January 19 is one of the days in which everyone Orthodox churches filled to overflowing, because it is on this day that the Church celebrates the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ and ancient tradition the consecration of water is performed, which is called the Great Blessing of Water. Unfortunately, it is this religious holiday accompanied by a trail of various popular superstitions having no basis in church tradition. Together with the cleric of the Saratov Church of the First Apostles Peter and Paul, priest Vasily KUTSENKO, we will try to consider the most common superstitions in order to understand how to treat holy water and what to do with it according to church tradition.
1. There is “Epiphany” water (consecrated on January 18, on Epiphany Christmas Eve) and “Epiphany” (consecrated on January 19, on the very day of the Epiphany).The Great Blessing of Water takes place twice, it is true. The first consecration of water is on the eve of the Epiphany, on January 18, on Epiphany Christmas Eve, and the second on the very day of the holiday. But this water has no difference, because on January 18 and 19, the same rite (that is, the sequence of prayers) of water consecration is used. The water consecrated according to this order is called the Great Agiasma, that is, the Great Shrine. There is no separate “Epiphany” and separately “Epiphany” water, but only the Great Agiasma. In liturgical books Orthodox Church The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is called "Holy Theophany, the Baptism of our Lord Jesus Christ." The word "Epiphany" is short expression events that occurred during the Baptism of Jesus Christ from John the Baptist on the Jordan River. In the Gospel of Matthew, this is described as follows: “Having been baptized, Jesus immediately went up out of the water, and lo, the heavens were opened to Him, and John saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and descending on Him. And behold, a voice from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). That is, Baptism was a manifestation of Divine glory and a confirmation of the Sonhood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
It is difficult to accurately answer the question of what the practice of two blessings of water is connected with. It is known that already in the VI century in Palestine there was a tradition of consecrating water in the Jordan River on the eve and on the very day of the feast of Epiphany. IN Ancient Russia there was a custom, which is still preserved in some places, to perform the Great Blessing of Water on January 18 in the temple, and on January 19 - outside the temple, arranging a procession to a specially prepared ice hole - Jordan.
2. On the day of the Epiphany of the Lord, having plunged into an ice font or doused with water, you can consider yourself baptized and wear a cross.
Indeed, there is a tradition of bathing in the hole on the feast of the Epiphany. But this is precisely bathing, and not the Sacrament of Baptism. Although, if you get acquainted with the history of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, you can see that this particular day was earlier than the day on which adults were baptized. A person who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ was preparing for a certain time to receive the Sacrament of Baptism, which was a new birth for life with God and entry into the Church. Such people were called catechumens. They studied Holy Bible and the foundations of the Christian faith and were preparing to repent of all their sins before accepting Baptism, because the adoption of Christianity should begin with repentance, that is, with a change in life. Therefore, Baptism without repentance was simply impossible. And on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the bishop performed the Sacrament of Baptism for adults. Such baptisms were also performed on the eve of the feast of the Nativity of Christ, on Holy Saturday (the Saturday before the feast of Pascha), on Easter itself and on the feast of Pentecost, which is also called the day of the Holy Trinity or the Descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles. The great blessing of water on the day of the Baptism of the Lord is a reminder for modern Christians of the ancient baptism of the catechumens. But it must be remembered that the acceptance of the Sacrament of Baptism was preceded by preparation, repentance for sins and confirmation of the sincerity of one's intentions before the church community. Therefore, it cannot be said that plunging into the hole-Jordan and being baptized is one and the same.
3. Having bathed on Epiphany night in the hole, you can get rid of all diseases, sins and the evil eye. If you get sick during the year, you need to drink baptismal water for healing.
It is necessary to place accents: separately - diseases and sin, separately - the evil eye. The evil eye, corruption and the like are superstitions. And you need to get rid of only one thing - from belief in superstition. Christians believe in God, and not in evil eye, corruption, love spells, etc. Turning to God in prayers, we ask God to protect us from evil. For example, in the prayer “Our Father” there are the words: “Deliver us from the evil one,” that is, from the devil. The devil is a fallen angel who opposes God and wants to turn a person away from God, which is why we ask God to deliver us from the devil and all the evil that he is trying to sow in people. If a person sincerely believes in God, that the Lord God protects believers from all evil, then at the same time it is impossible to believe in corruption, the evil eye, and the like.
Taking baptismal water (like any other shrine, for example, prosphora or consecrated oil - oil), a person can pray to the Lord that this shrine would serve him as a means of healing from illnesses. In the order of the Great Blessing of Water, there are the following words: “For the existence of this water of sanctification as a gift, deliverance of sins, for the healing of the soul and body, and for every good benefit to the Lord, let us pray” (Russian translation: “So that this water of sanctification becomes a gift, deliverance from sins, for healing of soul and body, and fit for every useful work, let us pray to the Lord. We ask that through the use of agiasma a person receive the grace of God, which cleanses sins, heals spiritual and bodily infirmities. But all this is not some kind of mechanical or automatic action: he drank water - and everything immediately became good. It requires faith and hope in God.
