One of the beautiful features of our Catholic faith is its universality. On any given day, apart from particular celebrations like a funeral Mass, or the celebration of a local patron saint, all Catholics attending Mass around the world will hear the same readings. This is especially true on Sundays. However, the three middle Sundays of Lent (the 3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays) are among the few occasions where this rule doesn’t hold. On these Sundays, you may hear different readings at Mass depending on which parish, and even which Mass within a parish, you attend. This is because during these Sundays a series of ceremonies, known as the scrutinies, can take place.
The scrutinies are ceremonies that help prepare those adults who will be baptized at the Easter Vigil. Each of the scrutinies is composed of several parts. First, there is the invitation to silent prayer. After the homily, the elect, those to be baptized, come forward with their sponsors. The whole assembly is then invited to pray for them in silence. This solemn moment is a sign of the spiritual union and care we should have for each other in our pilgrimage toward a deeper union with Christ and His Church. After a period of silent prayer, we then offer vocal prayers for the elect so that they may be strengthened and protected in embracing the faith. This is followed by a prayer of exorcism. The prayer of exorcism acknowledges the reality of evil and the fact that in our Christian journey, the evil one tries mightily to tempt us away from following Christ. Thus, as we accompany our brothers and sisters as they begin their Christian journey, we pray that they may be strengthened and protected against temptation. After the prayer of exorcism, there is the laying on of hands. With this gesture, we ask the Holy Spirit to come upon the elect and to fill them with His grace. Lastly, the elect are sent forward to reflect on God’s grace and to continue to prepare themselves spiritually during these final weeks before their baptism.
In addition to these ceremonies, each of the scrutinies is accompanied by a particular set of scripture readings. The first scrutiny is paired with the Gospel account of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well. The second scrutiny is paired with Jesus’ healing of the blind man. The third scrutiny invites us to reflect on Jesus’ raising of His friend Lazarus. Each of these three gospel passages shows manifestations of Jesus’ healing power and of His divinity. They also invite us to reflect on what happens in the life of a Christian as we draw into deeper communion with our Lord and His Church.
Those of our brothers and sisters who seek to become a part of the body of Christ, and those who seek to complete their sacraments of initiation, at the Easter Vigil are a challenge and an inspiration to each of us. They should inspire us by their zealous undertaking of this mission to discover the meaning of life and the road to true happiness that is found through friendship with Jesus. They challenge each of us because they invite us to reflect again on our own response to receiving the sacraments of initiation and the commitments they require from us. The elect also remind us of the role that we have in inviting others to learn about the faith and consider becoming members of the Church. Many people around us are searching for the truth and are simply waiting for someone to invite them to take a step in the right direction. In these weeks of our Lenten pilgrimage let us pray for those who will receive sacraments at the Easter vigil and let us pray that God will continue to call people to enter the Church and that we may have the courage and generosity of spirit to invite them and welcome them along this journey. – Fr. Carlos