| Why should we keep holy water in our homes?Making the Sign of the Cross with holy water may seem insignificant, but it reminds us who we are and to whom we belong |
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Holy water is one of the simplest sacramentals in the Catholic faith, and perhaps one of the easiest to overlook.Most Catholics are familiar with dipping their fingers into holy water upon entering a church and making the Sign of the Cross. But holy water was never meant to remain only at the church door. For centuries, Catholics have kept holy water in their homes as a daily reminder of baptism, spiritual protection, and the presence of God. Why keep holy water in your home? Holy water calls to mind our baptismal promises, including the rejection of Satan and sin. Through the blessing of the Church, it becomes a sacramental that prepares us to receive grace and turn our minds toward God. The Church has long encouraged its use in ordinary life because ordinary life is precisely where spiritual battles take place. The saints understood this well. St. Teresa of Avila once wrote, “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.” She went on to say that whenever she used holy water, her soul experienced a “particular and most notable consolation.”Teresa of Avila was a doctor of the Church and yet there is something comforting in the simplicity of what she says. Holy water is accessible. A small holy water font near the front door can quietly shape the rhythm of a Catholic home. Family members can bless themselves as they come and go. Parents can bless their children before school or bed. Spouses can bless one another in moments of difficulty or illness. There is wisdom in these habits.We live in a world that constantly forms us through repetition. The Church understands that the spiritual life is formed in the same way. Small actions repeated over time begin to shape the heart. Making the Sign of the Cross with holy water may seem insignificant, but it reminds us who we are and to whom we belong.And perhaps that is part of why sacramentals matter so much. They take the truths of the faith and bring them into daily life, into homes, routines, and ordinary moments. Source: Get Fed |
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