A Few of the Top Uses of Holy Water

“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

When I read this quote from St. Teresa of Avila, I was reminded of the importance of holy water. I think that most of the time we take holy water for granted. This water is blessed by GOD! It can banish demons, heal the sick, and send unwarranted grace upon us, and yet most of the time I just cross myself with it without even thinking. The fact of the matter is that holy water is a powerful sacramental and we ought to use it daily. Here is a list of some important ways to use holy water in your everyday life.

St. Teresa of Avila

1. Bless yourself - Yes this suggestion is obvious, but if we are only blessing ourselves on Sunday, then aren’t we missing out on the rest of the week? You can never have too much grace or blessings in your life. I am a huge advocate for home holy water fonts so that you and your guests can be blessed in your comings and goings to and from your home. Use it every day! If you haven’t considered getting a holy water font for your home or the home of a loved one, then you ought to consider 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. Now I wouldn’t bless my house primarily to keep it from destruction, natural disasters, or from feeling the effects of aging, but rather I would bless it as a measure to ward off evil spirits. They do exist, as St. Teresa says, “I have learned that there is nothing like holy water to put devils to flight.” You can sprinkle holy water in your home yourself, or have a priest formally bless your home using holy water as part of the blessing ceremony.

3. Bless your car - I will be the first to admit that I am not the most defensive driver, and yet up until this point I have managed to avoid getting pulled over by the police and, more importantly, I have avoided getting into an accident. Call me crazy, but I think that the holy water applied to the cars that I have driven might have a little something to do with it. You can also have a priest bless your car with holy water as well!

4. Bless the sick - If you know of any sick friends or family, then I urge you to consider blessing them with holy water. The holy water from Lourdes is known to have incredible healing power, and of course regular holy water has many healing properties as well because it is blessed by a priest. There are lots of holy water bottles available to help you transport the water to the homes of your loved ones.

Holy water is one of those beautiful things that we have simply become used to and have therefore taken for granted, like the Eucharist, saintly intercession, the rosary, the Catholic Bible, etc. Hopefully if we stop and think of what a great blessing holy water is for us, we will use it more thoughtfully and gratefully! How do you use holy water in your life? Do you have a holy water font in your home?