Blessing and sprinkling with holy water

 Blessing and sprinkling with Holy Water

During the Easter Season we have been starting Sunday morning mass with blessing and sprinkling with Holy Water.

Fr Philip sprinkles congregation with holy water

The Roman Missal recommends that Sunday Mass occasionally includes the blessing and sprinkling of Holy Water as a reminder of our baptism, especially during the Easter season. Therefore, throughout Eastertide we will observe this rite at the 10.30am Mass. 

The prayers are as follows:

After the greeting the priest blesses the water:

Dear brethren, let us humbly beseech the Lord our God to bless this water he has created, which will be sprinkled on us as a memorial of our baptism. May he help us by his grace to remain faithful to the Spirit we have received. Lord our God, in your mercy be present to your peoples prayers, and, for us who recall the wondrous work of our redemption, graciously bless this water.

God you created water to make the fields fruitful and to refresh and cleanse our bodies. You also made water the instrument of your mercy: for through water you freed your people from slavery in the desert; through water the prophets proclaimed the new covenant you were to enter upon with the human race; and last of all. Through water, which Christ made holy in the Jordan, you renewed our corrupted nature in the bath of regeneration. Therefore, may this water be for us a memorial of the baptism we have received, and grant that we may share in the gladness of our brothers and sisters who at Easter have received their baptism. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

The priest sprinkles himself, and then all the congregation, with holy water, asking forgiveness of our sins in preparation to celebrate Holy Mass. During which the choir sing.

When he returns to the altar he says:

May almighty God cleanse us of our sins, and through the celebration of this Eucharist make us worthy to share at the table of his Kingdom. Amen.

First Mass and First Blessings

Yesterday was a great day for the Cathedral, Lancaster Diocese and our new priest Fr Simon Marley and all his friends and family. 

Fr Simon Marley at his First Mass

Today Fr Simon celebrated his first Mass and was joined by four priests and Fr John acting as MC and offering support throughout, a reversal from previous weeks when Fr Simon as Deacon was serving and supporting Fr John and Fr Philip. 

The homily focused on a very familiar sacramental of the incensing. There are so many things that happen during Mass that we can take for granted or not realise the importance of but sense they are important.  Incensing is one such action. We incense the altar, the Gospel, the priest and the people. 

The General Instruction § 276 Thurification or incensation is an expression of reverence and of prayer, as is signified in Sacred Scripture (cf. Ps 141 [140]:2; Rev 8:3). 

Incensing during Mass - altar, priest and concelebrating priests

Incensing the people

To learn more about incensing during Mass, see Adoremus.org article Holy Smoke – The Use of Incense in the Catholic Church 

Fr Simon Marley
with Fr John Millar, Dean of Lancaster to his right 

At the end of Mass, Fr Simon reminded us all about the importance of praying for vocations and for those who are preparing for priesthood.  As is the custom Fr Simon gave first blessings to those who had not been able to attend the ordination the previous day.

Fr Simon giving first blessing
to one of the Cathedral Families