The water of life

Where there is water, there is life. In our world, we have water in three forms – solid, liquid and gas. It is calculated that 70% of our planet earth is covered with water, that is oceans, seas, lakes, and rivers. It is also calculated that 65% of our human bodies is water. So, it is obvious that we cannot live without water, and as time goes by, we realize that water is becoming more scarce with the lack of rain. On the other hand, some countries experience severe flooding with overabundance of rain, melting snow, landslides, and avalanches, etc. Without water, there is no food. We need water also to wash ourselves, to bathe, and keep ourselves clean and presentable. From ancient times, water has always been considered as a cleansing agent in a spiritual sense. In fact many religions, water has an important role, especially Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In the Catholic religion, we use water for baptism to destroy the stain of original sin. We use water for blessings, as holy water is blessed by the priest and used to bless many objects. I cannot even think of the objects I was asked to bless in my life, and the list is truly endless and somewhat strange, to say the least.....cars, cockatiels, Clydesdale horses, pregnant women, houses, restaurants, rosary beads, shoes, bibles, food, medals, uniforms, couples on anniversaries, wedding rings, jewelry, chalices, bread and wine, newborn babies, and of course dead bodies. But we are grateful that people still believe that holy water gives new life and invigorates their lives.