Holy Water

Blog Post #2

“Quick, get some Holy Water, we need to perform an exorcism!” whispered one exasperated teenage boy to the other at the conclusion of Mass. It had been years of dealing with a rambunctious little girl who never left them alone that finally led them both to the conclusion that she was possessed. Running to the Holy Water font, they shoved their hands inside and resurfaced, ready to release the demons.

Spoiler alert, she was not possessed. Second spoiler alert, no, I’m not the little girl in the story, but I do know these two boys personally. What I love about this tale is that, in their desperation, these young men turned to God for help. And in this case, it came in the form of Holy Water.

Are you aware of the benefits of Holy Water? According to several Saints and Doctors of the Church, it is a must-have for every home, House of God, car, purse, etc. because it has major power! St. Teresa of Avila used Holy Water to fight off the devil (talk about epic!). And St. Thomas Aquinas said that Holy Water, when used reverently, wipes away venial sins. Not to mention, it can also help us overcome temptation, heal our illnesses, and grant us grace. And as if that wasn’t enough, Holy water reminds us of our Baptism and the beginning of our life with Christ, which is definitely something worth remembering.

Fighting off the devil, relieving venial sins, overcoming temptations, healing illnesses, and granting grace are all side effects of Holy Water? Is this just some Catholic craziness? I can honestly say when I read lists like this I can become a doubting Thomas, but then I remember how Jesus used spit and dirt to heal a blind man. The real deal is, when we ask Jesus to bless ordinary things, they have extraordinary power.

So go buy a Holy Water font for your house, el pronto! You want to be prepared just in case you need to perform an emergency exorcism!