspace with holy water is a great idea, not only for spiritual protection on the work front but also as to sanctify your daily work for the glory of God.
5. Bless your Car
Your car is probably the most dangerous place where you spend a significant amount of time each day. Feel the power of holy water applied to your vehicle to keep you safe from harm’s way, when used in faith and trust in God. In fact, you can also have a priest bless your car with holy water.
6. Bless your Garden
Bless your vegetable garden. It was a common practice in the Middle Ages for people to sprinkle their vegetable gardens with holy water. In times when people were very dependent on crops for their livelihood, lack of rain or early frosts could be devastating. Using holy water to bless and sanctify the plants that would be used for the family’s sustenance showed their reliance on God’s grace.
7. Bless the Sick
If you know of any sick friends or family, then blessing them with holy water probably counts as a corporeal and a spiritual work of mercy. If you visit the sick in a hospital or nursing home, bless their living space with holy water and leave a holy water bottle with them as a comfort in their time of need.
8. Bless your Pets
Many parishes on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi have a rite of blessing for pets. Pets are loved companions for individuals and families and often provide a great service to them, and even these can be blessed with holy water because all creation has the end of giving glory to God. This also applies to livestock and farm animals that provide labor, livelihood, and nourishment to humans.