The third Sunday of Lent marks a moment of profound transition in the penitential and catechetical discipline of the ancient Church, inaugurating the period of the "scrutinies" for those who were preparing for holy Baptism. In this phase of the liturgical year, the catechumens were subjected to rigorous examinations of their moral conduct and knowledge of Christian doctrine, often held on Wednesdays and Saturdays, accompanied by exorcisms pronounced by the priests to free them from the influences of the devil. The choice of the Basilica of Saint Lawrence Outside the Walls for the liturgical station of this Sunday is not accidental; by gathering the Christian community at the tomb of the glorious deacon, the Church entrusted the future baptized to his powerful patronage. Saint Lawrence, who in life administered the goods of the Church by presenting the poor as its true treasure and who heroically endured the flames of martyrdom, served as a supreme model of renunciation of paganism and victory over the illusions of the world. The atmosphere of this Roman station instilled in the faithful and the catechumens the necessary courage to face the spiritual combat against the spirit of darkness, inspiring them to purify their souls, to master their disordered passions, and to definitively embrace the light of Jesus Christ, preparing themselves worthily for the imminent renewal of their baptismal promises at the Easter Vigil.
🎶 Introit (Ps 24:15-16 | ibid., 1-2)
Oculi mei semper ad Dóminum, quia ipse evéllet de láqueo pedes meos: réspice in me, et miserére mei, quóniam únicus et pauper sum ego. Ps. Ad te, Dómine, levávi ánimam meam: Deus meus, in te confído, non erubéscam.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for He shall pluck my feet out of the snare. Look Thou upon me, and have mercy on me, for I am alone and poor. Ps. To Thee, O Lord, have I lifted up my soul. In Thee, O my God, I put my trust; let me not be ashamed.
📖 Epistle (Eph 5:1-9)
Fratres: Estote imitatóres Dei, sicut fílii caríssimi: et ambuláte in dilectióne, sicut et Christus diléxit nos, et trádidit semetípsum pro nobis oblatiónem, et hóstiam Deo in odórem suavitátis. Fornicátio autem et omnis immundítia aut avarítia nec nominétur in vobis, sicut decet sanctos: aut turpitúdo aut stultilóquium aut scurrílitas, quæ ad rem non pértinet: sed magis gratiárum áctio. Hoc enim scitóte intelligéntes, quod omnis fornicátor aut immúndus aut avárus, quod est idolórum sérvitus, non habet hereditátem in regno Christi et Dei. Nemo vos sedúcat inánibus verbis: propter hæc enim venit ira Dei in fílios diffidéntiæ. Nolíte ergo éffici partícipes eórum. Erátis enim aliquándo ténebræ: nunc autem lux in Dómino. Ut fílii lucis ambuláte: fructus enim lucis est in omni bonitáte et justítia et veritáte.
Brethren: Be ye therefore followers of God, as most dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered Himself for us, an oblation and a sacrifice to God for an odor of sweetness. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not so much as be named among you, as becometh saints: or filthiness, or foolish talking, or scurrility, which is to no purpose; but rather giving of thanks. For know you this and understand, that no fornicator, or unclean, or covetous person (which is a serving of idols), hath inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man deceive you with vain words. For because of these things cometh the anger of God upon the children of unbelief. Be ye not therefore partakers with them. For you were heretofore darkness, but now light in the Lord. Walk then as children of the light. For the fruit of the light is in all goodness, and justice, and truth.
📖 Gospel (Lk 11:14-28)
In illo témpore: Erat Jesus ejíciens dæmónium, et illud erat mutum. Et cum ejecísset dæmónium, locútus est mutus, et admirátæ sunt turbæ. Quidam autem ex eis dixérunt: In Beélzebub, príncipe dæmoniórum, éjicit dæmónia. Et alii tentántes, signum de cælo quærébant ab eo. Ipse autem ut vidit cogitatiónes eórum, dixit eis: Omne regnum in seípsum divísum desolábitur, et domus supra domum cadet. Si autem et Sátanas in seípsum divísus est, quómodo stabit regnum ejus? quia dícitis, in Beélzebub me ejícere dæmónia. Si autem ego in Beélzebub ejício dæmónia: fílii vestri in quo ejíciunt? Ideo ipsi júdices vestri erunt. Porro si in dígito Dei ejício dæmónia: profécto pervénit in vos regnum Dei. Cum fortis armátus custódit átrium suum, in pace sunt ea, quæ póssidet. Si autem fórtior eo supervéniens vícerit eum, univérsa arma ejus áuferet, in quibus confidébat, et spólia ejus distríbuet. Qui non est mecum, contra me est: et qui non cólligit mecum, dispérgit. Cum immúndus spíritus exíerit de hómine, ámbulat per loca inaquósa, quærens réquiem: et non invéniens, dicit: Revértar in domum meam, unde exívi. Et cum vénerit, invénit eam scopis mundátam, et ornátam. Tunc vadit, et assúmit septem álios spíritus secum nequióres se, et ingréssi hábitant ibi. Et fiunt novíssima hóminis illíus pejóra prióribus. Factum est autem, cum hæc díceret: extóllens vocem quædam múlier de turba, dixit illi: Beátus venter, qui te portávit, et úbera, quæ suxísti. At ille dixit: Quinímmo beáti, qui áudiunt verbum Dei, et custódiunt illud.