If we understand some words (for example, “today - that is, today, now - nature is sanctified by water ...”) from the order of the Great Blessing of Water in broad sense, then we can say that the consecration of all waters really takes place. But again, it is important to understand that this does not happen by itself, but through the prayers of the Church. The Church asks that the Lord God sanctify the waters, give His grace-filled power, purifying and sanctifying the nature of water. Unfortunately, it often happens that many come to the temple just for water, without participating in the divine service of the feast of the Baptism of the Lord. It turns out that baptismal water becomes an end in itself. And this is wrong. First of all, we must glorify God for His good deeds to the human race, which He revealed through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself the sins of the whole world, because it is in memory of the Baptism of Christ in Jordan that the blessing of water is performed.
5. Epiphany water never spoils.
There is a testimony of St. John Chrysostom, who lived in the 4th century: “On this holiday, everyone, having drawn water, brings it home and stores it all year ... The essence of this water does not deteriorate from the length of time, but ... for a whole year, and often two or three years, it remains undamaged and fresh, and after such a long time is not inferior to the waters freshly taken from the sources. But it also happens that baptismal water can deteriorate. This happens either due to careless storage, irreverent attitude towards the shrine, or for some other, quite natural reasons. In this case, you need to pour the holy water into an impregnable place (in temples, “dry wells” are specially arranged for this).
6. It is necessary to add baptismal water to the bath in which babies are bathed so that they do not get sick.
I think this is also one of the superstitions. Every person can get sick. And the great saints suffered from physical illnesses. For example, Reverend Seraphim Sarovsky could not straighten his back due to the injury. Robbers attacked him and severely beat him. Saint Matrona of Moscow was blind from birth to the end of her days. No one forbids giving holy baptismal water to babies (it is still better to drink holy water), including during illness. But in again it must be recalled that the use of a shrine is not a mechanism, but an action that requires faith and hope in God.
There is a tradition: to sprinkle houses, plots and everything that is there with water taken in the temple on the day of the Baptism of the Lord. Therefore, it is quite possible to sprinkle with baptismal water both your home and household items. At the same time, you can sing or read the troparion (main chant) of the holiday: “In the Jordan, Lord, I am baptized by You ...”.
It is forbidden. Probably this superstition is also due to a misunderstanding church traditions. The water consecrated on the feast of the Epiphany, even being a Great shrine, as already mentioned, still cannot replace the communion of the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although, for example, there are certain similarities in the practice of Communion and the use of agiasma, one must take communion and drink agiasma on an empty stomach. This emphasizes the special relationship to the water consecrated for Baptism. According to the rules of the Church, the Great Hagiasma was recommended to be used as a spiritual consolation to people who, for various reasons, were under excommunication from the Sacrament of Communion, that is, it was not about a complete and equivalent replacement, but only about spiritual consolation.
8. And a simple person can bless the water on their own by reading prayers over it.
Indeed, the prayers of the Great Blessing of Water, like all other church prayers, are performed on behalf of the entire Church. The priest, calling the faithful to prayer, says: “Let us pray to the Lord in peace!” (Russian translation: “In the world, that is, in a peaceful state, let us pray to the Lord!”) - we will pray, that is, all those who are in worship. Believers are not observers of what is happening, but living participants in the service, together with the clergy, offering a single prayer to God. Therefore, it can be said that each believer participates in sanctification with his prayer, which becomes the single prayer of the entire Church. Therefore, in order to participate in the Great Blessing of Water, each of us can come to worship at the temple on January 19.
Newspaper "Saratov panorama" №2 (930)
Holy water is ordinary in composition and original origin water (well, spring, lake, river, tap water), which miraculously acquires special beneficial, sanctifying and healing properties after a special divine service is performed on it - water sanctification.By consecrating water, the Church brings down to the water by the power of prayer and the Word God's blessing of the Lord and the grace of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit.
Water consecrated according to a special great order, on the feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, is called "agiasma", which means "shrine".
St. John Chrysostom speaks of the epiphany water:
« There is a clear sign: this water in its essence does not deteriorate over time, but, drawn today, it remains intact and fresh for a whole year, and often two, and three years, and after a long time is not inferior to waters just drawn from sources.
And St. Epiphanius of Cyprus compares the change in the “nature of the waters” with the transformation of water into wine in Cana of Galilee.
We must never forget that blessed water is a great church shrine, with which the grace of God has come into contact, and which requires a reverent attitude towards itself.
This great shrine has been with us all our lives. Consecrated water is an image of the grace of God: it cleanses believers from spiritual defilements, sanctifies and strengthens them for the feat of salvation in God.
We first plunge into it in baptism, when, while receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and revives him in new life in Christ.
In the Orthodox Church, holy water has the widest application as a source of God's grace in the mystical sanctification of everyone and everything.
Holy water is necessarily present at the consecration of churches and all objects used in worship, at the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, and any household item. We are sprinkled with holy water religious processions, at prayers.
How to use holy water?
Epiphany water is a shrine that should be in every home of an Orthodox Christian. It is carefully kept in the holy corner, near the icons. except Epiphany water Orthodox Christians use water consecrated at prayer services in a house or church.
