Woda święcona (pobłogosławiona) jako wyraz powszechnego kapłaństwa wiernych

Holy water can help lay people in their pursuit of sainthood. It remindsthem about the sacrament of baptism and encourages to be grateful to Godfor such a great gift, to feel joy and pride in being Christian. It helps to prepare for the Eucharist and raises awareness God’s presence. Through holywater God absolves the venial sins when we use it in the spirit of remorse.This water constitutes an element of the blessing which is given by parentsto their children on the basis of priesthood arising from the mystery ofbaptism. It plays an important role in the Christian customs related to burial,indicating the exceptional meaning of human death, the dignity of the humanbody, the mystery of the purgatory and the significance of the prayer forthe dead. Holy water is used in blessings and shows the need to sanctify thewhole human life, the everyday existence, the various dimensions of humanlabour and activity. Sometimes it is kept in the houses of the believers towhich they can resort to in moments of temptation. Many saints talks of theimportance of holy water as protection from the evil spirit. Furthermore, itprovides consolation, reassurance in spiritual struggle and internal renewal.There is also the danger of abuse: mechanical use, giving up the spiritualstruggle with venial sins, neglecting everyday duties, magical thinking.