The Power of Holy Water:

From the Autobiography of Saint Teresa of Avila, Chapter 31, 1562 A.D...

"From long experience I have learned that there is nothing like holy water
to put devils to flight and prevent them from coming back again. They also
flee from the Cross, but return; so holy water must have great virtue. For
my own part, whenever I take it, my soul feels a particular and most 
notable consolation. In fact, it is quite usual for me to be conscious of a
refreshment which I cannot possibly describe, resembling an inward joy 
which comforts my whole soul. This is not fancy, or something which has 
happened to me only once. It has happened again and again and I have 
observed it most attentively. It is let us say, as if someone very hot and
thirsty were to drink from a jug of cold water: he would feel the 
refreshment throughout his body. I often reflect on the great importance of
everything ordained by the Church and it makes me very happy to find that
those words of the Church are so powerful that they impart their power to
the water and make it so very different from water which has not been 
blessed.
One night, too, about this time, I thought the devils were stifling me; and
when the nuns had sprinkled a great deal of holy water about I saw a huge
crowd of them running away as quickly as though they were about to fling 
themselves down a steep place.
I will only describe something that happened to me one night of All Souls.
I was in an oratory: I had said one nocturn and was repeating some very
devotional prayers which follow it -- they are extremely devotional: we 
have them in our office-book -- when actually the devil himself alighted 
on the book, to prevent me from finishing the prayer. I made the sign of 
the Cross and he went away. I then began again and he came back. I think 
I began that prayer three times and not until I had sprinkled some holy 
water on him could I finish it. At the same moment I saw several souls 
coming out of purgatory: their time there must have been nearly up and I 
thought that perhaps the devil was trying to impede their deliverance."

Ex 40:12-16, Lev 14:49-53,15:7-11,16:23-24, Num 5:16-17,8:7,19:17-19, 
2King 2:20-22 (salt is added to holy water), Psa 51:2,7

©
Quoted from the writings of Saint Teresa by Bob Stanley, April 14, 2010


"Have I then become your enemy, because I told you the truth?"
Galatians 4:16

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