What are the ingredients in Holy Water?

I went to mass on sunday and I was wondering. What exactly is in holy water? I assume its been blessed, and I suppose it could be just any water. This stuff feels a little colder than water that has been sitting out should feel. I didn't see any methods of cooling the water, so I assume its something else. Can anyone set me straight?

I'd just like an answer. Its just something I was curious about. Thanks!!

The Urge.

[Cabbage]

I don't know about the Catholic Church, but to me, "holy water" has always meant vodka.

[lswote]

I'm sure it was just regular water. Probably it was taken out of the refrigerator just before Mass. It will take a couple hours before it reaches room temperature so it should still be cool when you partook of it. It may be a bottled water or filtered water and then it would have less taste and you would notice the temperature more since you aren't distracted by the taste.

[mangeorge]

Humility is what makes it so cool, Urge. :cool:
Peace,
mangeorge

[Patty O'Furniture]

You're actually supposed to drink holy water? I always thought you were supposed to splash it on demons & boogey men (speaking of which, Urge must have recovered very quickly from his holy water burns to be able to post such a topic.)

__________________
Manual sig line #5

[Ringo]

I think it's potable water + priest + incantation (or blessing); for the Catholics amongst us; frankly I grew up in the same church as Cabbage.

[Steve-o]

As for the temperature of the water, it could have been just tap water. Most Holy Water I've seen has been in a shallow, but wide bowl similar to a bird bath (sorry, I don't know what they call it). This being the case, the water has a much larger surface area to volume ratio than you are used to encountering (such as in a glass of water). With the large proportion of the water being exposed surface area, the water will evaporate more quickly, causing a cooling effect. The water can become noticably cooler than its surroundings.

[Doug Bowe]

Beatle came up with the best definition I could find:
water+blessing. It'll be contained in a stoup or a font.
The priest in my church filled his urn with tap water before the service.
Urn? Okay, he also cut the wine with water (which was blessed) during communion.

[elbows]

On an aside:

You may be interested to know that when they went around swabbing and testing public surfaces for bacteria and microbes. That among things like public toilets and payphones and bus stops, the holy water in the font at the local cathedral was, by far the very worst. I guess faith don't kill germs.

Thought you'd like to know, we now return you to your regular programing....

[Danielinthewolvesden]

It has a small amount of salt, as blessed salt is used to help consecrate it.

[waterj2]

You may be interested to know that when they went around swabbing and testing public surfaces for bacteria and microbes. That among things like public toilets and payphones and bus stops, the holy water in the font at the local cathedral was, by far the very worst. I guess faith don't kill germs.

Not to sound disbelieving, but it might help if you provided some sort of mention as to who exactly they are.

[2sense]

Excellent question, Urgie!

I like the evaporation info from Steve-o. Has holy water been traditionaly kept in wide shallow containers?
Maybe this adds to the mystique.
Also, is there some taboo against putting unblessed water in the container? As in washing it.

We need some bright Papists in here.
-


Peace be with you

[Bosda Di'Chi of Tricor]

Ingredients of Holy Water: Aqua Pura+your credulous belief=Holy Water! :p

[flodnak]

I actually still remember some of this stuff. Amazing what nine years of Catlick school does to your brain. Anyway...

The holy water that's sitting out in a church is not for drinking or washing. A Catholic entering a church will dip the fingers of his right hand in the basin and then make the sign of the cross with that hand (head, belly, left shoulder, right shoulder). The physical ingredients are just water and a little bit of salt - salt is added at some point during the blessing process.

Since everyone who comes to Mass sticks their fingers in the basin, I have no problem believing a lot of germs collect in there. But it would be good to see some more details about this study if folks are supposed to believe it's worse than a public toilet.

I've always seen it in stone or metal basins, which might help to explain why it feels cold. The container isn't blessed, so I don't see why there would be a taboo about washing it, although I also have never seen anyone do that.

[WallyM7]

I was an altar boy for 3 years. Sometimes I filled the basin. First, I filled a stainless steel pitcher with tap water. I would add two teaspoons of vinegar and a teaspoon of salt. Finally, I would add a few drops of perfume. I don't remember what the perfume was, but it was not the kind that a lady would use. It smelled like incence.

I would then bring the pitcher to the priest. He would bless it, then I would fill the basin. The rest would be put away and we would top up as needed.

No mystery about it, really.

[Johnny L.A.]