Holy water, usually taken by believers on an empty stomach in small quantities, after the morning prayer rule with special reverence and prayer.
However, with a special need for God's help, with ailments or attacks evil forces, it can be drunk with prayer and reverence at other times. You can also anoint sore spots with holy water and sprinkle your home.
In Typikon or Minae for January, under the 6 (19) date, a special note was made about baptismal water:
“Be aware to everyone about holy water. As if they were separating themselves from the holy water for the sake of eating, they do not do good, for the grace of God was given for the sanctification of the world and all creation. The same in all sorts of places and stingy, and sprinkled everywhere, even under our feet. And where is this mind, do not drink sowing; but let it be weighed, as if there is no impurity in us for the sake of eating, but from our bad deeds, cleanse us of these, we drink this holy water without a doubt.
Prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water
Lord my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities through Your boundless mercy through the prayers of Your Most Pure Mother and all the saints yours. Amen.
Prayer for the consecration of every thing
To the Creator and Creator of the human race, the Giver of spiritual grace, the Giver of eternal salvation, Himself, Lord, send Your Holy Spirit with the highest blessing on this thing, as if armed with the power of heavenly intercession to those who want to use it, it will help to bodily salvation and intercession and help, oh Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.
(And sprinkle the thing with holy water three times).
Germogen Ivanovich Shimansky writes about the use of consecrated water:
"Water, consecrated on the eve of the feast and on the very feast of the Theophany, is called the great agiasma, that is, the great shrine, because through the influx of the Spirit of God, she perceived in herself the great, Divine and miraculous power. Therefore, this water has an important and extensive use among Christians. The houses of believers are sprinkled with it on the eve and the feast of the Epiphany; believers can use it at any time with great reverence, eat it before eating, carefully store it for a year, sprinkle it and sign it for the health of soul and body. It is used by the Church when consecrating the world, when consecrating the antimensions, and when consecrating the artos on Easter day. The same Epiphany water, together with the antidoron (i.e., with the remnant of the prosphora, from which the part for the Holy Lamb was removed), the Church determined to give instead of communion of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ to those who are excommunicated from the communion of the Holy Mysteries or have not prepared themselves for receiving them. Finally, the Church uses it in the consecration of various substances that have been defiled by something.
Water consecrated according to the order of small water sanctification is called small agiasma, in contrast to the great agiasma - the water of the holy Theophany, but its use is even more extensive than the latter. It is used by the Church when performing various kinds of rites and sanctifying prayers, such as: when consecrating churches, dwellings, and everything that serves to maintain our bodily life, that is, food and drink. It is used by the Church when performing prayers with which our good intentions are blessed, namely: when consecrating a new house, when setting off on a journey, before starting good deeds. In all these cases, a small consecration of water and sprinkling of St. water for encouragement and grace-filled strengthening of believers for the labors and deeds set before them. Finally, a small blessing of water is performed in difficult times of public and private disasters, because the Church, in the sanctified element, wants to give us grace that delivers us from troubles, illnesses and sorrows. A small blessing of water is performed on the days of temple holidays before the liturgy, as a sign of the renewal of the inexhaustible grace communicated to the temple during its consecration.
What are the benefits of drinking holy water?
In the priestly prayer during the consecration of water, the gifts of the grace of water are listed: the resolution of sins, the healing of ailments, the destruction of demons.
Holy water extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil spirits - that is why they sprinkle the dwelling and every thing that is consecrated with holy water.
“When a person uses prosphora and holy water,” said the hermit George Zadonsky- then the unclean spirit does not approach him, the soul and body are sanctified, thoughts are illumined to please God, and the person is inclined to fasting, prayer and to every virtue.
“Consecrated water,” as he wrote Saint Demetrius of Kherson, - has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it.
Not only Church Tradition convinces of the miraculous effect of holy water, but also personal experience believers. The grace descending on the water through the prayers of the priest of God gives it the power to heal illnesses, quench passions and weaken emerging sinful inclinations, free from all evil, cleanse from filth. Any thing from the everyday life of an Orthodox Christian is consecrated with holy water.
Saint Ambrose Optina sent a bottle of holy water to a terminally ill patient, and incurable disease went away to the amazement of the doctors. Saint Seraphim Vyritsky he always advised to sprinkle food and food itself with Jordanian (Epiphany) water, which, in his words, "consecrates everything by itself." When someone was very ill, Elder Seraphim blessed to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. The old man said that stronger than drugs than holy water and consecrated oil, no.
A special property of holy water is that, added even in a small amount to ordinary water, it imparts beneficial properties to it, therefore, in case of a shortage of holy water, it can be diluted with plain water.
How is water blessed?
Water sanctification is small and great: the small is performed several times during the year (during prayers, the performance of the Sacrament of Baptism), and the great - only on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord (Theophany). The Great Blessing of Water on this Feast takes place twice - on the day of Theophany, and also the day before, on the eve of Theophany (Epiphany Eve).On Christmas Eve and on the very day of the feast of the Epiphany, during the consecration of water, the same rite of the great blessing of water is performed.
