Today, priests in all Russian cities are calling on Orthodox Christians to refrain from visiting churches, even on such major holidays as Easter and Palm Sunday. Personally, I will adhere to this recommendation and will not violate quarantine. I’m also not going to forget about faith in God: I will definitely bless the water at home in the old way, which the local priest told me about, and then sprinkle it on the willow branches (I will also bless the willow branches myself on April 19th of Easter).
What is needed for the ceremony
To carry out the ceremony, you need to take simple drinking water. If you decide to draw it from the tap, be sure to let it sit for a while. The container should be comfortable. The priest said it is best to use a jar or jug. Separately, stock up on a church candle - it should be lit while reading the prayer. It is also advisable to use a silver cross (this can be an Orthodox body amulet).
It is advisable to carry out the ceremony of consecration of water in front of household icons.
How to bless water at home?
Since ancient times, holy water has been considered a universal way to combat various diseases and negativity. Many people are interested in whether it is possible to bless water at home or can only a church minister do this? In principle, everyone can cope with this task, but the main thing is to have great faith and a pure soul.
How to bless water at home?
Take a three-liter jar, fill it with regular tap water and let it sit for a while. The next step is to read the Destiny Prayers over it and cross the jar three times. After this, with your hands on the jar, say the following prayer:
“Great God, work miracles, they are countless! Come to Your praying servant, Master: eat Your Holy Spirit and sanctify this water, and give it the grace of deliverance and the blessing of the Jordan: create a source of incorruptibility, a gift of sanctification, resolution of sin, healing of ailments, destruction by demons, unapproachable to opposing forces, filled with angelic strength : as if everyone who draws from it and receives from it has it for the cleansing of the soul and body, for healing harm, for the change of passions, for the remission of sins, for the driving away of all evil, for the sprinkling and consecration of houses and for all similar benefits. And if there is anything in the house, or in the place of those living faithfully, this water will sprinkle this water, so that all uncleanness will be washed away, and it will deliver from all harm; below there, let a destructive spirit dwell, below, harmful air, and let all dreams and slander of the hiding enemy, and even something There is a hedgehog, either it envies the health of the living, or peace, by sprinkling this water, let it be reflected. For let your most honorable and magnificent name, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, be blessed and glorified, now and ever and unto ages of ages. 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 the Blessing of the Almighty Father for this salt, and let all the evils and obstacles go away, and let all the good things remain here, for without You man cannot live, and therefore I ask for blessings and call on You to help me.”
Then Psalm 103 is read. For consecration, it is best to use natural water, which can be collected from a pond or well. The selected liquid must be filtered. To bless water at home, pour a few teaspoons of salt into it and say the following words:
“I bless you, O Being of Water, by Him 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 World of Phantasm, so that they can harm me not through the power of Almighty God, Who lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen".
After this, you should read the prayer that the Catholic priest uses:
“Our salvation is the name of the Lord. Who created the heavens and the earth. God's creation, salt, I cast out the demons from you by the real God, the true holy God, the God who ordered you to be thrown into the water - as Elisha did to heal him of infertility. I allow you, purified salt, to be a means for the health of those who believe, a medicine for soul and body for everyone who uses you. Let all evil dreams go away, malice and cunning be driven far from the place where you are sprinkled. And let every unclean spirit shrink from Him, Who will come to judge the living and the dead and the world with fire. Amen".
Now you need to bless the water to cleanse it of various demons and negative energy. To do this, you can say the following words:
“God’s creation, water, I cast out the demon from you in the name of almighty God the Father, in the name of Jesus Christ his son our Lord, and in the name of the Holy Spirit. You can be purified water, eliminating all the forces of the enemy from afar, in order to uproot and drive out the enemy himself, along with his 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 be mixed in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.”
Stir the liquid, and when the salt dissolves, say the following prayer:
“O God, who for the benefit 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 purifying rites. Perhaps this is your being, when it is used in your secret and endowed by your lordship and serves to cast out demons and drive away diseases. Let all 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 your breath; let all the intrigues that the enemy hides not work out for him. By sprinkling this water, let everything find peace and security, the demons from these houses will be driven out, so that by calling on your holy name they can receive the desired well-being and be protected from all danger; through Christ our Lord. Amen".
How to use holy water?
First of all, they drink water, and this helps 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 this is best done in a cross shape. In this way a person can receive grace for healing. Holy water can be sprinkled on rooms to cleanse them of negative energy.
Who can perform the ceremony
The priest drew my attention to the fact that only a baptized person who deeply believes in God should perform the ceremony of consecrating water - only in this case will the holy water be endowed with healing powers. The person must wear a cross (ideally if it is made of silver).
If you doubt your own strength, invite a more religious person to do this - let him just be present (he doesn’t have to read the words of the prayer himself or repeat the words of the prayer).
Where and how to store
According to the rules, Epiphany holy water does not spoil and has no shelf life. It is recommended to place the container with the shrine in a clean place, preferably near the home iconostasis. You cannot store water near household appliances: TV, microwave oven, or on a shelf near the computer. The bottles are put away in a dark, secluded place, away from prying eyes.
Agiasma is a shrine, so it is treated with care, with a sense of reverence. At the same time, the water must be used and not kept tightly sealed in a bottle. Without action, its grace is lost and weakened, although the liquid itself does not undergo changes.
Sometimes lay people complain that the stored water has spoiled (it has acquired an unpleasant odor, turned yellow, and sediment has appeared). This rarely happens, and there is no point in blaming the “wrong” shrine. It’s easier to find the cause in carelessly washed dishes or inappropriate storage places. Bottles with inscriptions and all kinds of labels are not suitable for storing life-giving healing liquid. If a person is respectful of traditions and the Orthodox faith, he will definitely prepare a clean container for collecting and storing water.