If holy water is just dihydrogen monoxide + blessing, why can't a priest go out and bless an ocean? Then any demons there would be instantly killed, and whenever you had to fill the font, you could just grab some holy water anywhere along the coast. (Or you could move the Mass to the beach!) Heck, if a priest blessed the ocean in Los Angeles, then it'd be holy water all the way to Japan, right? Or is the blessing limited to "so-many litres"?

[hawthorne]

Johnny LA
why can't a priest go out and bless an ocean?

It would be difficult to collect the fees for this service.

picmr

[tomndebb]

There aren't any fees associated with blessing holy water, of course.

The reason that no one goes out and blesses a lake or an ocean is that there is no belief that holy water will harm demons.

Holy water is a sacramental. That is any object that is used in ritual to call to mind the blessings of God. (Note the part about ritual.) Holy water is used to demonstrate a blessing (God showers the people with grace) and as a reminder of all the water symbolism of Baptism. It is blessed (thus becoming holy water) simply as a sign that its further uses (in Baptism, in administering blessings, etc.) are acts of God.

The water, when blessed, is not thought to have any special properties. It is simply the water that has been set aside for ritual use. If no holy water is available for a Baptism, for example, any water may be used.

[Monty]

Since everyone who comes to Mass sticks their fingers in the basin, I have no problem believing a lot of germs collect in there.

Thus giving rise to the expression, "Ladies and germs."

[handy]

"why can't a priest go out and bless an ocean?"

They do that here often [pacific ocean]. Down at Lover's Point, they do baptisms. Bless the water & all that. I surf in it, I wonder if that gives me annual baptisms?



The blessing is:
Holy Water has its great power and efficacy from the prayers of the Church.
Following, are some of the petitions the priest makes to God when he blesses
water: "O God... grant that this creature of Thine (water) may be endowed
with divine grace to drive away devils and to cast out diseases, that
whatever in the houses or possessions of the faithful may be sprinkled by
this water, so that health which they seek by calling upon Thy Holy Name
may be guarded from all assaults."

[johnpriest]

A Catholic entering a church will dip the fingers of his right hand in the basin and then make the sign of the cross with that hand (head, belly, left shoulder, right shoulder).

The canonical sequence is "Spectacles, testicles, heart, wallet"

[Olentzero]

Well, let's add the Russian Orthodox side of the story.
(Full disclosure: for a couple of years around the turn of the 90s I converted to Orthodoxy - a result of living in Juneau, Alaska and my emerging Russophilia.)
They had an event whereby they blessed a supply of holy water (I don't remember how long it was supposed to last) but the ceremony involved the priest making a couple of invocations and plunging a cross (three?) times into a container of water. As I remember it the container was simply an Igloo water tap thingy and probably an amount of it was poured into the font afterwards. I don't remember salt or vinegar being used. They belong on potato chips anyway.

[Jophiel]

The water, when blessed, is not thought to have any special properties. It is simply the water that has been set aside for ritual use. If no holy water is available for a Baptism, for example, any water may be used.
Interestingly, though, my mother has in her possession a small set of a book and a vial of holy water. The book contains the blessing used for Last Rites and the holy water is obviously the water to be used in the case. I'm not sure how old it is, but I remember that my grandmother had one as well (so, in fact my mother may well have two such sets) and both book and vial had signs of aging. Oh yeah, my point. It seems a little odd and more than a little creepy to be carrying around an emergency Last Rites kit complete with holy water in case you come across a dying Catholic and it seems odd that they would package it with holy water if any water will do. I should note that said set was in fact, a product of the Church and not something you bought in a drugstore.

[tomndebb]

It seems a little odd and more than a little creepy to be carrying around an emergency Last Rites kit complete with holy water in case you come across a dying Catholic
On the other hand, if you're going to carry a kit for the Last Rites, anyway, why not make sure that you have the holy water handy. Did it also have a small vial of chrism, or was the priest supposed to bring that?

[Jophiel]

Nope.. just a book and some holy water. The book stated that you were supposed to get a priest if possible, but if you couldn't, it gave instructions on how to perform Last Rites yourself. It came in a little box, and I think the book mentioned some other Catholic rituals as well in there, but my memory doesn't recall. I'll have to go to my mother's place and find it sometime. In the meantime, at least she's safe against vampires or something ;)

[moriah]

...at least, from a Roman Catholic post-Vatican II perspective.

