Dear Chas:

Well, my eye caught the use of the word "elders". If this is a Catholic Charismatic group, and they are using "elder" as a title, this a a problem. In the Bible, the "elders" of the Church are "priests".

Anyway, we need to remember that only a Priest can make water into a sacramental. If one is running out of holy water, and one just cannot get to a parish to refill the bottle, or have a priest available to bless more water, one could refill the bottle ONCE, if there is at least a fourth of bottle or so left in the bottle. If the original Holy Water is diluted too much it will cease to be Holy Water. Holy Water does not create more Holy Water anymore than blessing a ring with Holy Water makes the ring a sacramental that can then be used to bless other things. There has to be some of the original Holy Water, more than a few drops, in the bottle.

Just as with any liquid diluting it will eventually cause the original liquid to become non-existent. The Holy Water will cease to be blessed in short order with repeatedly diluting it. Only the original water blessed by the priest can transmit blessing to new water. As the water dilutes the original water becomes less and less, until it is no longer present.

This is similar to a Third Class relic. A Third Class relic is made by touching it to a First or Second Class relic. One then cannot make more Third Class relics by touching a Third Class relic to something else. The item must also be touch to the original First or Second Class relic.

Besides, there is no excuse or reason to refill a holy water bottle with regular water in any but emergency situations. In countries like the United States, there are plenty of Catholic Churches around to get more Holy Water. Laziness is not an excuse to refill a bottle with regular water.

God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary