Q: I am enjoying reading your blog comments on liturgical matters. Thank you.
Well, I too have a question. During the 3rd, 4th, 5th Sundays of Lent, we celebrate the scrutinies only at one liturgy in my parish. The readings and gospel readings are from cycle A. Is it liturgically correct to stay with Cycle B readings for the other two liturgies or is there an option to stay with Cycle A readings.
I am asking this question from the point of view of a priest having to prepare two homilies.
==
A: Thanks for your comments on my blog.
I feel your pain, but the readings for Year A are only used with scrutinies on those three Sundays.
I’ve used a variety of strategies. If there’s another preacher in the parish (priest or deacon), we assign the masses accordingly. Or if there’s only one preacher, he can preach on something else – such as the penitential act or a eucharistic prayer for masses of reconciliation. Or he can prepare one homily with removable parts – often a theme that shows up in one year of the cycle reappears in another year, and each homily can use one example.
Or the priest just prepares two homilies. We do it when we have funerals and weddings on the weekend. We can do it for scrutinies.