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Holy Water and its Significance for Catholics
Countless graces flow from the use of Holy Water when you understand its role in God's plan of salvation, and how it brings new graces into your life.
In clear, convincing language, Father Theiler lays out for Christians countless surprising, but long-forgotten truths about Holy Water, and explains the interior acts and dispositions that are necessary for this blessed gift of God to have the sanctifying effect our Lord intends for you.
Read these pages attentively; consider them thoughtfully; incorporate their truths and suggestions into your daily spiritual life. In these pages, you'll also learn:
The time that God Himself commanded the use of Holy Water (Do you know where the Bible tells this story?)
Why God chose water as the means to impart so many blessings even before He created man and woman!
What you should and should not expect from the graces conferred by Holy Water
In clear, convincing language, Father Theiler lays out for Christians countless surprising, but long-forgotten truths about Holy Water, and explains the interior acts and dispositions that are necessary for this blessed gift of God to have the sanctifying effect our Lord intends for you.
Read these pages attentively; consider them thoughtfully; incorporate their truths and suggestions into your daily spiritual life. In these pages, you'll also learn:
The time that God Himself commanded the use of Holy Water (Do you know where the Bible tells this story?)
Why God chose water as the means to impart so many blessings even before He created man and woman!
What you should and should not expect from the graces conferred by Holy Water
112 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1906
80 people are currently reading
93 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 30, 2018
A lovely find at our church gift store, on the use of Holy Water as a sacramental. Am in awe, each time I pick up a book about our faith. The more I explore the more I discover. So thankful for this little gem. Won’t do the sign of a cross with Holy Water the same way ever again.
July 11, 2023
This book is a reprint of a book that was translated into English in 1909. I did not know that when I first picked it up. And to be honest I might have been less likely to pick it up if I had known that. But the book caught my attention and I am very thankful that I did make the choice to not only get the book but to read it. In part I picked up this book because my son started having problems going to sleep alone. A friend suggested we bless him before bed. The next day this book crossed my path and once I started reading I could barely put the book down.
The sections in the book are:
1. Water's Significance in Nature and Grace
2. Holy Water Is a Sacramental
3. Blessing the Water
4. The Effects of Holy Water
5. The Use of Holy Water by the Church
6. The Use of Holy Water by the Faithful
Conclusion
Appendices
A. Questions and Answers
B. Eight Ways to Use Holy Water in Your Everyday Life
C. Prayers for Blessing Yourself with Holy Water
And is there ever a lot of information packed into the 50 pages of this book. From the first chapter of the book we are told: "Holy water has been used in the Church as it is now, through the centuries, back to the Apostles' days. It is spoken of in the Apostolic Constitutions. Pope Alexander, who died in the year 130, in his pontifical decree confirming this apostolic tradition says: "We bless salt and water for the people, that all who may be sprinkled therewith may be cleansed and sanctified."" and also "The martyr St. Justin, who died in the year 163, tells us that the faithful in his time were sprinkled in their assemblies with Holy Water every Sunday. So too we find Holy Water mentioned in St. Cyprian's writings in the third century, in the works of St. Basil in the fourth, in the writings of St. Jerome in the fifth, and by St. Gregory the Great in the sixth century." So many great saints of old wrote about the importance of this Sacramental.
But what is a sacramental, Theiler defines it for us as: "Holy water is one of the sacramentals, which are things made sacred by rites of the Church in the manner of Christ. In the Catholic Church we have sacrament and sacramentals. These latter differ from the sacraments. Christ our Lord gave us the sacraments. The Church, exercising the authority He gave her, instituted the sacramentals." He also states "They differ also in this: the sacraments of themselves, upon worthy reception, confer the particular grace that Christ attached to each of them; the sacramentals do not confer but obtain grace, as does, for instance, prayer.". Prior to reading this book I was unaware of how holy water was prepared. First salt is blessed and the blessed salt is added to water and with prayers the water is blessed. This book includes the prayers of blessing for the water and reading through them was very moving and stirring. It helped me realize why in university I carried a small bottle of Holy Water with me, and why I have tried to install a seriousness of the practice of blessing themselves in my three children.
Again Theiler speaking about the effects of Holy water says "For the effects of holy water we are indebted principally to our divine Savior. He merited for us the graces we obtain through its usage by His bitter Passion and death. Holy Church, however, who is the custodian of these precious and infinite treasures of grace merited by our Lord, has, in view of these merits, attached these effects to holy water. The power for doing this she has from Christ Himself; hence we owe the effects of holy water primarily to Christ, and secondarily to the will and the prayers of the Church." Of the effects of Holy water quoting Saint Teresa of Avila declares "I have myself felt an extraordinary consolation when I have used holy water. It is certain that I have felt a great joy and inner peace which I cannot describe, a joy with which my soul was quite refreshed. This is not merely an effect of the imagination, nor a rare occurrence. I have experienced it frequently and paid special attention to it. On these occasions I feel like one who, suffering intense thirst, takes a glass of water and is quite refreshed."
