Has anyone else read "The Lamb's Supper" by Scott Hahn?

[DemBones DemBones]

It's a wonderful book that explains the book of Revelation in a way that ancient Christians would understand although it's been "forgotten" in more recent times.

If you're not familiar with this writer, Dr. Scott Hahn was an Evangelical Presbyterian minister, about as Calvinist as they come, and very anti-Catholic. Until he reached a point where he needed to understand liturgy. He writes: "Studying the writings of the earliest Christians, I'd found countless references to "the liturgy," "the Eucharist," "the sacrifice." For those first Christians, the Bible--the book I loved above all--was incomprehensible apart from the event that today's Catholics called "the Mass."

So he went to Mass, for the first time in his life, a life in which he'd been so opposed to anything Catholic that he actually destroyed his Catholic grandmother's rosary after her death. He went to Mass, and it changed his life forever. Here's a bit more:


"As the Mass moved on, however, something hit me. My Bible wasn't just beside me. It was before me--in the words of the Mass! One line was from Isaiah, another from the Psalms, another from Paul. The experience was overwhelming. I wanted to stop everything and shout, "Hey, can I explain what's happening from Scripture? This is great!" Still, I maintained my observer status. I remained on the sidelines until I heard the priest pronounce the words of consecration: "This is My body . . . This is the cup of My blood."

Then I felt all my doubt drain away. As I saw the priest raise that white host, I felt a prayer surge from my heart in a whisper: "My Lord and my God. That's really you!"

I was what you might call a basket case from that point. I couldn't imagine a greater excitement than what those words had worked upon me. Yet the experience was intensified just a moment later, when I heard the congregation recite: "Lamb of God . . . Lamb of God . . . Lamb of God," and the priest respond, "This is the Lamb of God . . ." as he raised the host.

In less than a minute, the phrase "Lamb of God" had rung out four times. From long years of studying the Bible, I immediately knew where I was. I was in the Book of Revelation, where Jesus is called the Lamb no less than twenty-eight times in twenty-two chapters. I was at the marriage feast that John describes at the end of that very last book of the Bible. I was before the throne of heaven, where Jesus is hailed forever as the Lamb. I wasn't ready for this, though--I was at Mass!"


So Scott's Catholic grandmother "got the last laugh" and I suppose a few scattered rosary beads are easily forgiven. Scott Hahn became a Catholic, followed later by his wife, and now teaches at the Franciscan college in Steubenville, Ohio. They both speak on various topics of interest to Catholic Christians.

[DemBones DemBones]

1. OK -- has anyone read anything by Scott Hahn?

;-)

I first heard of him from one of my Catholic students when I was teaching at a Baptist college. Having to keep his faith under constant attack from fundies, he was a big fan of Scott Hahn's and spoke highly of Hahn's tapes and books. I've yet to hear the tapes but have read parts of the transcripts online and a couple of years ago, a friend lent me "The Lamb's Supper," which is really worth reading. I'd like to read other books of his.

I happened to see him on EWTN recently. discussing the Sacrament of Penance (on which he's also written a book), and he spoke well and had interesting things to say. (It's the only program I've ever watched all the way through on EWTN!) He was appearing with a man named Mike Aquilina and they mentioned their website. I just googled it and it is

http://www.salvationhistory.com

They offer FREE online Bible studies at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels; links to many online resources, a monthly newsletter if you make a donation, etc. (One caveat I'd note is they call it the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and I don't think it's because they're in Minnesota! They may be more Pauline than many of us would like, possibly rather "Protestant" in some of their interpretations of the Bible. On the other hand, St. Paul is an important figure in the development of Christian theology.)

[sandnsea]

4. I have

It's just that it's been SO LONG AGO, and I have this middle-aged memory problem going on, I would have a difficult time carrying on a conversation. He is great though, his writing is so clear about misconceptions of the Church.

You have a hard time getting through EWTN programs? Mother Angelica? Father Groeschel? I love them. There was a great program about Natural Law and sex education a few years ago. A woman teaches it. Totally changed the way I taught my kids about sex. And while none of them "saved themselves for marriage", none of them had pre-marital babies either, so that's something!

[DemBones DemBones]

5. So which books have you read?

If you remember! ;-) I know very well about middle-aged memory, doubt I could talk about "The Lamb's Supper" for more than a few sentences with someone who's read it recently. I think I will buy it before Lent this year, though. It's worth reading every year, I think.

We haven't had EWTN too long and I must have lucked into always checking it out when there was a boring show on -- like a sister sitting in a chair and talking about Pius XII. Since writing the above post, though, I have discovered they show the old "Life Is Worth Living" with Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, which all of us who remember the Fifties surely remember. Bishop Sheen was a great preacher/ teacher.

I also have said the rosary with Mother Angelica and the other sisters, and the Angelus with whoever the monks are, but I still haven't seen "Mother Angelica Live," assume she's not doing it since her stroke. Years ago, I bought the paperback of her book (title is "Answers, Not Promises") and was impressed with much of what she said, so I'd like to see her tv work pre-stroke. She's accomplished a great deal with EWTN, her monastery, etc., and I admire her work, even if she is conservative. And I must say it's strange that people say she's so conservative yet her book is not.

It's a good feeling to get your kids grown without any teenage pregnancies, isn't it? I know too many people raising a grandchild or two.

[sandnsea]

6. Oh gosh

One about him and his wife becoming Catholic. And another about the Eucharist. Nobody explains Mass and the Holy Presence better than Scott Hahn. At least in simple layman's terms.

I think people call Mother Angelica conservative because she is anti-abortion, duh. I remember she went off on a little rant about Halloween once, seemed kind of silly considering most every parish I've been around has had Halloween parties for kids. Other than the basic, traditional Catholic teaching, I think she's very open. I remember somebody asking her about a horse track and she said Catholics aren't Puritans. And she tells the funniest stories on herself and her temper. I think she's okay, just, like alot of Catholics, no room to budge on abortion and gay marriage. I just turn those shows off, ha, probably not very Catholic of me!

[YellowRubberDuckie]

2. Nope, but I'm going to look at Barnes and Noble this weekend for his stuff

Thanks!
Duckie

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Thanks for replying! I was beginning to

think everyone had me on ignore, which would be bad if the people in this group did!