The Epiphany Water
The new rites, even when followed to a tee, are sorely lacking compared to the ancient rites, as so much has been discarded as ‘superfluous’ and ‘unnecessary.’
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Daily TribuneThe new rites, even when followed to a tee, are sorely lacking compared to the ancient rites, as so much has been discarded as ‘superfluous’ and ‘unnecessary.’
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What is the Epiphany Water blessing, and have you heard of it? I am not sure how many people would go for it, but I figured that, along with the choir, maybe a dozen people would want to know about it.
On the Eve of the Epiphany, a priest mixes water and salt in a container and blesses it. Afterward, the blessed water would be given to those who could not make it on Eve or Epiphany Sunday.
The Epiphany Eve blessing of the Holy Water is much more complex than the usual old rite blessing of the Holy Water. Even in the "normal" old blessing, the priest not only exorcises and blesses both salt and water, but he also says extra prayers while mixing them, and to make sure there is no doubt about what he is doing, says yet another prayer after the mixing is done.
All the prayers explicitly state what is being done, and the Sign of the Cross is made multiple times. The old rite adds even more solemnity to the blessing prayers. Then, the chanting of the Litany of Saints asks for prayers of individual saints (Ora Pro Nobis) and multiple or groups of saints (Orate Pro Nobis).
Then come first the beseeching of God that He would bless and sanctify the water, then we chant the Agnus Dei, Kyrie, Pater Noster, and three Psalms. Then comes the powerful exorcism prayer, followed by the Magnificat.
Only after all of this are the prayers of the multiple "normal" exorcism and blessing prayers said. The scholar sings the Te Deum, a traditional hymn praising God with joy and thanksgiving. Some people will start coming to Church with salt (a necessary component of the Holy Water in the old rite) and water. Most people don't realize that exorcised and blessed salt has to be added to the freshly exorcised and blessed water.
Most of the time, when people get their water blessed by a priest, he says a quick prayer over the container, and off they go. The new rites, even when followed to a tee, are sorely lacking compared to the ancient rites, as so much has been discarded as "superfluous" and "unnecessary."
As for the Epiphany Eve blessing of the Holy Water, it is nowhere to be found in the new books. To drive this point home, let me show you the prayer of blessing in the new rite "Book of Blessings." As in most new rite blessings, the priest "may" say a bunch of non-blessing words as written in the Book or use "similar words" and perhaps read a few lines from Scripture, with a choice of eight passages suggested. This part, of course, is optional.
Then, the prayer of blessing is written for the priest to say with hands outstretched, "Blessed are you, Lord, all-powerful God, who in Christ, the living water of salvation, blessed and transformed us. Grant that when we are sprinkled with this water or make use of it, we will be refreshed inwardly by the power of the Holy Spirit and continue to walk in the new life we received at baptism. We ask this through Christ our Lord."
There is a second optional prayer, "Lord, holy Father, look with kindness on your children, redeemed by your Son and born to a new life by water and the Holy Spirit. Grant that those who are sprinkled with this water may be renewed in body and spirit and may make a pure offering of their service to you. We ask this through Christ our Lord."
In reciting either of these prayers, the priest does not make the Sign of the Cross, nor does he mention driving away demons or sanctifying the persons, places, and things that will be sprinkled with the water. In fact, neither prayer nor blessing asks God to exorcise, sanctify, or bless the water. It is apparent even to newly ordained priests that they are better off "winging it" and making up their own prayer if they want the water to receive any sort of blessing.