We are told by Theiler that "We have briefly shown the significance of holy water, which it possesses in the sanctifying order. The believing Christian knows well that it is not sufficient merely to take or use holy water to make secure of its effects, but that it is necessary to avoid sin, and the occasions of sin, to keep God's commands, to make use of the means of grace, and to lead a pious Christian life." And in the last few weeks I have seen these effects in my life and in all three of my children. One of the things we have started doing Is I bless my children before bed with Holy Water and have them bless me. Also when they are getting angry, frustrated or just feeling off they will often now go and grab the bottle of Holy water and bless themselves. This action slows them down, calms them and helps them make better choices.
Because of reading this book we now have bottles of Holy water on every level of our house and use if often. This book was a wonderful little read and I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
(Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: A Year of Reading Intention - Catholic Reading!)
The sections in the book are:
1. Water's Significance in Nature and Grace
2. Holy Water Is a Sacramental
3. Blessing the Water
4. The Effects of Holy Water
5. The Use of Holy Water by the Church
6. The Use of Holy Water by the Faithful
Conclusion
Appendices
A. Questions and Answers
B. Eight Ways to Use Holy Water in Your Everyday Life
C. Prayers for Blessing Yourself with Holy Water
And is there ever a lot of information packed into the 50 pages of this book. From the first chapter of the book we are told: "Holy water has been used in the Church as it is now, through the centuries, back to the Apostles' days. It is spoken of in the Apostolic Constitutions. Pope Alexander, who died in the year 130, in his pontifical decree confirming this apostolic tradition says: "We bless salt and water for the people, that all who may be sprinkled therewith may be cleansed and sanctified."" and also "The martyr St. Justin, who died in the year 163, tells us that the faithful in his time were sprinkled in their assemblies with Holy Water every Sunday. So too we find Holy Water mentioned in St. Cyprian's writings in the third century, in the works of St. Basil in the fourth, in the writings of St. Jerome in the fifth, and by St. Gregory the Great in the sixth century." So many great saints of old wrote about the importance of this Sacramental.
But what is a sacramental, Theiler defines it for us as: "Holy water is one of the sacramentals, which are things made sacred by rites of the Church in the manner of Christ. In the Catholic Church we have sacrament and sacramentals. These latter differ from the sacraments. Christ our Lord gave us the sacraments. The Church, exercising the authority He gave her, instituted the sacramentals." He also states "They differ also in this: the sacraments of themselves, upon worthy reception, confer the particular grace that Christ attached to each of them; the sacramentals do not confer but obtain grace, as does, for instance, prayer.". Prior to reading this book I was unaware of how holy water was prepared. First salt is blessed and the blessed salt is added to water and with prayers the water is blessed. This book includes the prayers of blessing for the water and reading through them was very moving and stirring. It helped me realize why in university I carried a small bottle of Holy Water with me, and why I have tried to install a seriousness of the practice of blessing themselves in my three children.
Again Theiler speaking about the effects of Holy water says "For the effects of holy water we are indebted principally to our divine Savior. He merited for us the graces we obtain through its usage by His bitter Passion and death. Holy Church, however, who is the custodian of these precious and infinite treasures of grace merited by our Lord, has, in view of these merits, attached these effects to holy water. The power for doing this she has from Christ Himself; hence we owe the effects of holy water primarily to Christ, and secondarily to the will and the prayers of the Church." Of the effects of Holy water quoting Saint Teresa of Avila declares "I have myself felt an extraordinary consolation when I have used holy water. It is certain that I have felt a great joy and inner peace which I cannot describe, a joy with which my soul was quite refreshed. This is not merely an effect of the imagination, nor a rare occurrence. I have experienced it frequently and paid special attention to it. On these occasions I feel like one who, suffering intense thirst, takes a glass of water and is quite refreshed."
We are told by Theiler that "We have briefly shown the significance of holy water, which it possesses in the sanctifying order. The believing Christian knows well that it is not sufficient merely to take or use holy water to make secure of its effects, but that it is necessary to avoid sin, and the occasions of sin, to keep God's commands, to make use of the means of grace, and to lead a pious Christian life." And in the last few weeks I have seen these effects in my life and in all three of my children. One of the things we have started doing Is I bless my children before bed with Holy Water and have them bless me. Also when they are getting angry, frustrated or just feeling off they will often now go and grab the bottle of Holy water and bless themselves. This action slows them down, calms them and helps them make better choices.
Because of reading this book we now have bottles of Holy water on every level of our house and use if often. This book was a wonderful little read and I highly recommend it.
Read the review on my blog Book Reviews and More.
(Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: A Year of Reading Intention - Catholic Reading!)
December 1, 2017
Wonderful little book about Holy Water: how it's "made," how it should be used and the many blessings it bestows on the user. We have it available in our home for use everyday. As this book has been translated to English, some of the sentence structure is a little strange, but the message of the book is clear, Holy Water is a gift that should be partaken of often.
