I wonder if
this will come into use during any given apocalypse ....
- Blessing Water with Catholic Prayers and Ritual
Gather and consecrate your salt.
You will need to create holy salt before you can create holy water, so consecrate the salt (i.e. make it sacred or holy) first. Take some pure salt (e.g., Kosher salt or natural rock salt with no added ingredients) and add it to a container, such as a small bowl or jar. Once you are ready to bless the salt, say the following words from The Roman Ritual:[1]
You can find the text of The Roman Ritual (or Rituale Romanum) online or purchase it as a book from a Catholic bookstore.
There are no special requirements for the container you use for the salt. If you keep any holy salt that you do not mix with the water, make sure you mark the container so you don’t confuse it with regular table salt. - Obtain some water from a natural source if possible.
If you can, get your water from a nearby lake, stream, or river. Try to stay away from tap water, since it may have additives such as chlorine and fluoride in it. However, if your water is obtained naturally, filter it beforehand—you don't want dirty holy water!
Place the water in an open container, such as a large bowl.
You can also use tap water or bottled water if a natural source isn’t available. Store-bought distilled water or spring water are also good choices.
Safety precaution: If you plan to sprinkle the holy water on yourself, put it on your lips, or drink it, it’s very important to make sure that it’s clean and well-filtered. You may get sick if you drink unclean holy water.[2]
- Exorcise the water.
Before combining the salt and water, you will need to perform an exorcism over the water, as well. Recite these words from The Roman Ritual:[3]
“O water, creature of God, I exorcise you in the name of God the Father almighty, and in the name of Jesus Christ His Son, our Lord, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. I exorcise you so that you may put to flight all the power of the Enemy, and be able to root out and supplant that Enemy with his apostate angels: through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.”
If you’re doing the exorcism in front of witnesses, have them join you in the following prayer: “O God, Who for the salvation of mankind has built Thy greatest mysteries on this substance, water, in Thy kindness hear our prayers and pour down the power of Thy blessing into this element, made ready for many kinds of purifications. May this, Thy creature, become an agent of divine grace in the service of Thy mysteries, to drive away evil spirits and dispel sickness, so that everything in the homes and other buildings of the faithful that is sprinkled with this water may be rid of all uncleanness and freed from every harm. Let no breath of infection, no disease-bearing air, remain in these places. May the wiles of the lurking Enemy prove of no avail. Let whatever might menace the safety and peace of those who live here be put to flight by the sprinkling of this water, so that the healthfulness, obtained by calling upon Thy holy name, may be made secure against all attack. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.” - Pour the salt into the water in the shape of a cross.
Once you’ve exorcised both the salt and the water, the final step is to combine them. Add the salt to the water, making the form of a cross as you pour it in. As you pour in the salt, recite the following:
“May this salt and water be mixed together; in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen”
If you are performing the ritual in front of witnesses, you should then say, “The Lord be with you.” They will respond, “May He also be with you.”
Invite anyone present to join you in this prayer: “God, source of irresistible might and king of an invincible realm, the ever-glorious conqueror; who restrain the force of the adversary, silencing the uproar of his rage, and valiantly subduing his wickedness; in awe and humility we beg you, Lord, to regard with favor this creature thing of salt and water, to let the light of your kindness shine upon it, and to hallow it with the dew of your mercy; so that wherever it is sprinkled and your holy name is invoked, every assault of the unclean spirit may be baffled, and all dread of the serpent's venom be cast out. To us who entreat your mercy grant that the Holy Spirit may be with us wherever we may be; through Christ our Lord. Amen.” - Bless the holy water.
Once you’ve made your holy water, you can bless it using the following prayer from the Novus Ordo Book of Blessings: “Blessed are you, Lord, Almighty God, who deigned to bless us in Christ, the living water of our salvation, and to reform us interiorly, grant that we who are fortified by the sprinkling of or use of this water, the youth of the spirit being renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit, may walk always in newness of life.”[4]
When you finish the blessing, make the sign of the cross over the water.
You can find the text of this prayer from the Book of Blessings online or purchase the book from a Catholic bookstore. - Use your holy water to bless your home and family.
Once you’ve finished making your holy water, place it in the container of your choice, such as a small glass vial or plastic spray bottle. You can sprinkle it around different rooms in your home to bless them, or use it to bless yourself or a family member when they go to bed at night.[5]
If you’re not comfortable using holy water that you blessed yourself, go to a priest in your parish and ask for some. Some churches also have a holy water fount where you can fill up a container to take home with you.