Article II:
Part II: What are Scrutinies and why are they celebrated during Lent?
The fourth Sunday of Lent marks the second of three consecutive Sundays during Lent in which our three catechumens are prayed for and celebrate scrutinies within the parish community during Mass as they enter the final weeks in their preparation to be fully initiated into the Church at the Easter Vigil.
It has been the Church's tradition to reflect upon the readings from Cycle A (we are currently proclaiming Cycle B readings at Masses when the catechumens are not present). Last week's Scrutinies' gospel was a reflection about Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well, whom he shares the message about “living water.” This week, Jesus gives sight to the man born blind, who because of his faith, is able to physically see after Jesus rubs his eyes with a clay mixture. This is in sharp contrast to some of the Pharisees (those more concerned with strictly following man-made laws) who ask Jesus “Surely we are not also blind, are we?” Jesus responds “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you are saying, ‘We see,’ so your sin remains” - a cautionary reminder to all of us as we prepare for Easter.
Whether you attend the Mass with the catechumens who are now called the Elect or not, all of us should examine (scrutinize) and acknowledge our sinfulness and be inspired through the prayers and blessings offered to those preparing to be fully received into our faith, to have hope. For isn't that the real meaning behind the cross and Resurrection? We possess a life worth living – made by God our creator, redeemed by God through His Son, and sustained by God through the Holy Spirit.
We ask that you keep our Elect, their sponsors and families in your prayers as we continue our final preparations for the Easter Vigil.
On a separate but related note, St. Pat's has started a second group of inquirers who are interested in converting to the Catholic faith at NEXT year's Easter Vigil. If you're looking for a way to learn more about our faith while sharing your own faith experiences in a small group setting, I encourage you to pray about becoming an RCIA sponsor and contact me directly for further details. In much the same way as we identify godparents for infant baptisms and sponsors to mentor those preparing for confirmation, we also need sponsors for our catechumenate (RCIA) process. I'd love to hear from you – whether you are an inquirer, a sponsor or would like to be involved in growing our faith community. We have a joyful message to share which is why we receive and fully initiate new members at the Easter Vigil. For it is through Christ's suffering and death that we are able to proclaim “He is Risen” at Easter!