1st Scrutiny Homily

Today we gather as a community of faith with Elaine Carson and Kimberly Mostad, who will soon enter into the life giving waters of baptism. On this day we celebrate the first scrutiny where the readings were taken from Year A of the lectionary to prepare them for the undertaking that they will make as they enter into the life of the Church. With this week they begin their journey that will reach its culmination at the Easter Vigil when they will finally receive the Sacraments that they have spent the past year preparing for. May all of us who are gathered here this day keep them in our prayers as they continue to make this journey of faith. This journey of faith that we encounter today should make us look back upon our own baptisms and to reflect upon the faith that we often take for granted because it is something that we have inherited. Despite the inheritance of our faith we encounter Christ who meets us at the well and challenges us to continue to give ourselves over to Him out of love.

We will notice with the prayers prayed over these catechumens, in matter of moments, that we will ask for exorcism upon them. Through these prayers we will ask that they be preserved from the corruption of the devil. In baptism they make these statements for themselves because from the life giving waters of baptism they will have new life bestowed upon them. Due to these waters they will be allowed to enter fully into the life of the Church which will aid them in their journey towards God. To worthily partake of the Sacraments of the Church will aid them in their daily denial of Satan and his message of sin and restore them to the glory of Christ who desires that their offering of themselves may be given out of love to our Father who is in Heaven. Baptism will erase the effects of original sin, confession will restore the relationship with God that is lost and broken through sin, and the Holy Eucharist will give nourishment for the journey of faith that must be undertaken each day.

For all of us inside of this Church who join these catechumens in prayer we should realize the need for daily conversion within our own lives. From our own examination of conscience we can probably all find ways that we have turned away from the life giving waters of Christ. We often end up like the Israelites who grumbled against Moses when they found themselves wandering around the desert without nourishment. In their lack of faith they failed to see that God was always present and willing to fill all of their needs. May we not allow this lack of faith to exist in our own lives, but continue to challenge ourselves to turn away from sin and the lies that the devil brings into our lives. Sin might seem to have a stronghold upon our lives, but we can easily become like the woman who was liberated from her sin in Saint John's Gospel. Despite her past she realized that in Christ all of her longings could be fulfilled in an ordered way. If Christ truly dwells within our hearts we can be led away from our contentment of sin and towards the joy that is found with conversion.

As we now find ourselves in the middle of this Lenten season we must reflect upon our own conversion of heart that has taken place. Have we grown lax in our Lenten fasts or do we continue to challenge ourselves towards conversion of heart through them? Are we content with our relationship to sin or are we willing to trust in the life giving waters that Christ brings into our lives through conversion? The baptism that we share and these two candidates will soon enter into bears the message of conversion to us. We are not to enter into relationship with the life giving waters of God and remain content with our own sin. All us find ourselves to be pilgrims on this journey until we are united with Christ at its culmination. His Holiness Benedict XVI said this most beautifully in his final address of his pontificate by saying: "I am no longer the pope but am still in the Church. I'm just a pilgrim who is starting the last part of his pilgrimage on earth."

Here and now all of us join upon this pilgrimage of life. We find ourselves at different stages, but we are united by one goal. Some received this goal as an infant while others found the faith later in life. Some are just now starting to discover the true reality of faith that exists and desire to enter into it more and more. No matter where we find ourselves may we not allow our hearts to be hardened, but instead to be opened wide for the sake of conversion. Christ has extended this invitation to us now with the hope that we will turn away from sin and towards the love of His Father. May we be willing to accept this invitation into our lives here and now.