Holy Water
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What is "holy water"
I believe the OP refers to water that in Catholicism or Eastern Orthodoxy priests or monks (as far as I know, not laymen believers) customarily bless and pray over in church or monastery, or they come into a home to do it as a tradition. People believe it has special properties.
Interesting. Thanks
"Special properties"! Is it supposed to be able to do something that "regular" water is not able to do
Also, is regular water considered to be "unholy", and if so, how so Thanks again! I'm not Catholic (obviously), and I thought I knew quite a bit about the things that are peculiar to their faith, but there always seems to be something else that I've never heard of before.
Is there anything about "holy water" in the Bible
Interesting. Thanks
"Special properties"! Is it supposed to be able to do something that "regular" water is not able to do
The anecdotal evidence says it doesn't corrupt (begin smelling bad when stale).
I wonder if it has anything to do with common use of silver vessels and utensils in church, because silver ions do kill pathogens...
A lot of people customarily drink it as healing water, among other uses. Or they sprinkle the house with it for sanctification, actually the priest does, it's supposed to sanctify and banish demons from what it touches, some Charismatics have similar uses for anointing oil they prayed over. (I am not as familiar with Catholic use so I apologize for eventual misrepresentation, but this is what I know the Orthodox do.)
@Deuteronomy
To make clear, these are not my beliefs or practices, I am just trying to answer fairly with purpose to give general information about other denominational beliefs. People are welcome to chime in with more information if they wish.
Correct. This is just another Catholic superstition which probably originated with pagan beliefs.
On the other hand, in the Bible, "bitter water" (which is also called "holy water") was meant to determine whether a woman had committed adultery or not.
NUMBERS 5: THE TEST FOR MARITAL FAITHFULNESS
17 And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel; and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take, and put it into the water:
18 And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering: and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse:
19 And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
20 But if thou hast gone aside to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled, and some man have lain with thee beside thine husband:
21 Then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman, The LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot, and thy belly to swell;
22 And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels, to make thy belly to swell, and thy thigh to rot: And the woman shall say, Amen, amen.
23 And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blotthem out with the bitter water:
24 And he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse: and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter.
25 Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD, and offer it upon the altar:
26 And the priest shall take an handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.
27 And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, that, if she be defiled, and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her, and become bitter, and her belly shall swell, and her thigh shall rot: and the woman shall be a curse among her people.
28 And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean; then she shall be free, and shall conceive seed.
Since this was applicable while the tabernacle was still in Israel, and while the Old Covenant was still in force, it is no longer applicable.
No. It is a matter of faith.
Sikhism and Hinduism also ascribe to the practice of holy water(s) as do Anglicans. It isn't exclusively RC.