Q: Your blog is always a go-to for me on liturgical questions, and I always appreciate your thoughts.
The header for the Scrutiny Masses in the Missal’s Ritual Mass section says that violet may be used at Scrutiny Masses when celebrated on the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Sundays of Lent. Does this mean that a rose colored vestment is not allowed to be worn at the Second Scrutiny?
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A: I really don’t think it means violet only. If you look at the headings for the other Masses in this section (Rite of Election and Conferring Baptism, for example), they always give a note about vestment color. I think the heading is trying to be helpful without being detailed.
When you look at the heading for the Fourth Sunday of Lent, it permits violet or rose, and it says that scrutiny Masses take the proper prayers and intercessions, but it says nothing about the scrutinies requiring a vestment color different from what it just said.
You could make a case that violet is more proper to a scrutiny. But I don’t think the rubric excludes rose.