July 25, 2024
This sixty-two-page book written by Rev. Henry Theiler, S.O. Cist. is an instructional resource and reminder to Catholics of the benefits of Holy Water. Significant quotes follow:
“The Catholic Church, the kingdom of Christ on Earth, is above all a kingdom of grace and of blessing, and the great seven-branched stream of the Holy Sacraments fruitfully permeates it, and from its waters the faithful draw grace upon grace. From one end to the other of this realm are erected the altars upon which the unbloody sacrifice of the New Testament is offered, and from them flow the streams of grace of the entire earth.” p. 5
Holy Water is composed of blessed salt and blessed water. “Holy water possesses not only the power of cleansing us from venial sins and temporal punishments but also helps us to overcome the temptations of the devil.” p.32
“When the pious Christian is about to lay himself to rest, and with holy water marks his forehead, his lips, and his heart, he well may earnestly plead with God to shield him against the delusions of the devil.” p. 50
…” Every delusion and wickedness of the devil depart” by virtue of the holy water…one will take holy water at eventide to cleanse the soul from the venial sins of the passing day, as also to rest secure for the night against the onslaughts of the evil spirit.” p. 51
Holy water can be used in the morning as well, be sure to bless the house, bless your body and pray.
Holy water can be used for the sick, when the death struggle approaches.
We bless ourselves with Holy Water when we enter the Church and when we leave, but this sacramental has more uses. I highly recommend this book.
September 20, 2018
Reading recommended to all people!
I have forgotten a lot about the power of holy water. This is a great read to remind Catholics why it is used and the reasons why. Non-Catholics will understand why we bless ourselves upon entering and leaving church plus so much more. This book refreshed my memory, and I will forever carry out the blessings for myself, the sick, my children, the dying, against evil and so much more!
I have forgotten a lot about the power of holy water. This is a great read to remind Catholics why it is used and the reasons why. Non-Catholics will understand why we bless ourselves upon entering and leaving church plus so much more. This book refreshed my memory, and I will forever carry out the blessings for myself, the sick, my children, the dying, against evil and so much more!
November 3, 2017
Short and Sweet
What a wonderful little guide explaining the history and use of holy water as a sacramental! The author references Scripture, and quotes the prayers used by our beloved priests in blessing the salt and water.
Lovely prayers to use as you cross yourself with Holy Water.
What a wonderful little guide explaining the history and use of holy water as a sacramental! The author references Scripture, and quotes the prayers used by our beloved priests in blessing the salt and water.
Lovely prayers to use as you cross yourself with Holy Water.
October 9, 2019
This book was extremely good & knowledgeable. I learned a lot from it & loved how it told the history of using Holy Water, how it is blessed, the Church's use of Holy Water, common questions about Holy Water & answers, the 8 ways for us to use it, & the prayers for when we use it. This makes the perfect gift for Catholics, those in RCIA, & for those wanting to learn about it. 5 stars!
March 23, 2017
The content was exceptional. The reading was a little boggy. It is academically written, so not an easy afternoon tea read. It is perfect for study.
June 1, 2018
Serving as an introduction or a review, Holy Water is a brief book offering ways to be more mindful in its use, even encouraging its use in more situations. A bit of history included.
Useful.
Useful.
October 4, 2018
Short and basic information on holy water, its uses and its benefits.
Bless your family, your home, your workspace, your car with holy water! And of course yourself.
Bless your family, your home, your workspace, your car with holy water! And of course yourself.
January 19, 2019
Full of things I did not know
Concise description of how Holy Water is made, its benefits and how it can be used. Happy to have read it.
Concise description of how Holy Water is made, its benefits and how it can be used. Happy to have read it.
March 19, 2019
An interesting read on a topic that isn't really discussed in my hometown. You just...kind of use Holy Water. This is an informative, if more philosophical, book.
July 23, 2020
More stars if it were longer. Maybe for passages and quotes from the Saints.
March 6, 2025
An Excellent book on the sacramental although dated. The uses, the history, and the symbolism was excellent. I recommend it to anyone interested.
April 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. The history it provided along with showing the importance today of HOLY WATER was wonderful. Also, liked how it provided tips for the use of Holy Water. A must read even if you THINK you know about Holy Water.
September 18, 2016
Insightful
The book strengthens our respect for holy water and helps us to understand it's relation to scripture. Excellent shirt read, although pricey for the length
The book strengthens our respect for holy water and helps us to understand it's relation to scripture. Excellent shirt read, although pricey for the length
December 28, 2016
Holy water use
Very interesting some of the things I did not know. I shall think about using holy water more often. Thanks for the enlightenment.
Very interesting some of the things I did not know. I shall think about using holy water more often. Thanks for the enlightenment.
September 22, 2018
Wonderful, clear, and concise guide to the graces associated with the use of Holy Water.
September 9, 2018
No review
April 13, 2017
This is a great little read. It takes you back to the origins of the Church and explains how the use of Holy Water developed and how it influences are used and incorporated through prayers, anoitings, and blessings. A lovely read and one I will return to again and again.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews