Today is the feast day of Saint Theresa of Avila. I was rereading a few of her works when I came across something very interesting that she wrote:
“I often experience that there is nothing the devils flee from more-without returning-than holy water…The power of holy water must be great. For me there is a particular and very noticeable consolation my soul experiences upon taking it. Without a doubt my soul feels ordinarily a refreshment I wouldn’t know how to explain, like an interior delight that comforts it entirely. This isn’t some fancy or something that has happened to me only once, but something that has happened often and that I’ve observed carefully. Let us say the relief is like that coming to a person, very hot and thirsty, when he drinks a jar of cold water; it would seem that he felt the refreshment all over.”
To those who ask me what they should do when being plagued with sexual temptations, I often advise them to wear a sacramental: such as the Scapular or Miraculous Medal, and to bless themselves (by making the sign of the Cross) as well as sprinkle their room and bed with holy water. Lastly, I tell them: all of these things are signs of our commitment to purity, but they must always be accompanied with prayer. Yet, they are exceptionally effective for immediate and desperate relief: for when there is a fire – you just throw water on it.