In the midst of our fear and the uncertainty of
many things including perhaps our future, Jesus
reminds us to take courage, have faith, and feel
the Shalom of God. St. Paul reminds us of his
letter to the Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who
can be against us?” Trusting the Shalom of God
does not mean, however, that everything will
change into better circumstances of life. Having
the Shalom would assure us rather, that we will
endure the sufferings and hardships, still feeling
at peace in the midst of difficult situations. That
was Christ’s assurance to His disciples and still
His assurance to all of us. SHALOM!
The Rite of Scrutinies are held on the third, fourth, and
fifth Sundays of Lent. These rites, with roots dating back
to the early Church, take place during the Sunday Mass,
each thematically linked to the Gospel reading (we will be
using Year A) of the three passages from St. John’s
Gospel which teaches the elect about the mystery of sin,
and fill them with the Spirit of Christ.