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Question Title	Posted By	Question Date
Blessing of Holy Water	Clement	Sunday, March 23, 2008
Question: Hi, During the recent Easter Virgil, many of us went to the cathedral bringing bottles of water to be blessed. I don’t know how to put this, anyway the Bishop blessed the baptismal water but didn’t like bless our water. If I remember correctly, last year he did bless our water. So after the end of the mass, a church official announced that all our water has already been blessed during the mass and its now Holy Water. I’m a bit confused. Is there a change of procedure in the blessing of water? Could you please explain to me whether my water is properly blessed or should I bring it to a priest for it to be blessed?. Thanks a lot.
Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM Dear Clement: Actually there is no provision in the rubrics of the Easter Vigil to specifically bless Holy Water in containers brought to the Mass by the people. The rubrics call for the blessing of the Baptismal Water. Your bishop may have made a specific gesture of blessing the water brought by the people in the past, but this was not necessary. The Bishops intention to include the water in containers brought by the people is sufficient for that water to be blessed. Thus, from what you have reported, your bishop did intend that the water brought by the people be blessed when he blessed the baptismal water. It is therefore blessed and is Holy Water. You will see this sort of thing happen with the Pope in his audiences at the Vatican. Without specifically blessing items that are brought by each and every pilgrim (which there can be thousands in the audience) the Pope blesses a few and "intends" that blessing to apply to all. Another example is when the Pope blesses the crowd it is his intention that all those watching by T.V. or listening by radio be blessed too. Thus, each time we watch the Pope on TV or listen to him on radio and he blesses the crowd, we are getting his Papal Blessing too. The bottomline: The blessing extends to all that is intended by the bishop or priest. Your bishop intended the blessing to include your water brought with you. Thus, you have Holy Water. God Bless, Bro. Ignatius Mary Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below: Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum. Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum

Question Title

Posted By

Question Date

Blessing of Holy Water

Clement

Sunday, March 23, 2008

Question:

Hi,

During the recent Easter Virgil, many of us went to the cathedral bringing bottles of water to be blessed. I don’t know how to put this, anyway the Bishop blessed the baptismal water but didn’t like bless our water. If I remember correctly, last year he did bless our water. So after the end of the mass, a church official announced that all our water has already been blessed during the mass and its now Holy Water. I’m a bit confused. Is there a change of procedure in the blessing of water? Could you please explain to me whether my water is properly blessed or should I bring it to a priest for it to be blessed?. Thanks a lot.

Question Answered by Bro. Ignatius Mary, OLSM

Dear Clement:

Actually there is no provision in the rubrics of the Easter Vigil to specifically bless Holy Water in containers brought to the Mass by the people. The rubrics call for the blessing of the Baptismal Water.

Your bishop may have made a specific gesture of blessing the water brought by the people in the past, but this was not necessary. The Bishops intention to include the water in containers brought by the people is sufficient for that water to be blessed.

Thus, from what you have reported, your bishop did intend that the water brought by the people be blessed when he blessed the baptismal water. It is therefore blessed and is Holy Water.

You will see this sort of thing happen with the Pope in his audiences at the Vatican. Without specifically blessing items that are brought by each and every pilgrim (which there can be thousands in the audience) the Pope blesses a few and "intends" that blessing to apply to all.

Another example is when the Pope blesses the crowd it is his intention that all those watching by T.V. or listening by radio be blessed too. Thus, each time we watch the Pope on TV or listen to him on radio and he blesses the crowd, we are getting his Papal Blessing too.

The bottomline: The blessing extends to all that is intended by the bishop or priest.

Your bishop intended the blessing to include your water brought with you. Thus, you have Holy Water.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary

Footer Notes: This forum is for general questions on the faith. See specific Topic Forums below:
Spiritual Warfare, demons, the occult go to our Spiritul Warfare Q&S Forum.
Liturgy Questions go to our Liturgy and Liturgical Law Q&A Forum
Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) Questions go to our Divine Office Q&A Forum
Defenfing the Faith Questions go to our Defending the Faith Q&A Forum
Church History Questions go to our Church History Q&A Forum