Holy water is water that has been blessed by a member of the clergy or a religious figure, or derived from a well or spring considered holy. The use for cleansing prior to a baptism and spiritual cleansing is common in several religions, from Christianity to Sikhism. The use of holy water as a sacramental for protection against evil is common among Lutherans, Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Christians.
Bottles of water collected in 1930 from the River Jordan, at the site where Jesus Christ was believed to have been baptized by John the Baptist
A Thai student pouring the holy water on his two hands at Erawan shrine, Bangkok
A holy water container (stoup) at the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Rome
Saint Teresa of Avila, by Rubens, 1615
A sacramental is a sacred sign, a ritual act or a ceremony, which, in a certain imitation of the sacraments, has a spiritual effect and is obtained through the intercession of the Church. Sacramentals surround the sacraments like a wreath and extend them into the everyday life of Christians. Sacramentals are recognised by the Roman Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, the Church of the East, the Lutheran churches, the Old Catholic Church, the Anglican churches, and Independent Catholic churches.
Blessing of the palms, a sacramental bestowed on Palm Sunday
Palm procession at the Holy Sepulchre – both the procession and the palm branches are sacramentals
The Anglican Rosary sitting atop the Anglican Breviary and the Book of Common Prayer
A blessed prayer cloth and holy anointing oil distributed by the Oral Roberts Evangelistic Association, a Pentecostal apostolate
