Blessed Salt QUESTION from Ronald Smith November 27, 1999 Dear Brother J.P.I.: There seems to be a renewed interest in the use of Blessed Salt by the laity. Other than the prayer used by a priest to bless salt, found in the Sacramentary, I have not been able to find much information about how we laity are permitted and can use Blessed Salt. Can you give us some insight here? Thank you and God's blessings to you!
ANSWER by John-Paul Ignatius on December 1, 1999 Dear Mr. Smith:
Blessed Salt can be used for reasons similar to Holy Water.
Holy Water is a symbol of our baptism -- a symbol of washing clean.
Salt is a symbol of purifying, perserving.
The most common use of laity using blessed salt is probably in doing a lay blessing of one's home. The salt can be sprinkled around the parameter of one's property, or in windows ledges and places like that.
A good practice when traveling is to say a blessing and sprinkle salt or holy water in the hotel/motel rooms. Who knows what as gone on in those rooms.
Thus blessed salt, like holy water, can be used to consecrated a place for God such as one's home, property, room, car, etc.
God Bless.
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