At that time, Jesus was casting out a devil, and the same was dumb. And when He had cast out the devil, the dumb spoke, and the multitudes were in admiration at it. But some of them said: He casteth out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. And others tempting, asked of Him a sign from heaven. But He seeing their thoughts, said to them: Every kingdom divided against itself, shall be brought to desolation, and house upon house shall fall. And if satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because you say, that through Beelzebub I cast out devils. Now if I cast out devils by Beelzebub; by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges. But if I by the finger of God cast out devils; doubtless the kingdom of God is come upon you. When a strong man armed keepeth his court, those things are in peace which he possesseth. But if a stronger than he come upon him, and overcome him; he will take away all his armor wherein he trusted, and will distribute his spoils. He that is not with Me, is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth. When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through places without water, seeking rest; and not finding, he saith: I will return into my house whence I came out. And when he is come, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then he goeth and taketh with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and entering in they dwell there. And the last state of that man becomes worse than the first. And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd, lifting up her voice, said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God, and keep it.
✨ The Spiritual Battle and the Victory of Light
The cry of the Introit, in which the soul affirms that its eyes are always fixed on the Lord so that He may pluck its feet from the snare, perfectly echoes the spiritual drama revealed in the Gospel, where Christ manifests Himself as the stronger one who despoils the prince of darkness. The liberation of the mute demon by the finger of God is the definitive proof that the Kingdom of Heaven triumphs over the mortal chains of sin. As Saint Augustine warns (Sermon 71 on Luke 11), the accusation that such power comes from the chief of demons reveals the terrible blindness of the human heart which, for love of the shadows, rejects the light. The strong man armed is the devil who holds the soul captive in its vices, but Jesus Christ, being infinitely stronger, disarms him and rescues the redeemed souls for the glory of His Father. This unshakable victory over evil finds its living reflection in today's stational patron, Saint Lawrence, whose gaze was so fixed on the Lord that no earthly threat or torment could subjugate him. The martyr proved with his blood that true blessedness lies not in the bonds or attachments of the flesh, but in the docile hearing and zealous keeping of the Word of God.
By acknowledging itself "alone and poor" in the Introit and crying out for mercy, the Church invites us to the essential humility required to welcome the exhortation of the Epistle: to be imitators of God as most beloved children, breaking definitively with the darkness of worldliness. The Apostle warns with gravity against impurity, avarice, and vain words, revealing that such vices are enslaving idolatries that destroy the temple of the soul and attract divine wrath. As Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches (Summa Theologica, III, q. 41, a. 2), the soul that has been purified by Baptism or Penance must be constantly guarded by the active practice of the virtues, under the grave risk that the unclean spirit may return, making the state of the man worse than the first. Saint Lawrence perfectly understood this apostolic demand by offering his own life as a host of a sweet odor to God; he trampled on avarice by distributing all the goods of the Church to the poor and kept his soul immaculate, walking irreproachably as a true son of light amidst the thick darkness of the Roman persecution.
The theological synthesis of this Lenten liturgy resides, therefore, in the continuous vigilance of the soul which, once illuminated by the grace of Christ, adamantly refuses to return to the slavery of the evil one. If, on the one hand, the Gospel instills hope in us by guaranteeing that Christ has already despoiled the strong man and broken the demonic silence, on the other, the Epistle reminds us of the urgent responsibility to fill the void left by the expulsion of sin with concrete works of goodness, justice, and truth. The heroic stational witness of Saint Lawrence splendidly unites these two evangelical realities: it is the audacity of one who trusts exclusively in the strength of the Lord to pull his feet from the trap, aware that when the heart is swept, adorned, and truly inhabited by the Trinity, no return of unclean spirits can destroy it. May the meditation on these truths turn us away from vain seductions and anchor us deeply in the Word of God, so that we may gather with Christ and never scatter.