Each Sunday, the Church prepares the faithful to worthily assist at Mass with the prayer, Asperges Me.
Those words come from Psalm 50, verse 9 (Douay Rheims Bible):
“Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.”
This sprinkling with holy water has roots in the Old Testament. God had ordained that hyssop branches be used in purification rites (Exodus 12:22, Numbers 19:18, Psalm 50). So early Christians adopted this symbolism. But this Christian rite goes beyond that of the Old Testament by drawing its cleansing power from the sacrament of Baptism and Christ’s saving Blood. That’s where the Asperges Me derives its efficacy.
The Asperges Me itself is a preparatory prayer for Holy Mass. It is said in the Traditional Latin Mass, where it precedes the Sung Mass on Sundays. (During Paschaltide (from Easter until Pentecost), it is replaced by the joyful Vidi Aquam.)
As the servers process into the sanctuary, the priest, kneeling, intones the Asperges Me. The choir then picks it up and continues singing while the priest sprinkles the altar, clergy, and altar servers. He then leaves the sanctuary to sprinkle the faithful as well, refilling the aspergillum by dipping it in the holy water.
The priest returns to the sanctuary after the sprinkling. Then he recites the 8th verse of Psalm 84:
V. Ostende nobis, Domine, misericordiam tuam.
R. Et salutare tuum da nobis.
Then he concludes with the rest of the prayers and an Oremus asking God to send His angel to protect all who are gathered in the Church.
Symbolism and Meaning
The Asperges Me is rich in spiritual meaning. Here are three every Catholic should know:
- Cleansing and Purification – The sprinkling with holy water washes away our venial faults, preparing the soul to participate more worthily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.
- Baptismal Renewal – It reminds us of our baptism, when we were first cleansed of sin and reborn in Christ.
- Protection from Evil – Since holy water is a sacramental, it draws God’s blessing and protection against temptation and the snares of the devil.
The Asperges Me brings a central Catholic truth to life. And that’s every Christian’s need for purification and God’s grace.
So the next time you’re at Mass, sing the Asperges Me with the choir. Sign yourself when the priest sprinkles you with holy water. And prepare yourself to assist at Mass with a pure heart, humble, contrite, and filled with devotion.
That way, as the priest prays the judica me Deus at the foot of the altar, your prayers, united with his, will ascend to the throne of God.