Holy water is absolutely the same on both days - on the day of Epiphany, and on Epiphany Eve.
Blessing of water is called great because of the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the memory of the gospel event, which became not only the prototype of the mysterious washing away of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water through the immersion of God in the flesh into it.
The consecration of water, performed on the eve of Theophany on January 18, serves as a monument to the fact that in ancient times, on the eve of Theophany, the blessing of water was performed for the baptism of the catechumens.
After the liturgy on January 19, the consecration of water is performed in remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, so there is a solemn procession with a cross, the Gospel, lamps and banners, with bells ringing and singing a troparion to water sources.
The Great Blessing of Water mainly consists of: singing the stichera “The Voice of the Lord on the Waters”, reading three proverbs, a prokeimenon, an Apostle and the Gospel, a peaceful litany and a consecration prayer with petitions for the blessing of water. And, finally, the very consecration of water with the threefold immersion of the holy cross and the threefold singing of the troparion of Theophany: “In the Jordan I am baptized by Thee, Lord.”
Small consecration should be done at the beginning of each month. On this basis, it is performed on August 1st and therefore is sometimes called the "August blessing of water." Then a small blessing of water is performed at the end of Pentecost in remembrance of the fact that Jesus Christ taught the people about living water flowing into eternal life (John 4:10). It is also performed before the liturgy on the days of temple holidays, on which the temple is renewed with prayer and the sprinkling of holy water. Finally, it can be performed at the request of each believer at any time (at home or in church) in conjunction with prayer singing.
The small consecration of water, like the great consecration of water, goes back to ancient times, to the early days of the Church.
In the Apostolic Decrees, the establishment of the blessing of water is attributed to the Evangelist Matthew. According to Barony (132), the ancient custom to perform a small consecration of water, which has existed since the time of the apostles, is approved as church rank Alexander, Bishop of Rome, who suffered under the emperor Hadrian. Balsamon, Patriarch of Antioch (XII century), in his interpretation of Canon 65 of the Trullo Council, mentions the small consecration of water as ancient custom and explains that the fathers of this Council decided to make a small blessing of water at the beginning of each month in opposition to the pagan superstitious customs in the new moon, which were kept long time among Christians.
The final formation of the rank of small water consecration is attributed to Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, who lived in the 9th century.
Does it happen that holy water "does not help"?
St. Theophan the Recluse writes: “All the grace that comes from God through the Holy Cross, holy icons, holy water, relics, consecrated bread (artos, antidor, prosphora), etc., including the Most Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, is valid only for those who are worthy of this grace through prayers of repentance, repentance, humility, service to people, deeds of mercy and the manifestation of other Christian virtues... But if they are not there, then this grace will not save, it does not act automatically, like a talisman, and is useless for the wicked and imaginary Christians (without virtues)."
"Miracles of healing occur even today, and they are countless. But only those who accept it with living faith in the promises of God and the power of prayer of the Holy Church, those who have a pure and sincere desire to change their lives, repentance, are honored with miraculous effects of holy water, God does not work miracles where they want to see them only out of curiosity, without sincere intention use them to your own salvation. “A wicked and adulterous generation,” the Savior said of his unbelieving contemporaries, “is looking for a sign; and a sign will not be given to him.” In order for holy water to benefit us, let us take care of the purity of the soul, the dignity of our thoughts and deeds.
(Archimandrite Ambrose (Ermakov)
What to do if the holy water has gone bad?
Rarely, but due to various circumstances, it happens that water comes into a state that does not allow internal use. In this case, it should be poured into some impregnable place - into a stream or river, where there is a current, into non-stagnant (flowing) water, and the vessel in which it was stored should no longer be used for domestic use. For us, this should be an occasion to treat holy water piously and carefully and lead a more attentive, pious life.
Is it true that bathing in the hole at Baptism cleanses all sins?
- This is not true! Swimming in the hole (Jordan) is an old good folk custom, which is not yet a church sacrament. Forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God and His Church is possible only in the sacrament of repentance, during confession in the temple.
(Archimandrite Ambrose (Ermakov))
Archpriest Vasily Izyumsky. Why do we need the Church.
Compiled using articles from sites: Pravoslavie.Ru
Tatyana's Day
Take and bless your salt. It is necessary to consecrate salt before proceeding with the consecration of water. It should be noted that salt is used mainly as a preservative. Just because she's a saint doesn't mean she can be kept forever! Here is the speech for the blessing of salt:
- “I ask for the Blessing of the Almighty Father for this salt, and may all malice and obstacles go away, and may all good things remain here, for without You a person cannot live, and therefore I ask for blessings and cry out to You to help me.” - Key to the Book of King Solomon, Book II, Chapter 5.
Read Psalm 103 aloud. If you don't have a Bible handy, wikiHow can help!!
Use natural water. If you can, get water from a nearby lake, stream, or river. Try to stay away from tap water as it may contain chlorine and fluorine. However, if your water is natural, filter it first, you don't want holy water to be dirty!
