Catholic Candle note: Below is an article from a reader.  This reader describes a tool his family finds helpful and we publish his article here for the use of any other families who might choose to use this tool too.  We welcome any readers to submit articles, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

 

During the current Great Apostasy, we have little access to the sacraments and sacramentals.

God has not abandoned His children!  Although – for now – He has willed to take away most of the Sacraments from most faithful and informed Traditional Catholics.[1]  In God’s ineffable Providence, this is for our good.  We know infallibly that “all things work together unto the good, for those who love God.” Romans, 8:28.

So, when God takes away most sacraments, He gives us other means and gives those means greater efficacy than ever before.  So, e.g., God greatly increased the power of the Holy Rosary during our times.[2]

God understands that we cannot do the impossible, nor does He expect us to do so.  He neither expects, nor wants us to receive the Sacraments or to attend Mass when they are not available without compromise.  Compromise Masses and Sacraments don’t help us and they offend Him![3]

Our family has used up the holy water supply we had from priests who were previously uncompromising (and who we had been able to support and from whom we had been able to obtain spiritual help, including the sacraments and sacramentals).

More recently, however, those same priests have compromised and our family does not currently have any priests to help us because those who would now be available to us are compromising.  Of course, we will not seek additional holy water from priests who are now compromising, just like we would not seek the sacraments from them until such time, if ever, that they reject their compromises. 

Receiving holy water from compromising priests would be a scandal and God does not want us to spiritually-connect ourselves with those priests who are working against Him with their compromised lives and/or teaching. 

So, we are now gladly and contentedly without a priest[4] – for as long as God wills this – because this is presently His Will for us.  We know that the current unavailability of sacramentals (e.g., holy water) works for our good, if we love God. 

God will provide the means for us to use!  Because we are without holy water out of love for Him, He surely will bless us greatly without that sacramental.  It might be that God wants us to simply leave our holy water fonts dry for now, making Signs of the Cross without holy water.  That would be fine. 

On the other hand, God desires that we do what we can during these times of great apostasy.  Perhaps this also involves making and using (what our family calls) “relic water” (discussed below).  This “relic water” is named in honor of the saints we invoke, as we will explain.  This is merely our family’s attempt to do our best, to do what we can do in our present circumstances without a priest. 

We make “relic water” without any pretense that we are a priest.  (This is like our much greater reliance now, compared to the past, on making Spiritual Communions as fervently as we can.) 

In making “relic water”, we are merely doing what we can do by invoking the saints of God and using the sacramentals we do have.  Perhaps God will choose to treat this “relic water” as if it were holy water, knowing we are doing what we can in the circumstances in which He lovingly placed us.  Whatever He wants is what we want!

How to make “relic water”

Our family does not bless the “relic water”.  We ask the saints whose relics we have, to bless it.  For example, we have a first-class relic of Pope St. Pius X.  In a water-tight bag, we submerge the relic into the basin of water, praying:

Through thy holy relic, O Pope St. Pius X, please bless this water for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

Our family has many other first-class relics (i.e., parts of the bodies) of many other saints.  One-by-one, we submerge that saint’s relic into the water, while invoking him (or her) in the manner described above.  

We do the same thing with a crucifix, St. Benedict medal, Miraculous Medal, Agnus Dei wax, a piece of blessed palm, a blessed candle, second-class relics, etc., slightly modifying the prayer.  For example, when submerging the bottom of the crucifix, we pray:

Through Thy holy crucifix, O Lord, please bless this water for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, Amen.

After finishing with all of the relics and other holy objects, we then recite the Saint Michael the Archangel prayer.

Lastly, we have some salt blessed by a priest.  We use a little of this which we sprinkle into the water in the form of a cross.  Any blessed salt could be used.  However, ours was blessed by the uncompromising Catholic priest-stigmatist, Fr. Leo McNamara, from St. Adrian’s Church in Chicago.  If anyone wants a little of this blessed salt (enough for one or two batches of “relic water”), we would gladly give him some if he mails us a self-addressed, postpaid envelope.  He could contact Catholic Candle about where to mail his request (catholiccandle@gmail.com).

The spirit behind making “relic water” – Faith, Hope, and Charity

In making “relic water”, we think that it is not essential that we use some particular holy item, such as a first-class relic.  The central point is for us to do what we can do with the holy items God has given us, and then leave the rest to Him.  He has put us sweetly in this time and He will not be outdone in generosity!

In the current Great Apostasy, the choice which uncompromising Catholics make is not between “regular” holy water and “relic water”.  Regular holy water is not an option for most faithful and informed Catholics because their supply has run out and there are no uncompromising priests (that they know of) from whom to get it.  Rather, their choice is between dry holy water fonts and doing the best they can with something such as “relic water”.  If some families think it is better to leave their holy water fonts dry, that is fine.  We are just explaining how we do what we can do.

We should be completely content without “regular” holy water, just as we should be completely content without the Mass, as long as God Wills that we have no uncompromising priest.

What if I have no relics?

We understand that not every family has first or even second-class relics.  Again, the spirit here is not one of legalism, but the spirit of Faith, Hope, and Charity.  Thus, even if you have any objects blessed in the past by good, uncompromising, and certainly-valid priests, then use them.   Even barring that, one might use a holy picture submerged in the plastic bag.  God provides.

Whether you and your family decide to use “relic water” or not, let us live with hearts full of love and gratitude that we can serve God and work out our salvation during these times in the catacombs!