December 6
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go
out. Deuteronomy 28:6
The blessing with Holy Water has always been an integral part of our Catholic faith. As a child I remember the privilege it was to dip my fingers into the bowl welcoming us at church and the special feeling it left me with. After Mass, to do the same was a reminder for me that God was with me; somehow as small as I was it made feel His closeness. Our children each in turn reacted the same way to the waiting Holy Water fount and couldn’t wait to bless themselves. When they were babies, we would always bless them with it on our way in and out of the church, and as they got a bit bigger, I remember so well, my husband lifting them up in his arms so they could put their clumsy little fingers in and make an attempt on their own. But, it was a right of passage that ability to reach the cup by the doors of the church on their own. Years later when our grandchildren received bottles of water from the fount in which they were Baptized, it became a ritual for them to be blessed by their parents at prayer time each night and as a result they learned (or are learning!) to do it themselves.
One Christmas my dear sister-in-law, remembering that I had voiced how I wanted to have a Holy Water cup by our front door, gifted me with one - our Blessed Mother holding the infant Jesus. It could not have been more appropriate, for when the children were heading out the door to their obligations; it was there for them to bless themselves, reassuring this busy mother of God’s ever presence and blessings upon all of us. It gave me such comfort then and still does today! When people come and go from our home, it is there waiting to be put into action.
I have witnessed the birth of a precious grandchild as red-orange streaks of breathtaking light filtered into the room from the dawning sun. I have been beside my dear parents, holding their hands in the glow of the evening sunset, as shadows crept across their faces while breathing their last. On each occasion, through the tears I recognized God’s presence in that room, filling it with a special light and blessing each person in it, but most especially, the one coming and the one going.
Thank you for blessing us Lord in our coming in and our going out! Abba! Father! We are yours!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson
You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go
out. Deuteronomy 28:6
The blessing with Holy Water has always been an integral part of our Catholic faith. As a child I remember the privilege it was to dip my fingers into the bowl welcoming us at church and the special feeling it left me with. After Mass, to do the same was a reminder for me that God was with me; somehow as small as I was it made feel His closeness. Our children each in turn reacted the same way to the waiting Holy Water fount and couldn’t wait to bless themselves. When they were babies, we would always bless them with it on our way in and out of the church, and as they got a bit bigger, I remember so well, my husband lifting them up in his arms so they could put their clumsy little fingers in and make an attempt on their own. But, it was a right of passage that ability to reach the cup by the doors of the church on their own. Years later when our grandchildren received bottles of water from the fount in which they were Baptized, it became a ritual for them to be blessed by their parents at prayer time each night and as a result they learned (or are learning!) to do it themselves.
One Christmas my dear sister-in-law, remembering that I had voiced how I wanted to have a Holy Water cup by our front door, gifted me with one - our Blessed Mother holding the infant Jesus. It could not have been more appropriate, for when the children were heading out the door to their obligations; it was there for them to bless themselves, reassuring this busy mother of God’s ever presence and blessings upon all of us. It gave me such comfort then and still does today! When people come and go from our home, it is there waiting to be put into action.
I have witnessed the birth of a precious grandchild as red-orange streaks of breathtaking light filtered into the room from the dawning sun. I have been beside my dear parents, holding their hands in the glow of the evening sunset, as shadows crept across their faces while breathing their last. On each occasion, through the tears I recognized God’s presence in that room, filling it with a special light and blessing each person in it, but most especially, the one coming and the one going.
Thank you for blessing us Lord in our coming in and our going out! Abba! Father! We are yours!
Copyright© 2013 Kathleen A. Matson