Take sacred salt and pour it into the water. At the same time, repeat following words from the Key to the Book of King Solomon, Book II, Chapter 5:
- “I bless you, O Being of Water, by Him Who, who created you and gathered you together in one place, so that the dry land appeared, that you revealed all the deceptions of the Enemy, and that you expelled from yourself all the impurities and bad Spirits of the Phantasm World, so that they can harm me not through the power of the Almighty God who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen".
Repeat the prayers used by Catholic priests. You have two options to choose from:
- Prayer #1: Our salvation is the name of the Lord. Who created heaven and earth. God's creation, salt, I cast demons out of you by God who is, God the true holy God, the God who ordered you to be thrown into the water - as Elisha did to heal him of barrenness. I allow you, purified salt, to be a remedy for the health of those who believe, a medicine for soul and body for all who use you. May all evil dreams go away, malice and cunning be banished far from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every unclean spirit turn away from Him Who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen.
- Prayer #2: Almighty Eternal God, we humbly ask that your mercy and goodness graciously bless this being, the salt that you have given to mankind for use. May all who use it find in it a remedy for body and mind. And may everything she touches or splashes be freed from impurity and any influence evil spirit; through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Blessing of water. Say more words! Now, in order to purify the water of demons and impurities (yes, this is a form of a spell):
- God's creation, water, I cast the demon out of you in the name of the almighty God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, his son, our Lord, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Can you be purified water, eliminating from afar all the forces of the enemy, in uprooting and driving out the enemy himself, along with his own fallen angels. We ask this through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.
Since ancient times, holy water has been considered universal way in the fight against various diseases and negativity. Many are interested in whether it is possible to bless the water at home or can only a minister do it? In principle, everyone can cope with this task, but the main thing is to have great faith and a pure soul.
How to sanctify water at home?
Take three-liter jar, fill it with ordinary tap water and leave to stand for a while. The next step is to read the Destiny Prayers over it and cross the jar three times. After that, with your hands on the jar, say this prayer:
“God the great-named, work miracles, they are innumerable! Come to your praying servants, Master: eat Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water, and give it the grace of deliverance and the blessing of Jordan: create a source of incorruption, sanctification of the gift, resolution of sin, healing of ailments, death by a demon, impregnable opposing forces, full of angelic fortresses : as if everyone who draws it and receives from it have it for the purification of soul and body, for healing by harm, for changing with passion, for the remission of sins, for driving away all evil, for sprinkling and consecrating houses, and for every benefit I will like. And if it is in the houses, or in the place of the faithful living, this water will sprinkle, may all impurity be washed away, may it save from all harm, let a destructive spirit settle down there, lower the harmful air, and let every dream and slander of a hiding enemy flee, and if anything eat, a hedgehog, or envy the health of the living, or peace, sprinkling this water, let it be reflected. Yes, bless and glorify Your honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen."
How to bless water for Catholics?
First you need to consecrate the salt, which perfectly absorbs energy. Above it you need to read the following words for blessing:
“I ask for the Blessing of the Almighty Father for this salt, and may all malice and obstacles go away, and may all good things remain here, for without You a person cannot live, and therefore I ask for blessings and cry out to You to help me.”
Then Psalm 103 is read. For consecration, it is best to use natural water, which can be collected in a pond or well. The selected liquid must be filtered. To sanctify water at home, pour a few teaspoons of salt into it and at the same time say these words:
“I bless you, O Being of Water, by Him Who, who created you and gathered you together in one place, so that the dry land appeared, that you revealed all the deceptions of the Enemy, and that you expelled from yourself all the impurities and bad Spirits of the Phantasm World, so that they can harm me not through the power of the Almighty God who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen".
“Our salvation is the name of the Lord. Who created heaven and earth. God's creation, salt, I cast demons out of you by God who is, God the true holy God, the God who ordered you to be thrown into the water - as Elisha did to heal him of barrenness. I allow you, purified salt, to be a remedy for the health of those who believe, a medicine for soul and body for all who use you. May all evil dreams go away, malice and cunning be banished far from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every unclean spirit turn away from Him Who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire. Amen".
Now you need to carry out the blessing of water in order to cleanse it of various demons and negative energy. To do this, you can say the following words:
“God's creation, water, I cast the demon out of you in the name of the almighty God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, his son, our Lord, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. Can you be purified water, eliminating from afar all the forces of the enemy, to uproot and expel the enemy himself, along with your fallen angels. We ask this through the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world by fire.”
To end the ritual, say:
"Let this salt and water mix in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit."
Stir the liquid, and when the salt dissolves, say this prayer:
“O God, who for the good of man created the most amazing secrets of the properties of water, hear our prayer and pour out your blessing on this liquid, which is currently being prepared by various cleansing. Maybe it is your being when it is used in your mystery and endowed with your lordship and serves to exorcise demons and drive away diseases. May everything that this water sprinkles in the homes and meetings of the faithful be freed from everything that is unclean and offensive; let there be no impurities in the breath; let all the intrigues that the enemy hides fail him. 
Sprinkling this water, let everything find peace and security, demons from these houses will be expelled, so that by calling to your holy name they can receive the desired well-being and be protected from all danger; through Christ our Lord. Amen".