If the water has really spoiled and is not suitable for washing or drinking, then it is sprinkled on the house or apartment. It is sinful to pour even spoiled Agiasma into the sink or toilet; it is recommended to water home flowers with it or pour it under trees near the house.
How to cast a spell on water
Holy water becomes holy only after a sacred ritual, which involves reading a special prayer over the container with it.
The first thing you need to do is place a lighted candle on the table in front of the icon, cross yourself while looking at the icon, and then read the “Our Father,” the prayer to the Holy Trinity or the prayer to the Heavenly King (any one you choose, their texts are presented below).
After reading any of these prayers, you need to cross yourself three times, lower the silver cross into the water and begin to say a prayer to bless the water (during the entire time of reading it, the cross should be kept in the water).
After reading the prayer, the water will be considered consecrated - now it can be used for its intended purpose.
How to use holy water correctly and what to do with it
The clergy tell parishioners that the holy water of Epiphany has healing powers. Protects from damage, evil forces, the evil eye, and cures diseases. Agiasma on Epiphany, during the blessing of water, receives blessed energy, becoming the environment that renews a person and promotes rebirth.
On a note! The miracle of Agiasma is not that it leads to changes in life, but that it transforms and spiritually renews a person.
The water collected after the rite of blessing of water does not deteriorate during storage and does not acquire foreign odors. They eat it in the morning while performing prayers, preferably on an empty stomach. If they don’t know special prayers, they read “Our Father.”
To protect and protect the children, they carefully sprinkle it on their face without wiping it with a towel. Adults themselves also wash themselves, only sprinkling lightly with water and letting the drops dry. Do not wash your face in handfuls over the sink, as water will end up in the sewer pipes. The shrine is treated with care, respect, and reverence. Definitely with faith, with good thoughts, without malice in the heart.
It is believed that Epiphany water helps to get out of prolonged stress and depression, establish peace of mind and harmony, and protects against the evil eye. It is enough to sprinkle a few drops on your face in the morning or take a small amount of water inside before meals. Prayers and appeals to the Almighty are mandatory, since only in this way does a person gain faith in help, in the grace of God. With faith, self-confidence appears, your well-being improves, and your mood rises. Sometimes physical ill health is the result of mental suffering, stress, and lack of self-confidence. Faith in the goodness of the Lord helps to get away from negativity, thereby establishing and improving health.
Sick people, taking water, believe in getting rid of illnesses. But even here you need to act wisely, understanding that douses and compresses do not have healing powers. Shrine drops are used to heal, so only a small amount is enough for washing and sprinkling. For bedridden patients, it is allowed to spray the bed; for others, take 1-2 drops of water in the morning. According to church canons, seriously ill people are allowed to drink water at any time of the day.
Agiasma is also used for sprinkling rooms in a house or apartment. Even offices are blessed with Epiphany water, hoping for the good and beneficent power of the shrine. They spray water in the corners of the rooms, on the doors, in front of the entrance, while simultaneously saying the words of the prayer “Our Father.”
Various magical spells, rituals and actions not related to Christian rites are excluded. The Church considers this to be superstition, having a negative attitude towards such manifestations in life. Agiasma is grace from the power of God; it does not require additional help in the form of incomprehensible conspiracies and fortune telling. All that is allowed at the time of sprinkling or drinking is the reading of a prayer.
What prayer to read
The prayer for the blessing of water, like any other, can be said in your own words or taken ready-made from any spiritual collection. When using ready-made texts, you need to choose those that do not contain difficult to pronounce words or expressions that have long gone out of use.
The words of the prayer should be simple and understandable to the one who reads it. The reading itself should not be difficult. If a person repeats a text without understanding its meaning, then such an action is more reminiscent of the pronunciation of some kind of magic spell, rather than an Orthodox prayer. If the text contains a large number of words that are difficult to pronounce, then the person, contrary to his own desire, will be focused on the correctness of what he says, and not on the essence of the prayer. Thus, the prayer will turn into a meaningless set of phrases and will not achieve its goal.
Example test:
“Lord God, who works miracles every hour! Hear Your servants and sanctify this water, grant it the blessing of the power of deliverance from all kinds of illness and misfortune. Sanctify this water, grant it the power to bring destruction to demons, admonition to the wicked and joy to the righteous.
Sanctify this water for the fulfillment of every useful need by your servants. For dwellings of sanctification, healing from illnesses, deliverance from the machinations of the evil one and protecting the soul from destructive passions.
Blessed and glorified be Your name, Lord! In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, both from now on and forever and ever (cross the water three times when pronouncing this phrase). Amen"
Consecration of an apartment with water
In the modern world, people have not forgotten the ancient custom. They consider it possible (and some even necessary) to consecrate their apartment. Some involve priests in this ritual, believing that they themselves do not have the ability or knowledge to do this on their own; others, on the contrary, illuminate their apartment exclusively themselves. Is apartment lighting important in the modern world? Is it correct? There is, of course, no definite answer. Everyone decides for themselves whether to maintain such a unique connection with their distant roots. Should we consider that once a year there is an opportunity to “drive out” all the bad things from our home, bringing in return the good, the bright, the Godly? And, probably, not only changes will occur in the house, but also something changes in the soul. After the ritual of illumination, the soul becomes purer, brighter and warmer, and the belief that with God’s help everything will work out is strengthened. Many argue that it is necessary to properly bless your apartment with Epiphany water because it really helps in life. People living in a lighted apartment are more successful in business, in their endeavors, and are confident in themselves and their abilities. They feel their apartment is a fortress, behind whose walls they can hide from any adversity, because they know for sure that God is invisibly present in their house.
