[livius]

When I read this article last week, I thought there was probably some info missing - it didn’t seem to make any sense. But now that I have read the more detailed account above, it looks like “war of the flakes” to me.

What’s with this laywoman creeping around the church sprinkling holy water and “blessed salt,” whatever that may be? And what’s with the pastor letting anybody conduct any exercise class of any kind in a chapel next to the altar? Maybe he’s going to put in a swimming pool next? Or let them have acqua aerobics in the baptismal pool, if he already has one?

I think both he and the concerned parishioner are wrong. The class shouldn’t be there because any kind of exercise class is inappropriate in that space. And as for yoga, while it can be a form of Hindu meditation, in Florida it is a form of low-impact exercise and stretching for older ladies. Believe me, there’s nothing demonic about it.

I can’t stand it, personally, but it does appear to have good physical results for people who go regularly.

[AnAmericanMother]

Good point about the holy water and blessed salt (there is such a thing, btw, I’ve read about it before, and I think our priest blesses salt that goes into the holy water.)

[wideawake]

In the old rite, blessed salt is placed on the tongue of the catechumen, to indicate the designation of the Apostles as the "salt of the earth" in Matthew 5:13.

For the same reason, it was common for priests to bless salt for the faithful to sprinkle in their homes as a blessing.

And, of course, holy water itself is made with blessed salt.