First of all, they drink water, and this helps to get rid of diseases and prevent their occurrence. The opinion that this should be done exclusively on an empty stomach is unconfirmed and, in general, it can be drunk at any time and even after meals. You can anoint sore spots with holy water and do it best in a cruciform manner. In this way a person can receive grace for healing. Holy water can be sprinkled on the premises to cleanse them of negative energy.
All our life next to us is a great shrine - holy water.
Consecrated water is an image of the grace of God: it cleanses believers from spiritual defilements, sanctifies and strengthens them for the feat of salvation in God.
We first plunge into it in baptism, when, while receiving this sacrament, we are immersed three times in a font filled with holy water. Holy water in the sacrament of baptism washes away the sinful impurities of a person, renews and regenerates him into a new life in Christ.
Holy water is necessarily present at the consecration of churches and all objects used in worship, at the consecration of residential buildings, buildings, and any household item.
We are sprinkled with holy water in religious processions, during prayer services.
On the day of the Epiphany, each Orthodox Christian carries home a vessel with holy water, carefully preserves it as the greatest shrine, with prayer partaking of holy water in sickness and all kinds of infirmity.
Epiphany water, like Holy Communion, taken by believers only on an empty stomach.
"Holy Water"- as Saint Demetrius of Kherson wrote, - has the power to sanctify the souls and bodies of all who use it. She, acceptable with faith and prayer, heals our bodily diseases.
Holy water extinguishes the flame of passions, drives away evil spirits - that is why they sprinkle the dwelling and every thing that is consecrated with holy water.
The Monk Seraphim, after the confession of the pilgrims, always gave them to eat from the cup of holy Epiphany water.
The Monk Ambrose sent a bottle of holy water to the terminally ill, and the incurable disease, to the amazement of the doctors, passed away.
Elder Hieroschemamonk Seraphim Vyritsky always advised to sprinkle food and food itself with Jordanian (Epiphany) water, which, in his words, "consecrates everything by itself."
When someone was very ill, Elder Seraphim blessed to take a tablespoon of consecrated water every hour. The elder said that there is no stronger medicine than holy water and consecrated oil.
How water was first blessed
The consecration of water was accepted by the Church from the apostles and their successors. But the first example was given by the Lord Himself, when He plunged into the Jordan and sanctified the whole nature of water.
Not always water needed consecration. There were times when everything on earth was pure and holy.
And God saw all that He had made, says the book of Genesis, very good"(Gen. 1:31). Then, before the fall of man, everything was created by the Word of God, everything was made alive by the Holy Spirit, which hovered over the water. Everything on earth was sealed with the all-sanctifying blessing of God, and therefore everything earth elements served for the benefit of man: they supported life, protected the body from destruction. Living in this harmonious, heavenly environment, man, according to the promise of God, had to be immortal, for "God did not create death"(Wis. 1, 13).
But man himself, through communion with an unclean spirit, received the seed of uncleanness into his soul. And then the Spirit of God departed from the unclean creature: “And the Lord [God] said: It is not forever for my Spirit to be neglected by men [these], because they are flesh”(Gen. 6:3).
Now everything that the hands of sinners touched became unclean, everything became an instrument of sin, and therefore was deprived of God's blessing and was subjected to a curse. The elements that previously served man have changed. The earth now brings thorns and thistles, the smoldering air becomes dangerous and sometimes deadly. Water, having become a drain of sewage, became contagious, dangerous, and now, in the hands of the Justice of God, it began to act as an instrument of punishment for the wicked.
But this does not mean that humanity was deprived of holy water. The source of streams, which Moses brought out of the rock, is, of course, not plain water, but special water. The water in the spring of the Samaritan woman, dug by the forefather Jacob and later consecrated by the conversation of the Savior at this source, was not simple.
The concept of holy water is found in the Old Testament: "and the priest shall take the holy water in an earthen vessel"(Num. 5:17).
But very special water flows in the Jordan River. Our Lord Jesus Christ appeared in the Jordan to sanctify the watery nature and make it a source of sanctification for man.
That is why, at the Baptism of the Lord in the Jordan, the miracle of creation seemed to be repeated: the heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended, and the voice of the Heavenly Father was heard: "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"(Matthew 3:17).
Thus, after the fall of man, for the first time consecration of water.
Why does the Church sanctify water
Why does the Church sanctify water again and again when it has already been sanctified by the Baptism of the Son of God Himself?
We, fallen, though renewed by the grace of God, people, always, until death, carry in ourselves the seed of ancient sinful impurity, and therefore we can always sin, and thereby again and again introduce impurity and corruption into the world around us. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, having ascended into heaven, left us his living and life-giving word, granted believers the right to bring the blessing of the Heavenly Father down to earth by the power of faith and prayer, sent down the Comforter of the Spirit of truth, who always abides in the Church of Christ, so that the Church, despite the inexhaustible in the heart of the human seed of sin and impurity, has always had an inexhaustible source of sanctification and life.
Keeping this commandment of the Lord, the Holy Church always sanctifies not only the person himself, but also everything that he uses in the world with the Word of God, the sacraments and prayer. With this, the Church puts a limit to the spread of sinful impurities, prevents the multiplication of the disastrous consequences of our sins.
