RCIA Candidates Now Examining Spiritual Weaknesses
On the third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent, the Church celebrates three Scrutinies with the unbaptized. Scrutinies are examinations. Since Lent focuses more on interior reflection than catechetical instruction, those preparing for baptism, confirmation, and Eucharist are to examine their lives to see where they are holding back from following Christ. “The scrutinies … uncover, then heal all that is weak, defective, or sinful in the hearts of the elect; to bring out, then strengthen all that is upright, strong, and good” (par 141). Not an easy task even for us who have been Christians since birth! Three Gospels from ancient times are used as “mirrors” for our new members (in every year new members are initiated).
The First Scrutiny, on the Third Sunday of Lent, holds before the Elect and the Church, the Gospel of the Samaritan woman. Jesus sits alone under the hot noonday sun after sending his disciples to get something to eat. The woman, married for the fifth time, comes alone to the well because she has a “reputation.” Jesus speaks to her (unheard for a man to address a woman, much less a Jew a Samaritan) asking her for a drink of water. During their conversation, Jesus mentions that if she only knew with whom she was talking, he would give her living water welling up unto everlasting life within her.
The woman is a “thirsty” woman. She “thirsts” for love, evident in her having five husbands. She reminds us how we all thirst for things to fill emptiness within us. We use love, sex, alcohol, shopping, gambling, eating or any other addictive behavior to fill up this inner void. But there is nothing in this world that will satisfy that deep-down thirst we have for love. Only God in Jesus can satisfy that deepest desire. So our new members and the Church ask ourselves: “What are the things we use to try to satisfy that deep-down thirst only Jesus can satisfy?” “Do we take time to draw closer to Jesus in prayer to allow him to satisfy that thirst of love?” “Are we satisfied with the false thirst-quenchers we have chosen for ourselves?”
The Second Scrutiny, on the Fourth Sunday of Lent, holds before us the Gospel of the man born blind. What a terrible tragedy to be blind! But the Gospel is not only about physical blindness. The Gospel speaks about a spiritual blindness to God with which we all have been born. We can remain in that spiritual blindness to the things of God. Or like the blind man, we can ask Jesus to restore our interior eyesight, to see reality with the very eyes of God. Are we blind to God’s love for us? Are we blind to God’s forgiveness, unable to forgive ourselves for past sins? Are we blind to the needs of others, especially the poor and outcasts, and our responsibility to help them? Are we blind to what it means to be a “baptized” person? Where does Jesus need to heal our blindness? How difficult it is to recognize our blindness!
The Third Scrutiny, on the Fifth Sunday of Lent, is the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus tells the crowd as Lazarus comes out of the tomb, “Unbind him and let him go free.” That binds us from being Christ’s servants? Do grudges toward others hold us bound tight? Does our refusal to forgive others bind us tightly in resentment? Do we need to be unbound from a spirit of anger in our lives? Does a lack of thankfulness hold us bound to fail to recognize that all we have and are come from our good and loving God? Does a lack of trust in God’s care for us bind us in doubt and a lack of care for others? Where does Christ need to unbind us and let us go free to live his new life?
As we hear these Gospels proclaimed in the Liturgy and our new members reflect more deeply upon them, it is the Church’s hope that all of us will be healed from our weaknesses, defects, and sins; and strengthened to be upright, strong and good (par 141).
