House Blessing with Holy Water


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By John B. Monteiro
Bellevision Media Network

07 April 2012: Our Catholic community has entered a celebratory cycle and births, deaths, marriages, christening, first communions and anniversaries (death, birth and wedding) are celebrated with equal gusto with non-vegetarian dishes and alcohol. This has overshadowed and eclipsed some of the old liturgical practices such as sprinkling freshly blessed holy water on the Sunday congregation. – Fr. Cornelius, Ferangipet Monastery.


 
One of such practices, annual house blessing still survives, with changed time-frame, though in some large metro parishes have bid good-by to this ancient ritual. In the first two months of 2012, the parish priest and assistant parish priest of Bondel, for instance, finished blessing over 850 homes of parishioners, spending time from 7.30 AM to noon – six days a week. Earlier, blessing of houses used to be made in weeks following Holy Saturday when a fresh batch of holy water is blessed. Now, to avoid the April/May heat, the period is advanced to the start of the calendar year. It is notable that for various reasons visiting residences of parishioners by the parish priest for blessing homes is not a practice in Europe and North America. Even in India, , with joint families splitting into nuclear families, and the consequent increase in households, in some urban parishes, like Malad in Mumbai, the practice of visiting homes for annual blessing has been given up. Instead, families can take home the holy water from the church and bless their homes with standard prayers available in books of common prayers. In the case of Bondel, the number of Catholic households has increased from 350 in 1990 to over 850 now.


 
Does this mean that we can give up annual house blessing by parish priests and save for them the time and struggle of many hours of padayatra? The annual house blessing visits have some more collateral objectives that help the parish priest to better understand his flock and keep himself updated during the spot visit.  For instance, as Fr. Antony Serrao, Bondel’ last parish priest now transferred to Bendoor, explained, knowing the general living conditions of parishioners can help in tailoring the Sunday homilies so that they have relevance to the lifestyle of the parishioners, including their economic, educational and social status. The present parish priest, Fr. Andrew D’Sousa, in his remarks in the parish bulletin, Bondelche Bonder, post-house blessings padayatra, exhorts the parishioners to give a proper and prominent place to the altar in their homes. Also, during such visits, updating of the census register of parishioners takes place, accounting for those who leave the household to set up their separate nuclear set-up as also those who do not live in the parish – for reasons of employment in metro cities or abroad, specially the Gulf. Such visits provides an opportunity to improve interpersonal relationship and bonding between the parish priest and the parishioners.


 
Coming back to holy water, it is sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism, the blessing of persons, places and objects or as means of expelling evil. The first use of holy water for baptism and spiritual cleansing is common among several religions. The second use as sacramental protection against evil is almost exclusive to Catholics. The Apostolic constitutions which go back to 400AD attribute the precept of using holy water to Apostle Mathew. However, it is plausible that in earlier Christian times water was used for expiatory or purificatory purposes. In many cases the water used for the sacrament of baptism was flowing water, sea or river water, and could not receive the same blessing as that contained in the baptismals or the founts at the entrance of the churches, the latter being found as sources of bacterial or virus infections. Because of this danger, now there are holy water machines that work like automatic liquid soap dispensers. People used holy water while entering the church to make a sign of the cross to reflect the renewal of baptism, cleansing of venial sins as well as providing protection against evil. The related prayer is: “By this holy water and by your precious blood wash away my sins, O Lord”.

 

Old timers will recall that at the start of Sunday Mass the priest would breeze through the church sprinkling holy water on the congregation. This used to be freshly blessed before the Mass. But, in today’s rushed, pressure-cooker world, there is no time to spare for such rituals. The annual house blessings may also take the same route.
(There is a book by Henry Theiler titled Holy Water and its significance to Catholics.)


 
Holy water is blessed twice a year – on Holy Saturday and January 6 (Apphipany) or any time as needed. It is clean water in a container with a mixture of salt which has preservative qualities. While blessing the water, we remind ourselves of our baptism and to remain loyal to the baptismal vows. “Bless this water. When we use this with trust, pardon our sins, protect us from all evils and diseases. Lord, protect us from all difficulties of body and soul and make us worthy of joining you with purified soul. Protect us with this mixture of water and salt”.


 

These are core of the prayers on some occasions.

House Blessing: Food for hunger, clothes to wear and house to live are basic needs of the family. Our families mirror the Holy Trinity. Let the Holy Family be our example. Bless this house today. May the blessings of Holy Trinity and Holy Family be on us. Lord our father bestow your kind protection on this family. Be their refuge and hope. Guide their steps as they go in and out. Bless and protect them from illness and diseases.

 

Blessing of Tools: Lord our creator has made us his partners in his work of creation and has commanded that with our hands and legs to fulfill his creative work. So, let us ask his grace to give Him glory through our work.

 

Blessing Vehicles: While we thank God for the vehicle, those who travel in this vehicle may be safe. When we bless this new vehicle, let us thank god and pray that those who travel in this vehicle may be saved from all danger.

 

Coming back to house blessing, it is a case of mountain going to Mohammed, the priest leaving the comforts of his cozy parish residence and sweating it out to visit the rich and poor alike. His visit is also an incentive for spring-cleaning the homes and hiding the dirty linen for the day!

 


John B. Monteiro, author and journalist, is editor of his website
www.welcometoreason.com (Interactive Cerebral Challenger) with provision for instant response. Try responding!

 

 

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Comments on this Article
Philip Mudartha, Qatar Sat, April-7-2012, 1:51
That priests hold full-time teaching or professional jobs does not help. They get stretched. Post-pascal house visits to bless with freshly blessed holy water are on the decline even in small parishes in remote villages.
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