Holy water is water that, in Catholicism, Anglicanism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Lutheranism, Oriental Orthodoxy, and some other churches, has been sanctified by a priest for the purpose of baptism; the blessing of persons, places, and objects; or as a means of repelling evil.
The use for baptism and spiritual cleansing is common among several religions, from Christianity to Sikhism and Hinduism. The use of holy water as a sacramental for protection against evil is almost exclusive to Roman Catholics.
Read more about Holy Water: In Non-Christian Religions, Unofficial Uses
Famous quotes containing the words holy and/or water:
“Come from the holy fire, perne in a gyre,
And be the singing-masters of my soul.”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)
“I pray thee, cease thy counsel,
Which falls into mine ears as profitless
As water in a sieve.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)