Today, officially:

1. Any cleric (deacon, priest, or bishop) can bless water to make it 'holy water.' Anyone, including the laity, can 'use' holy water to bless other items through sprinkling it or touch. As Catholics enter a Church, they dip their fingers in holy water and bless themselves with a sign of the cross to recall their baptism.

2. The water can be, and normally is, without any other ingredients; though, it doesn't have to be pure, distilled water.

3. Salt or other preservatives may be added. Common sense would say that if so much extra ingredients were added that it would no longer be recognized as 'water', then you're overdoing it and it's no longer holy water. (Which would make the natural ocean salts or the minimal chlorine found in tap water OK. Lots of Kool-aid (tm) mix, however, would be a no-no.) Before Vatican Council II (circa AD 1962-5), salt was expected, though it could be done without in an emergency. Many priests trained in the pre-Vatican II ways, continue to use salt as a matter of practice.

4. The blessing can be as simple as "I bless this water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit." There are a few standard longer ones that are to be used in the midst of a public liturgy (i.e., worship service), especially when preparing water for a baptism.

5. tomndebb's description of holy water is accurate. It has symbolic power, not any real 'good luck' or 'positive energy' charge. {E.g. of religious humor and wit: the elementary particle which transmits the 'blessed' charge is the holyon. Vampires are vulnerable to holyonic radiation.}

6. It is expressly forbidden as an evil to sell any blessed item, including holy water. Most 'kits' which contain holy water usually come with an empty bottle which gets filled at your local parish. And yes, many parishes have urns of holy water for the devout (and yes, superstitious) from which they can fill their flasks.

6. Rivers, lakes, oceans, and all the world's waters have been blessed -- many times over. Again, as a sign of God's blessing found in creation and as a reminder of Christian baptism. But, that water gets used for mundane purposes, and so, it looses its sign value, and people stop thinking of it as holy water. The water in Church is put aside and used exclusively for holy purposes, and thus, retains its sign value and is always considered and treated as holy water.

7. Superstition is alive and well in the Catholic Church. Not officially, but in many peoples' minds. And so, many lay people, and even some clergy will treat and talk about holy water as if it did have a magic power in it (the holyonic charge, as it were). But that is not the official church teaching.

8. Holy water which has become so scummy that it can't be used anymore (by most people's standards) is simply poured out on the earth.

Pax Christi.

I think we should all give The Urge a nice hand for thinking of a good question that this many people posted to.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Urge!


If he is coming back, it's an excellent start.

[moriah]

Notthemama said:

I think we should all give The Urge a nice hand for thinking of a good question that this many people posted to.

Ladies and gentlemen, The Urge!

If he is coming back, it's an excellent start.

And I bet you're the type who takes in wounded undomesticated wild animals. ;)

Yes, it was a good question.

Peace.
-----------
Consider: Maybe the powers that be can't ban a guest, only members.

originally posted by elbows3:
You may be interested to know that when they went around swabbing and testing public surfaces for bacteria and microbes. That among things like public toilets and payphones and bus stops, the holy water in the font at the local cathedral was, by far the very worst. I guess faith don't kill germs.

Originally posted by WaterJ2:
Not to sound disbelieving, but it might help if you provided some sort of mention as to who exactly they are.

Hey, everybody, I actually did find something that sounds like the factoid elbows may be thinking of. There's a lot of dead ends, because it was evidently a Reuters news release way back in 1996.

I found this: ("http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm/archives/fsnet/1996/11-1996/fs-11-28-96-01.txt)

Here's the thing in its entirety.

Holy water can kill, says Catholic newspaper Nov 28/96 LONDON (Reuter) - Holy water is a hazard that can kill the weak rather than heal them, according to the latest issue of the weekly Catholic Herald newspaper. Water taken from religious shrines, long drunk by invalids and splashed on open wounds, was a breeding ground for infection, a nurse told the paper. "It isn't the water itself that is the problem but the way people collect it, contaminating it with very nasty germs with their hands and the bottles they use," said Linda Parsons of the Wiston hospital near Liverpool, northern England. Parsons was part of a team of medics who found that relatives of the sick who brought waters from overseas shrines were spreading obscure bacteria and causing infections. "It could kill a susceptible patient," Parsons said. One priest told the paper, due out on Friday, that sprinkling holy water on patients was nothing but a "magic ritual" and superstitious cure-all. "No chaplain with any sense would indulge in this. The blessing is a gesture," he said.