Church sanctifies the earth asking her God for the blessing of fertility, bless the bread serving us as food, and water that quenches our thirst.
Without blessing, without sanctification, could this corruptible food and drink sustain our lives? “It is not the generation of fruits that nourishes a man, but your word preserves those who believe in you.”(Wisdom 16:26).
This is where the answer to the question of why the Church sanctifies water arises.
With the consecration of water, the Church returns water element primitive purity and holiness, brings down to the water, by the power of prayer and the Word of God, the blessing of the Lord and the grace of the Most Holy and Life-Giving Spirit.
Why is water consecrated in special vessels
Like everything else in the Church, the vessel in which the consecration of water is performed carries a great symbolic meaning. Outwardly, the water-consecrated vessel looks like a chalice for communion. A vessel for consecrating water is a large bowl on a low stand with a round base for putting it on the table. On the eastern side of the bowl there are cells where, at the beginning of the blessing of water, three candles are placed - in the image of the Holy Trinity, which sanctifies and enlightens people with Divine grace. As a vessel and receptacle of God's grace, the chalice of water is approaching in its symbolic meaning the Eucharistic chalice - chalice (translated from Greek - a vessel for drinking) and just like the chalice, it marks the Most Holy Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, in whose womb the human nature of the Lord Jesus Christ was formed. The round base of the bowl for blessing water is a sign of the circle of the earthly Church, the round bowl itself, into which water is poured, marks the Church heavenly, and all together there is symbol of Our Lady as the purest vessel of God's grace.
The baptismal font has the same basic symbolic meanings. This vessel is also made in the form of a bowl, only much large sizes than water-consecrated, and on a high stand.
How does the rite of the great blessing of water take place
The rite of consecration of water, which takes place on the feast of the Epiphany, is called great by the special solemnity of the rite, imbued with the remembrance of the Baptism of the Lord, in which the Church sees not only the prototype of the mysterious washing away of sins, but also the actual sanctification of the very nature of water, through the immersion of God in the flesh into it.
The Great Blessing of Water is sometimes performed at the end of the Liturgy, after the prayer behind the ambo, and sometimes at the end of Vespers, after the litanies: "Let's execute evening prayer our...".
It is performed at the liturgy on the very day of Theophany, and also on the eve of Theophany, when this eve takes place on any day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday. If the eve of Theophany is on Saturday or Sunday, then the great blessing of water takes place at the end of Vespers.
How water is blessed at a prayer service ordered by believers
In addition to baptismal water, Orthodox Christians often use water consecrated at prayer services.
Prayer singing, or prayer service, is special service at which they ask the Lord, Mother of God and saints about sending down mercy or thanking God for receiving blessings.
Prayers are performed in the temple or private homes.
In the temple, prayers are performed after the liturgy and are performed at the request and needs of the faithful. Such prayer songs include prayer rites performed with the blessing various items, about the healing of the sick, about those going on a long journey, about warriors, etc. At prayer services, the rite of small consecration of water usually takes place.
The small consecration of water is also performed by the Church on the day of the Origin (wearing out) of the honest trees of the Life-Giving Cross of the Lord and on the day of the Mid-Midday, when the words of the Savior, full of the deepest mystery, spoken by Him to the Samaritan woman are remembered: “Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never be thirsty; but the water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water springing up into eternal life."(John 4:14).
For a small blessing of water, a covered table is placed in the middle of the church, on which a bowl of water is supplied and the Cross and the Gospel are relied upon. Candles are lit in front of the bowl. After the exclamation of the priest, Psalm 142 is read: Lord, hear my prayer.... Then they sing: "God Lord" and troparia: “Now diligently to the Mother of God as a son ...”, “We will never be silent, Mother of God ...”. At the same time, the priest incense crosswise water.
After reading Psalm 50: "Have mercy on me, God...", troparia and litanies, the incense of the temple or house is performed.
At the end, the prokeimenon is pronounced and the Apostle is read (Heb. 2:14-18), in which St. Paul speaks of Christ:
“And since the children share in flesh and blood, He also took them in order to deprive by death of power the one with the power of death, that is, the devil, and to deliver those who, through the fear of death, were subject to slavery all their lives. For He will not receive angels, but He will receive Abraham's seed. Therefore, He had to become like the brethren in everything, in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God, to make atonement for the sins of the people. For just as He Himself endured when tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted.”.
“There is a pool in Jerusalem at the Sheep Gate, called in Hebrew Bethesda, in which there were five covered passages. In them lay a great multitude of the sick, the blind, the lame, the withered, waiting for the movement of the water, for the Angel of the Lord at times went into the pool and disturbed the water, and whoever entered it first after the disturbance of the water, he recovered, no matter what disease he was possessed..
The litany is pronounced: "Let us pray to the Lord in peace" in which petitions are raised for the blessing of water. This is usually done by censing water. Then the priest reads a prayer for the blessing of the water.
