Karlo explains the significance of holy water in the Church and why it’s not superstitious to use it.
Transcript:
Is the Catholic Use of Holy Water Superstitious?
Catholics do a lot of things that might seem weird or even superstitious to folks looking in from the outside. The use of holy water is one of them.
But this is not superstition. And here are some reasons why.
First, the idea behind the use of holy water is at least consistent with the practice of Jesus. When we read the Gospels, we discover that Jesus used material things to bless people. For example, Luke tells us in 8:42-48 that the hemorrhaging woman wasn’t cured until she touched Jesus’ garment. In Mark 8:23, Jesus uses his saliva to heal a blind man. In John 9:6, Jesus mixes his saliva with dirt, puts the dirt on a blind man’s eyes, and then tells him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam.
Second, there’s an Old Testament precedent. Consider Numbers 5:17, where a ritual is being described and the text says, “[A]nd the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel and take some of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle and put it into the water.”
This shows that holy water not only has a basis in the Bible but that it’s been around since the days of Moses. Holy water was used for numerous Old Testament ceremonies that involved ceremonial sprinklings and washings. We’re not bound to perform those ceremonies today, but that holy water was used at all proves God doesn’t consider it a superstitious or invalid practice.
A third reason holy water is not superstitious is that holy water serves as a reminder of our baptism, that initial point where we entered into communion with Christ. There’s nothing superstitious about a token of remembrance.
Finally, and our fourth reason, holy water is a sacramental, which the Catechism defines in paragraph 1667 as a “sacred sign [that] signifies effects, particularly of a spiritual nature, which are obtained through the intercession of the Church.” Notice that whatever spiritual benefits are brought about through holy water are brought about through the intercession of the Church. It’s not as if the water itself has some sort of magical power to cause spiritual blessings.
So, to my Catholic friends watching, don’t be scared! Get some holy water and start sprinkling away.
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For Catholic Answers, I’m Karlo Broussard. Thanks for watching.