The Blessing of the Water

Few days before the Slava, host needs to call a priest in whose parish he lives, to inform him
that he celebrates Slava so a priest can come to host’s house in order to perform the blessing
of the water.

For the blessing of the water the following things are required: a candle, a bowl or deep plate
with water, basil, a little incense, censer and coal, and on a clean paper to print the names of all
family members so a priest can mention their names in order to pray for their health. - Nothing
else should be on the table for the blessing of the water except, maybe some more icons and
flowers. This table should set before Slava’s icon or close to it, but in such a manner that during
the prayer a priest will always be facing Slava’s icon.

(The blessing of the water, if possible, should be

done in the room where is the icon of the family
patron Saint is located. If the blessing of the water
is not done in that room, a priest should be asked
to also bless the room in which icon is located, as
well as the other rooms in the house.)

One must be careful not to set the table, prepared

for the blessing of the water, under any (especially
not inappropriate) pictures for such holy
occasions.

You must be careful where to set the icon. Slava’s icon should be set in the most beautiful place
in the room. - The rule is that the icon is on the east side of the room. - (Orthodox Christians
from ancient times, usually prayed facing towards east - the source of light. This has
significance symbolically since East as a source of light is an image of Jesus Christ, who in the
Scriptures is often referred to as East (Luke 1:78 ), Light (John 8:12), the Sun of Justice
(Malachi 4:2).

Yet, if the east side of the room is not a suitable place for the icon, then you should choose the
best place regardless of which side of the world it faces.

-Cresset should be lit before the icon (not only during Slava, but on Sundays and on any other
holiday).

Also, it is necessary to make sure that ember (coal) will be ready for the time when the priest is
scheduled to come. If it happens that there is no fire ready, you should prepare a few small
pieces of torch, so incense can be burned in there if no other solution is available.
Censer should be prepared for the use of incense. (In case
you cannot buy a small censer, coal/incense can be stored
in a small clay bowl to be put on the plate, thus handing it
to the priest.

You should know this: when a priest is spreading incense

in the house, or is sprinkling the blessed water, host
should go in front of the priest and open the doors of those
rooms which you want to be blessed by incense or water.
A priest will not be going into the rooms which doors are
closed).

The (prayer) list should include the names of all residents,

for which we want to be mentioned during priest’s prayer.
The names should be clearly written.

It is understood that a priest should be welcomed in a clean and orderly home, and the
residents themselves should be clean and neat. If by chance, for any reason, you cannot clean
up your entire home, then at least make sure that one room, in which the act of blessing of the
water and spreading of the incense will be performed, is clean and organized. However, if such
events take place in your house only few times in a year, then it should not be difficult for the
household by rising up early and preparing everything before the deadline.

When a priest comes, all family members who are in house, youngsters and those who are
helping around the house, need to attend the blessing of the water and alongside with a priest
to pray to God for goodness and happiness of all.

The songs and prayers that a priest at the blessing of the water is singing and reading, invoke
the Most Holy Virgin to be the mediator of people before God and to redeem all people from
destruction, to cleanse them of sin, since she is the salvation of all Christians.

The Gospel which is read at the blessing of the water tells us how the sick were healed, while
bathing in the spa of Jerusalem, since an angel of the Lord has blessed the water in it.

A priest then pleads to the Lord: for peace from above and the salvation of our souls, for the
peace of the world, for prosperity and union of holy churches of God, for the leaders of the
Church, the clergy and all people, for the house where the blessing of the water is taking place
and for all those who live in that house (while mentioning their names), and for those who live in
that area and have faith in Christ, for the good and peaceful time, and abundance of the fruits of
the earth, for those who sail, travel, who are in pain, suffering, for the prisoners and their
salvation. - Then the priest prays to God to deliver us from every sorrow, anger, danger and
emergency, and mentioning the Most Holy Mother of God, pleads: Protect us, save us and have
mercy on us, O God, by Thy grace.

Then through prayer (priest)

invokes the power of Holy Spirit to
bless the water, so it can be used
for the healing of the soul and body
for all those who drink it, and to
eliminate anything that would bring
harm to the house.

Pray more for those who need

God’s help, so by tasting and being
blessed by the water they become
children of God and heirs of the
heavenly kingdom; and by
mentioning all of the Saints and the
Saint who is celebrated on the day
of Slava, ask them to them to be
our representatives before God and
interpreters of our prayers.

Once he blesses the water with the cross, a priest also blesses people and the home with that
same cross, while all those present faithfully cross themselves and come forward to kiss the
cross, while priest sprinkles the blessed water on them.

Through the blessing of the water in our homes, we and our homes become sanctified by the
power of the Holy Spirit. Having that in mind, we should not neglect this blessing on the eve of
Slava, so we can accordingly prepare ourselves spiritually.