Here's the Catholic Herald's website, but I don't see that they have a searchable archive. Dead end there.
http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/

Then I found
this. ("http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/vjs/www/hri/1-7)


DANGEROUS IMPURITIES FOUND IN HOLY WATER Also from the Net: British researchers, writing in the Journal of Hospital Infection and reported in the Medical Journal of Australia, have found that of nine samples of holy water from Lourdes, two from the River Jordan and two from Walsingham, 10 were heavily contaminated with infectious organisms, including E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and candida, which causes thrush. The investigation was sparked the detection of Acinetobacter baumanii bacterial infection in a patient with burns through the full thickness of the skin who had been sprinkled with holy water by relatives.

Here's the Journal's website, but a search of their database doesn't turn up anything. 1996 was a LONG time ago.
http://www.harcourt-international.com/journals/jhin/default.cfm?/

So at least elbows didn't dream it--he did "hear it somewhere", even though this particular one doesn't deal with holy water in the font, just with holy water from religious shrines.

Oopsie, forgot the second quotation marks. :rolleyes:

picky, picky, picky...


The first article. (http://www.plant.uoguelph.ca/riskcomm/archives/fsnet/1996/11-1996/fs-11-28-96-01.txt)


The second article. (http://www.phys.hawaii.edu/vjs/www/hri/1-7)

Okay, do these work?

[Born2Read]

According to my reference book, the correct chemical formula for holy water is H2Oly. HeeHeeHee. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

[Irishman]

Johnpriest said:
The canonical sequence is "Spectacles, testicles, heart, wallet"

Glasses, crotch, center of chest, right butt cheek?

[red_dragon60]

Is it possible to get holy water without being catholic? I am buddist, but say I want to kill vampires. Could I walk into a catholic church and say "father, may I have some holy water?" Or does it lose it's mojo when in the hands of non-christians? Will they even let me have some? I need to know, the demons are already opening a portal into my house!

[tomndebb]

You'll note that in a couple of previous posts we've already indicatred that the RCC does not endorse the idea that the water, itself, has any special properties, so there would not be any point in handing it out to stop demons. On the other hand, since it is used in a number of symbolic ways, a really silly use of it would generally be considered disrespectful, so I suspect that you'll just have to chalk up a pentagram to protect yourself.

[elbows]

Thank you Notthemamma, for the cites to support my words.

I am not savy enough for such things as yet.

However, the report I saw was on tv and they had gone around and swabbed a lot of public places. Everyone was univerally surprised that the font came up number one. On reflection they said it was kept in a open container, in a dark and cool place and touched by many hands so not really all that surprising.


Notthemama you rule!

[Jophiel]

I would imagine, from what's been said, that while holy water in of itself doesn't have any properties to stop the walking evil, it would perhaps act as a focus for whatever faith the holder of it had. Much the same as a cross, a Bible or whatever else. If you were to try to exorcise demons with a cross but didn't believe in Christ, it'd be useless. If you did deeply believe in Christ, you wouldn't need the cross but it'd give you something to focus on. Hence, Catholic exorcism rituals might involve material "holy" possessions but it's not the materials themselves that are doing the job.

As for selling holy water, the sets I mentioned were rather old and the water in question seemed rather suspect, but for all I know they were filled at a local parish and not sold as filled. Makes sense enough to me.

[Kat]

Is it possible to get holy water without being catholic? I am buddist, but say I want to kill vampires. Could I walk into a catholic church and say "father, may I have some holy water?" Or does it lose it's mojo when in the hands of non-christians? Will they even let me have some? I need to know, the demons are already opening a portal into my house!

Well, in the movie The Lost Boys (and more than one fundie has implied that I need to base more of my religious beliefs on Hollywood movies) the boys just ran into the church and filled their canteens from (what appeared to be) the baptism font. I don't know if they were non-Christians, though.

[Northern Piper]

I know how to make holy water.

You just boil the hell out of it.

[Doug Bowe]

If you were to try to exorcise demons with a cross but didn't believe in Christ, it'd be useless. If you did deeply believe in Christ, you wouldn't need the cross but it'd give you something to focus on. Hence, Catholic exorcism rituals might involve material "holy" possessions but it's not the materials themselves that are doing the job.


--I believe deeply in focusing on a stake or silver bullet.