THE FIRST SCRUTINY: Saturday, March 22, 2025 @ 4:00 PM
- shbentley639
- Mar 19
- 7 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
Jesus said, "Those who drink this water will get thirsty again, but those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. John 4:13-14.,
This is a preparation session for The ELECT and their godparents/sponsors and Families for the First Scrutiny to be held on Saturday, March 22 @ 4:00 PM at St. Francis in English.
Opening Song: As the Deer....
OPENING PRAYER:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
May your unfailing compassion, O Lord, cleanse and protect us, and since without you we cannot stand secure, may we always receive and be guided by your grace.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God for ever and ever. AMEN
CONTINUAL PRAYER for the ELECT
We continue to pray for our Beloved ELECT who will be receiving the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist at the Easter Vigil.
Help them to recognize and confess you as their Lord and Savior deep in their hearts in these final weeks of preparation.
Guide us who surround them with prayer and support toward the healing of our own souls and the strengthening of our own faith as we all ponder the Gospel Scriptures presented during the third, fourth, and fifth Sundays in Lent.
These are the Scrutinies for the Elect:
Week 3 of Lent: The Samaritan Woman at the Well (John 4:5-42)
Week 4 of Lent: The Man Blind from Birth (John 9:1-41)
Week 5 of Lent: The Raising of Lazarus (John 11:1-45)
REFLECTION on the SCRUTINIEIS
Here is an excellent reflection on the Scrutinies and especially the Samaritan Woman. Reflect on how God is healing and strengthening you to be a mighty disciple for Jesus.
What new insights have we gathered from our Lenten journey so far?
What resistance have we encountered?
How has God led us to a deeper faith in Jesus?
The FIRST SCRUTINY: Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: John 4:1-42
Watch this video to review the story
Read the full story of Jesus and the Samaritan Woman: John 4:1-42 in The Catholic Children's Bible : pages 1657-1660.
Read all parts of the featured story: Jesus is the Source of Eternal Life in The Catholic Children's Bible: pages 1662-1663: Scripture, Understand it, Live it, Tell it.
Based on your reading of the whole story and using the pictures, re-tell this story in your own words and how it is helping you to grow closer to Jesus every day.
EXAMPLE
Jesus is resting by a well and asks a Samaritan woman for a drink of water.
The woman at first doesn't trust Jesus and asks why he would be asking her for a drink: he doesn't have a cup or anything to drink from and Jewish men like Jesus don't talk to women, especially Samaritan woman.
Jesus tells her that if he knew who he was, she would be asking him for a drink. He tells her that the water he will give her will become in her a spring which will give her life-giving water and eternal life with God. He tells her that He IS the Messiah. She believes him and goes and tells the people of her town that she has found the Messiah!
Download and take time this week to practice Lectio Divina with this Gospel Reading
Reflect on one or more of these questions:
How does this passage connect with the experience of your daily life?
Give me a drink.
In what ways can you help to share God's love with those who thirst for his presence?
Those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth.
How does actively participating in weekly worship with others draw you closer to
God?
We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that he is truly the savior of the world.
How has your faith in God been strengthened by this study?
Example: This story showed me that God is reaching out to all of us all the time. Even though the Samaritan woman needed a lot of healing, she yearned for and courageously asked for the living water that Jesus promised. She already believed that the Messiah was coming as savior. This encouraged me and reminded me that God desires that we will all be healed and restored to new life with him in God's Kingdom forever.
ORDER OF THE MASS ON Saturday, March 22, 2025 @ 4:00 PM
The Mass as usual
Introductory Rites including the Penitential Act (General Confession), Collect Prayer
The Liturgy of the WORD: First Reading, Responsorial Psalm, Second Reading, Gospel, Homily. SPECIAL NOTE: The Readings may be the regular Mass Preparation for Sunday, March 23.....NOT the Samaritan Woman. Look for the Sunday Mass Preparation to be posted. THE ELECT are to pray through the Story of Jesus and the Samraritan Woman as the FIRST SCRUTINY to examine and ponder their own FAITH.
PRAYER AFTER HOMILY.
After the Homily, the Elect and godparents are called forward to stand before the priest.
The priest asks the families and community at the Mass to pray for the Elect, asking God to give them
a SPIRiT of REPENTANCE,
a SENSE OF SIN
and theTRUE FREEDOM of the children of God
The priest asks the ELECT to show their SPIRIT OF REPENTANCE by bowing or kneeling.
SPECIAL INTERCESSIONS
Almighty God,
We pray for those Elect as they complete their long preparation to receive Christ in his Sacraments of Initiation at the Easter Vigil. Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We also ask for your blessing for our Candidates preparing for the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Communion at the Easter feast
Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We ask for both our Faith Community and for our Candidates, that as we ponder your WORD in our hearts and are guided by your Spirit toward deeper understanding, we may grow closer in unity with Christ who came to save us all.
Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We pray that through your grace we may humbly confess ourselves to be sinners who sincerely reject everything in our lives that may not honor what Christ did for us, once and for all.
Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We pray that through the power of the Holy Spirit searching our hearts, we may overcome our weaknesses and wisely discern and obey God's will for our lives
Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We pray that our families also may put their hope in Christ and find peace and holiness in him. Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We pray that as we continue to prepare for the Easter feast, we may seek a change of heart, give ourselves to prayer, and persevere in our good works.
Response: Lord Hear Our Prayer
We pray that throughout the whole world, whatever is weak may be strengthened, whatever is broken restored, whatever is lost found, and what is found redeemed. AMEN
PRAYER FOR PROTECTION
All-merciful Father,
through your Son you revealed your mercy to the woman of Samaria; and moved by the same care you have offered salvation to all sinners.
Look favorably on us who are your adopted children through the power of your sacraments.
Continue to free us from the savory of sin, and give us grace to take on the gentle yoke of Jesus.
Protect us from every danger that we may serve you faithfully in peace, joy and gratitude. AMEN
Lord Jesus,
In your merciful wisdom, you touched the heart of the Samaritan woman and taught her to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth.
Now by your power, continue to free us from the power of Satan as we willingly seek to be filled by your Spirit of living water. Teach us to worship the Father in Spirit and in truth as you live and reign for ever and ever. AMEN
HANDING ON THE CREED
My dear friends, listen carefully to the words of that faith by which you will be justified.
The words are few, but the mysteries they contain are great.
Receive them with a sincere heart and treasure them.
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty
maker of heaven and earth
of all things visible and invisible
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages,
God from God, Light from light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made consubstantial with the Father,
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
At the words that follow, up to and including and became man, all bow.
and by the Holy spirit was incarnate of the virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures,
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
he will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets,
I believe in one, holy catholic and spostolic church,
I confess one baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. AMEN
PRAYER OVER THE ELECT
The Priest will pray over the ELECT
DISMISSAL
The ELECT are dismissed and the MASS continues with the Celebration of the Eucharist. The Elect will follow Ms. Sue to reflect on the experience. The
Godparents and Families remain in the Mass.
John 7:38-39
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
37 On the last and greatest day of the feast, Jesus stood up and exclaimed, “Let anyone who thirsts come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as scripture says:
‘Rivers of living water[a] will flow from within him.’”
39 He said this in reference to the Spirit that those who came to believe in him were to receive.
There was, of course, no Spirit yet,[b] because Jesus had not yet been glorified.
:38 Living water: not an exact quotation from any Old Testament passage; in the gospel context the gift of the Spirit is meant; cf. Jn 3:5. From within him: the believer.
7:39 No Spirit yet: Earlier texts add “given.” In this…