Sometimes a special prayer is also read: “ Great God, work miracles, they are innumerable! Come now to Thy servants who pray to Thee, Master, and eat of Thy Holy Spirit and sanctify this water: and give to those who drink from it and receive and sprinkle it with Thy servant, the change is passionate, the remission of sins, the healing of illness, and the liberation from all evil, and the affirmation of and the sanctification of the house and the cleansing of all filth, and the slander of the devil driving away: as if blessed and glorified, most honorable and magnificent Your name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen".
After reading the prayers, the priest, taking honest cross Crucifix to myself bottom it makes a cruciform movement on the surface of the water, then immerses the entire Cross into the water. At the same time, they sing the troparia: "Save, O Lord, Thy people..."(thrice) and "Your gifts...".
Then the priest kisses the Cross, taken out of the water, and sprinkles all those present and the whole church. Those present venerate the Cross, and the priest sprinkles each.
After the blessing of water, everyone who ordered a prayer service can receive holy water.
Why the Church Prays for Water Springs
“The chief of all human needs is water, fire, iron, salt, Wheat flour, honey, milk, grape juice, oil and clothing: all this serves the pious in favor, but the sinners can be harmed "(Sir. 39, 32-33).
“... What gift is so necessary for us as water?- says the holy martyr Hippolytus of Rome. - With water everything is washed, and nourished, and cleansed, and irrigated. Water waters the earth, produces dew, fattens the grapes, brings ears of corn to maturity... But why talk too much? Without water, nothing that we see can exist: water is so necessary that when the other elements have a dwelling under the vaults of heaven, it received a container for itself above the heavens. The Prophet himself testifies to this, calling; "Praise Him, heavens of heavens and waters that are above the heavens"(Ps. 149:4).
And the Church, with a fervent prayer, calls out to the Lord to call forth sweet and abundant water from the bowels of the earth.
In the well, the digging of which is done according to the special prayers of the priest, there is not ordinary water: the “digging of the well” is already consecrated by a special ceremony.
“Give us water in this place, sweet and tasty, sufficient for consumption, but not harmful for acceptance ...” - the priest prays and the first begins to dig a well.
A special prayer is again performed over the dug well: “To the Creator of the waters and the Maker of all ... You Yourself sanctify this water: eat Your holy power on every resistive work, and give to all who receive from it, for drink for the sake of, or for the sake of washing, the health of the soul and body, for a change in every passion and every ailment: as if there would be healing of water and peace to all who touch it and accept it ... "
Ordinary well water becomes an object of worship and, moreover, a miraculous object. "water of healing and peace".
There are many sources, wells, springs, where, through the prayers of the saints, water pours out, having a greater blessing than the waters of Bethesda of Jerusalem. Not only drinking this water, but even dipping into the waters of these springs brings many healings and miracles.
The Church has always performed and now performs the consecration of the waters of public springs, rivers, lakes. This water also ends up in reservoirs, and then in water pipes, in our apartments.
It can be argued that there is not a single stream of water in the world, not a single drop that would not be consecrated, spiritually fertilized by prayer, blessed and, consequently, which would not be life-giving and saving for people, animals, birds and the earth itself.
If we always acted as the Church and the Word of God teaches us, then the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit would constantly be poured out on us, then every source would be for us a source of healing from ailments of the body and soul, each cup of water would serve as purification and enlightenment, "water of healing and peace", holy water.
But that doesn't happen. People get sick from water, water becomes a dangerous, deadly and destructive element. Yes, tap water - and holy water does not help us!
Are the prayers of the Church powerless?
When God intended to punish the first world with water, then He said to Noah: “The end of all flesh is come before me, for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I will destroy them from the earth... I will bring a flood of waters on the earth to destroy all flesh that has the spirit of life under the heavens; everything on earth will lose its life.”(Gen. 6, 13. 17). These words can be applied to our day as well. Do not be surprised that water does not heal, does not benefit. What is surprising here, when the main sacrament - the Eucharist, the acceptance of the Body and Blood of the Lord - serves many not for salvation, but for condemnation ...
“Whoever eats and drinks unworthily, he eats and drinks condemnation to himself, not considering the Body of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:29).
Miracles and healings are happening today. But only those who accept it with living faith in the promises of God and the power of the prayer of the Holy Church, those who have a pure and sincere desire to change their lives, repentance, and salvation are rewarded with miraculous actions of holy water. God does not work miracles where they want to see them only out of curiosity, without a sincere intention to use them for their salvation. A wicked and adulterous generation- said the Savior about his unbelieving contemporaries, - looking for signs; and no sign will be given to him.
In order for holy water to be beneficial, we will take care of the purity of the soul, the lordship of thoughts and deeds. And with every touch of holy water, let us offer this prayer in our minds and in our hearts.
Prayer for the adoption of prosphora and holy water
Lord, my God, may Your holy gift and Your holy water be for the remission of my sins, for the enlightenment of my mind, for the strengthening of my spiritual and bodily strength, for the health of my soul and body, for the subjugation of my passions and infirmities through Your boundless mercy with the prayers of the Cleansing Your Mother and all Your saints. Amen.
Sretensky Monastery
"New book" - 1997
