HOLY WATER, in the Roman Catholic, as also in the Greek, Russian, and oriental churches, signifies water blessed by a priest or bishop for certain religious uses. Water is, almost of its own nature, a fitting symbol of purity; and accordingly, in most of the ancient religions, the use of lustral or purifying water not only formed part of the public worship, but also entered largely into the personal acts of sanctification prescribed to individuals. The Jewish law contained many provisions to the same effect; and our Lord, by establishing baptism with water as the necessary form of initia tion into the religion instituted by him, gave his sanction to the use, which, from its universal acceptance among mankind, appears to be a relic of the primeval natural revelation. The usage of sprinkling the hands and face with water before entering the sanctuary, which was prescribed in the Jewish law, was retained, or at :east very early adopted, in the Christian church. It is expressly mentioned by Tertullian in the end of the 2d century. And that the water so employed was blessed by the priests we learn,
among others; from St. Jerome, and from the apostolical constitutions. Although it is difficult to fix the precise time, it cannot be doubted that the practice of mingling salt with the water is of very ancient origin (see Canon 20, De Consecr. In the western church there is a solemn blessing of water in the service of Holy Saturday, but the ceremonial is repeated by the priest whenever it may be necessary to replenish the fountain. Instructed Catholics regard the use of holy water chiefly as a means of sug to the mind the necessity of internal purity; and although it is supposed to derive from the blessing a special efficacy for this end, yet this efficacy is held to be mainly subjective and of a character entirely distinct from that ascribed to the sacra mental rites of the church. In the reformed churches the use of holy water is regarded as unscriptural and superstitious.