The three scrutinies are now celebrated on the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays of Lent with those who are preparing to enter the Church at Easter. The First Scrutiny was celebrated here at St. Ignatius of Antioch at the 11am Mass this last Sunday.
The word "scrutinize" means to examine in minute detail, and in the scrutinies, the Church prays that every last minute detail of the lives of the Catechumens may be handed over to Christ.
In the Gospel today, the Lord speaks of how his followers are to follow the smallest letter and the smallest part of the letter of the law, even the least of the commandments are to be followed.
We are to scrutinize our behaviors, attitudes, and decisions in light of the Word of God in its entirety, including the challenging parts! And we are to seek conversion for all that is sinful, even minutely sinful. For the Lord desires to deliver us from sin, even the smallest amount of it. For not the smallest amount of sin will enter into heaven, not the tiniest amount. And we must cooperate with God in this matter to the furthest extent of our strength and our being.
The ritual book for the scrutinies says that the purpose of the scrutinies is to "heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect" and "to give them strength in Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the life". And that’s something each of us need to seek, every day: to turn to the Lord to heal anything that is defective or sinful in our hearts.
Catechism says, “In order to reach perfection the faithful should use the strength dealt out to them by Christ’s gift, so that . . . doing the will of the Father in everything, they may wholeheartedly devote themselves to the glory of God and to the service of their neighbor. Thus the holiness of the People of God will grow in fruitful abundance, as is clearly shown in the history of the Church through the lives of so many saints.”
We should be scrutinizing but not scrupulous. While we should bring our sins before God every day and seek conversion from them, we must not lose sight of God’s immense love for us, and his patience with us. An examination of conscience should be done in the light of God’s immense love.
In the first reading, Moses says that he teaches the people the statutes and decrees of God “that they may live”. May we, too, seek faithfulness to every statutes and decree of the Lord, handing over every dimension of our life to Christ, to be healed, strengthened, purified, enlightened, sanctified and blessed, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
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That obedience to all the commands of Christ and the statutes and decrees of the Church may mark the life of every Christian.
For all those preparing to enter into Christ through the saving waters of Baptism and those preparing for full initiation this Easter, may these final Lenten weeks bring about purification from sin and enlightenment in the ways of holiness.
For those who have fallen away from the Church, who have become separated through error and sin, for those who reject the teachings of Christ, for their conversion and the conversion of all hearts.
For those experiencing any kind of hardship or sorrow, isolation, addiction, or illness: may they experience the healing graces of Christ.
For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, for the repose of the soul of dear parishioner and staff member Rich Wild, who died yesterday, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.
Grant, we pray, O Lord, that your people may turn to you with all their heart, so that whatever they dare to ask in fitting prayer they may receive by your mercy.
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