The readings for the day, specifically chosen for the First Scrutiny, were from Exodus 17: 3-7 and Romans 5:1-8. The Gospel was from John 4: 5 – 42. This is a passage I do not understand as well as I would like to. Before going any further, if you would like to read the long Gospel passage of the woman at the well you can follow the link to See More...
[Jesus] came to a town of Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of land that Jacob had given to his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there. Jesus, tired from his journey, sat down there at the well. It was about noon.
A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." His disciples had gone into the town to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How can you, a Jew, ask me, a Samaritan woman, for a drink?" (For Jews use nothing in common with Samaritans.) Jesus answered and said to her, "If you knew the gift of God and who is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him and he would have given you living water." (The woman) said to him, "Sir, you do not even have a bucket and the cistern is deep; where then can you get this living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us this cistern and drank from it himself with his children and his flocks?" Jesus answered and said to her, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I may not be thirsty or have to keep coming here to draw water."
Jesus said to her, "Go call your husband and come back." The woman answered and said to him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus answered her, "You are right in saying, 'I do not have a husband.' For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband. What you have said is true." The woman said to him, "Sir, I can see that you are a prophet. Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain; but you people say that the place to worship is in Jerusalem." Jesus said to her, "Believe me, woman, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. You people worship what you do not understand; we worship what we understand, because salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and truth; and indeed the Father seeks such people to worship him. God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in Spirit and truth." The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming, the one called the Anointed; when he comes, he will tell us everything." Jesus said to her, "I am he, the one who is speaking with you."
At that moment his disciples returned, and were amazed that he was talking with a woman, but still no one said, "What are you looking for?" or "Why are you talking with her?" The woman left her water jar and went into the town and said to the people, "Come see a man who told me everything I have done. Could he possibly be the Messiah?" They went out of the town and came to him. Meanwhile, the disciples urged him, "Rabbi, eat." But he said to them, "I have food to eat of which you do not know." So the disciples said to one another, "Could someone have brought him something to eat?" Jesus said to them, "My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, 'In four months the harvest will be here'? I tell you, look up and see the fields ripe for the harvest. The reaper is already receiving his payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is verified that 'One sows and another reaps.' I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work, and you are sharing the fruits of their work."
Many of the Samaritans of that town began to believe in him because of the word of the woman who testified, "He told me everything I have done." When the Samaritans came to him, they invited him to stay with them; and he stayed there two days. Many more began to believe in him because of his word, and they said to the woman, "We no longer believe because of your word; for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is truly the savior of the world."
Observations on the Gospel
These are two things I have heard other people bring up.
- The woman is at the well at midday. Most people drew their water in the morning or evening to avoid the heat. Only the outcasts would go to the well at midday, so this woman must be an outcast of the village. Samaritans were also looked down upon by Jews of the time.
- The woman has five husbands. At the time, Israel had been occupied by five different countries. The woman can be understood as Israel, giving itself to five different foreign forces and their gods.
If you have any insightful comments they would be appreciated.
The First Scrutiny
There were no programs for this like there were for the Rite of Election. However, there is a summary of what happens here and a complete text available in pdf here. My comments about links three weeks ago bear repeating if the message has not gotten across.
The Scrutiny consisted of praying over the elect. The priest prayed a prayer of exorcism that the elect be delivered from all mistrust and not be misled. At the same time, the congregation prayed quietly for the elect. After more prayers for the elect, the priest placed his hand on each of the elect to bless them. Since there are only three elect in the parish, it was easy for him.
The Second and Third Scrutinies are happening on the next two Sundays. If you get a chance you can find out at what mass they do the RCIA stuff and go at that time to see it for yourself.
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