We have looked closely at the importance, meaning, and celebration of the scurtinies over several articles. The scrutinies, more than any other part of the Period of Purification and Enlightenment, prepare the elect for initiation. But what, exactly, does that mean? What will be the lasting impact of the scrutinies after the elect have been baptized?

Both the ancient wisdom of the church and the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults tell us that the scrutinies are not just a lenten prayer. They are a rehearsal for reality and provide a lifelong pattern for following the Cross.

We are going to draw on the insights of St. Augustine to see how the scrutinies both heal the elect and strengthen them for mission in ways that last long after the Easter Vigil.

The interior work of the scrutinies

St. Augustine reminded his elect that the true work of the scrutinies is internal. He taught that, as the minister of the rite, he had his work to do. And the elect, he said, also have their work to do. He told the elect:

What I do for you—that is, by invoking your redeemer’s name—you finish up by scrutinizing your heart and by contrition. On my part: I thwart ploys by pleading with God and by denouncing your old enemy. On your part: keep plying [God] with vows, and keep up your contrition of heart, (William Harmless, Augustine and the Catechumenate, 271)

By urging the elect to focus on their “interior scrutiny,” he is telling them that they cannot always blame outside circumstances (i.e. the devil) for their failings. Oftentimes we simply fail to live up to our best selves. By examining their hearts in progressively deeper ways over the course of the scrutinies, the elect “acknowledge what has defiled them” and “uncover their hidden wounds” (OCIA 154 A).

By the power of God’s love, they discover how to become free from their infirmities and healed of their sickness (see OCIA 154 A). As Augustine told his elect:

The devil is not to be blamed for everything: there are times when a man may be his own devil” (Harmless, 272).

The scrutinies teach the elect how to recognize their own “evil ways” so they can “entangle [themselves] in good ones” (Harmless, 270).

The communal bond

Another lifelong effect of the scrutinies is that they forge a communal identity that prevents the elect from feeling lost in the parish. Augustine highlighted that the very name given to the elect—the competentes—implies a shared mission. He said to them:

Certainly, your very name—since you are called competentes—shows that you crave this, that you are striving for this with all the energy of your being. What else are competentes but people suing together for something? (Harmless, 266).

Competentes, which means competitors, was a name applied to the elect in the ancient church. Augustine uses the term to remind his elect that they are a “band of fellow seekers bound by a common task and shared ministry” (Harmless, 267).

They are meant to be “fellow soldiers” and “fellow recruits” who remain “fearless of the ‘terrors of the world,’ even though rival ‘armies pitch camp’ nearby and a ‘battle’ threatens” (Harmless, 267).

When we celebrate the scrutinies well, we are inducting the elect into a community of action that sustains them for a lifetime.

When we celebrate the scrutinies well, we are inducting the elect into a community of action that sustains them for a lifetime.

A lifelong labor of renewal

Finally, the scrutinies teach the elect that conversion is a lifelong “laboring to clear land which had been overgrown with thorns” (Harmless, 269). Augustine used the metaphor of human growth to show that the grace received in the scrutinies matures over a lifetime:

Innocence will be your infancy; reverence, your childhood; patience, your adolescence; courage, your youth; merit, your adulthood; and nothing other than venerable and wise discernment, your old age. Through these age-divisions or stages, you are not developed [literally: “unrolled”], but, though remaining the same, you are renewed. (Harmless 269)

For those of us that labor in this ministry, the scrutinies are a joyful moment that we should pause and take notice of. The scrutinies make clear that we have not been preparing the catechumens-now-elect for a single night at the font. We have been accompanying them on a journey that leads to an ultimate, liberating encounter with the Risen Christ.

We can make the same promise to our elect that Augustine made to his:

Now your captivity, during which [the devil] held you in his tyrannical grip, will be wiped out. The slave-yoke with which he savagely used to weigh you down will be lifted off you and dropped on his own neck. To bring about your emancipation, you need only give your redeemer the word.” (Harmless, 268)

The legacy of your ministry

When you look back at the elect months and years after Easter, remember this moment. Remember when the elect knelt in prayer to ask God’s mercy and grace. Remember when you stood by them as they courageously uncovered what still, finally, needed healing and liberation. Remember when you saw them accept the fullness of their God-given gifts and echoed Mary’s “yes” to the mission. Remember that this is the ministry and vocation that God has called you to and blessed you with.

Review all the articles in this series

1. Why “scrutiny” is actually about light
2. Reclaiming the victory of the exorcism
3. The scrutinies are a three-part story of conversion
4. Empowering godparents for the scrutinies
5. What happens to the elect because of the scrutinies?

---

Are you ready to give your elect the spiritual tools they need for a lifetime?

The scrutinies are too consequential to be treated as “dry ritual.” To ensure you are facilitating these rites with the depth they deserve—from the “interior scrutiny” to the communal victory—join us on Wednesday, February 26, 2026, at 11:00a PST / 2:00p EST for our exclusive webinar, “Use the Hidden Power of the Scrutinies to Renew Your Parish.”

We will dive into the practical ritual basics and preparation strategies that turn these rites into awe-inspiring moments of transformation. Don’t miss this opportunity to ignite new passion for faith in your parish community this Lent.

Click here to register

Free download: Scrutinies – Three Dos and Six Dont’s