Another Holy Week is upon us. I’d like to be able to say, “Holy Holstein, where did Lent go??” However, I find myself falling short on that score.
I know we are supposed to be spending these last Lenten days fine-tuning our dying to self, but must admit that what I’m really dying for is a calendar that reads “April 20,” paired with some fine chocolate and Jelly Bellies.
If anyone else out there is struggling to find that last gear in this bell lap of Lent, I invite you to step up your use of spiritual Gatorade: The sacramentals.
The sacramentals are “sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments” (Catechism of the Catholic Church no. 1667) and which the Catholic Church has instituted to help her children sanctify their daily lives.
The numerous sacramentals (instituted by the Church) differ from the seven Sacraments (instituted by Christ) in their relationship to grace: The former “do not confer the grace of the Holy Spirit in the way that the sacraments do, but by the Church’s prayer, they prepare us to receive grace and dispose us to cooperate with it” (CCC 1670).
Hmm . . . something to help me when I’m floundering to help myself? This sounds like a pretty good thing.
Most of us avail ourselves of the sacramentals on a regular basis, and probably without much conscious thought: We wear the Miraculous Medal, St. Benedict bracelets, holy scapulars, and hopefully pray the Rosary every day.
We were anointed by the Church’s holy oils (sacramentals) in the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation, and perhaps Anointing of the Sick.
We keep blessed candles, crucifixes, and sacred art in our homes.
The power of holy water
Perhaps my favorite go-to of the many sacramentals is holy water.
Holy water is a reminder of Baptism, which is, of course, our original gateway to grace.
Its very long and rich spiritual history makes it an especially fitting way to invoke divine blessing and protection.
St. Teresa of Avila was frequently quoted as saying, “I often experience that there is nothing the devils flee from more, without returning, than holy water.”
I recently came across a little piece that is supposedly the teachings of St. Padre Pio regarding the use of holy water.
I have had NO success in corroborating this assertion, but since I cannot find anything theologically wrong in it, I thought I’d share some of the things that resonated with me.
- Make use of holy water every day versus leaving it on the shelf until life’s next crisis presents itself.
I can truthfully say my personal bottle does not collect any dust (unlike most everything else in my house) and requires frequent refills. (Chalk one “thumb’s-up emoji” pour moi).
- Bless not only the rooms of your home but the entrances as well.
I have always done the former, but have now decided to add the latter to my regimen once a week — asking protection of my place from anything that is not of Jesus Christ, as well as blessings upon all who pass through its doorways.
- Don’t neglect to bless your pillow and bed. For whatever reason, this has always made sense to me, but it was part of the morning ritual. Maybe making it part of my bedtime routine makes a little more sense?!
It’s funny how the obvious is often the last lightbulb to find its electrical source in my brain.
Perhaps some will cry, “Technicality!!,” but my conscious defenses against temptation are in sleep mode through the night so I see no reason to not err on the side of caution.
- Bless the members of your household, especially the most vulnerable and the children.
As the lone member of my household, I bless myself, but also anyone who happens to be staying with me — yes, whether they ask for it or not.
I even throw it off of my east-facing balcony each morning in the direction of my daughter’s home: Three healthy doses (invoking the Trinity in Latin), asking for protection and blessing upon her day.
Sacred, not magic
Perhaps the most important thing (and in which I realize I have been the most lax) is to pause, and consciously use this sacramental with great faith, and a holy, purposeful, prayerful intent.
Like that Rosary often said in haste, my holy water blessing has often been hurried and on auto-pilot — resembling a robot just dousing everyone and everything in sight.
This completely misses the point, of course, and diminishes this powerful gift.
Holy water (indeed, any sacramental) is not a rabbit’s foot or a magic wand.
It will not create The Force, and you won’t see Luke, Leia, Obi-Wan, or Yoda floating into your bedroom on the beam of a lightsaber.
Ideally, it is a means by which to sanctify and invite grace into even the smallest actions of your daily life . . . to remind us that everything can be offered as a prayer and that we are called each day to make our home and family a domestic church.
I regret that I fail in these goals many times, but imagine what little chance I’d have if I tossed aside this Heavenly aid.
We are about to enter the Sacred Triduum and commemorate the great sacrifice of our redemption.
The Easter Vigil is marked by several once/year blessings, including that of the new Easter water.
Buy a lovely new bottle, and dust off a special place on your shelf for a dose of this fresh batch.
It may be water, but it packs some real spiritual heat. 🙂
Wishing you and yours a very blessed and joyful Easter.
Maria Burns is a lifelong Catholic and writer who lives in Madison and is a member of St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison, part of Divine Mercy Pastorate.