Saints LightWhat Are the Scrutinies?
The Scrutinies are not tests but prayers in which the Church asks Christ to heal and free the elect, using the Gospels of living water, sight and new life.
The word scrutiny sounds like an exam. It is not. Nobody questions you, and you cannot fail. The Scrutinies are prayers of healing and strengthening for the elect, celebrated at Sunday Mass on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent.
Their purpose is to uncover whatever is weak, wounded or sinful in the heart, so that Christ can heal it, and to strengthen everything that is good. The elect kneel or bow, the community prays for them, and the priest lays hands on each one and prays a prayer of exorcism. That word can sound dramatic, but here it is a quiet, ancient prayer asking God to free a person from the power of evil. The Church has always prayed this way before Baptism, because Baptism means liberation from sin and from the devil (CCC 1237).
Each Scrutiny is tied to a great Gospel from John, read that day even in other years of the lectionary cycle when the elect are present. The first is the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4): Jesus offers living water to someone thirsty and ashamed. The second is the man born blind (John 9): Jesus gives sight, and the man slowly comes to faith. The third is the raising of Lazarus (John 11): Jesus calls a dead man out of the tomb. Thirst, blindness, death. Then water, light, life. That is the whole story of Baptism.
During these weeks the Church also hands on two treasures: the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. You receive them as gifts, pray with them, and on Holy Saturday you may be asked to recite the Creed.
Baptized candidates do not take part in the Scrutinies, because they are already baptized, but a similar penitential rite is sometimes celebrated for them, often on the Second Sunday of Lent.
How do you prepare your heart? Be honest with God about what still has a hold on you: a resentment, a habit, a fear. Name it in prayer before each Scrutiny. You do not have to be finished to be baptized. You have to be willing to be healed.
Key points
- The Scrutinies are healing prayers for the elect on the Third, Fourth and Fifth Sundays of Lent.
- They include a gentle prayer of exorcism, asking God to free the elect from evil.
- Each is linked to a Gospel: the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and Lazarus.
- The goal is not perfection but a heart open to Christ's healing.
The Word of God
But the water that I will give him, shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up into life everlasting.
He said therefore to them: If he be a sinner, I know not: one thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see.
Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, although he be dead, shall live:
Catechism paragraphs for this lesson
- CCC 1237
- CCC 1428
- CCC 1095
CCC means the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Saints Light teaches it in its own words and never quotes it. Look up any paragraph in a printed copy or at vatican.va. See every lesson by paragraph in the Catechism index.
Live it this week
Read John 9 this week, then write one sentence naming where you still feel blind, and offer it to God before the next Scrutiny.
Check yourself: three questions
1. What is a Scrutiny?
- A prayer of healing and strengthening for the elect during Lent
- An oral exam on Catholic doctrine before Baptism
- A private interview with the bishop
- A review of your OCIA attendance
Show the answer
A prayer of healing and strengthening for the elect during Lent. The Scrutinies uncover what needs healing and strengthen what is good. No one is tested or graded.
2. Which three Gospels go with the three Scrutinies?
- The Nativity, the Baptism of Jesus, and the Transfiguration
- The Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus
- The Prodigal Son, the Good Samaritan, and the Lost Sheep
- The Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and the Last Supper
Show the answer
The Samaritan woman, the man born blind, and the raising of Lazarus. These three readings from John move from thirst to water, blindness to sight, and death to life.
3. What does the prayer of exorcism in the Scrutinies involve?
- A sign that the elect are thought to be possessed
- A dramatic ritual only a bishop may perform in private
- Something only for those with a serious past
- A quiet prayer asking God to free the elect from the power of evil
Show the answer
A quiet prayer asking God to free the elect from the power of evil. The Church has always prayed for deliverance from evil before Baptism, because Baptism frees us from sin and the devil (CCC 1237).
Words to know
- Scrutiny
- A rite of prayer for the elect during Lent, asking God to heal what is weak and strengthen what is good.
- Exorcism (minor)
- A prayer asking God to free a person from the influence of evil, prayed over those preparing for Baptism.
More terms in the Catholic glossary. More passages in the Scripture index.
For catechists: a one hour class plan
Goal. The group should understand that the Scrutinies are not tests but prayers of healing and strengthening, and take to heart that Christ wants to heal and free them.
Opener. Ask: "When you hear the word scrutiny, what do you picture?" Let people laugh about tax audits and exams. Then explain that the Church means something very different.
Discussion questions
- Why does the Church pray over the elect with a gentle prayer of exorcism? Does that sound frightening? [It asks God to free them from all that is evil; it is not a dramatic movie scene. Reassure the group calmly.]
- Each Scrutiny goes with a Gospel: the Samaritan woman, the man born blind, Lazarus. Which story speaks to you most right now? [Living water, sight, new life. Any answer is good.]
- The lesson says the goal is not perfection but an open heart. Why is that freeing? [People often feel they must be "good enough" before Easter. Christ comes to heal, not to grade.]
- For those of us who are already Catholic, what can we learn from the Scrutinies? [Everyone needs healing. Sponsors and the parish pray with the elect.]
Activity. Read John 9:1-38 aloud together, with readers for the narrator, Jesus, the man born blind, his parents and the Pharisees. Then 6 minutes of silence: each writes one sentence naming where they still feel blind, and folds the paper. Invite people to bring it to the next Scrutiny and offer it to God silently.
Closing prayer. Lord Jesus, You gave living water to the woman at the well, sight to the man born blind, and life to Lazarus. Heal what is wounded in us. Free us from what holds us back. Open our eyes to see You, and lead us out into the light. Amen.
Timing. Opening prayer 5 min, opener 5 min, read the lesson together 12 min, discussion 18 min, activity (John 9 reading) 15 min, closing 5 min.
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