Book Review: The Lamb’s Supper

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For this week's review, let's have a little chat about The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth, by Dr. Scott Hahn. For those of you who go to Holy Family, this is one of the books Suzanne talked about a few weeks ago when promoting Dr. Hahn coming to Granite City in April.

I read this book in one night. As soon as I started, I couldn't put it down. And I would give it attribution - along with 2 or 3 other books (not many) with bringing me back to the full practice of the faith.

In The Lamb's Supper, Dr. Scott Hahn engagingly describes the Mass through the lens of the book of Revelation - the last book of the Bible. He covers each aspect of Revelation and reveals (no pun intended) the rich symbolism exposed in Revelation that exists in the Mass - the true Heaven on earth.

Since reading this book, I have never looked at Mass the same way again.

Add to the quick, simple read (at least partially attributable to Dr. Hahn's very approachable and casual writing style) the fact that he paints the picture of how going to a Mass as a Bible-only Christian with his strong seminary background and studies allowed him to be amazed at each moment of the Mass... since he knew, as he saw it unfold, that it literally was what was described in the book of Revelation. You see some of the back story to his conversion into the Catholic faith.

I'd recommend this one for all ages - for Catholics looking to understand our Mass a bit better and for non-Catholics who just want to understand what we believe in the Mass.

Suzanne and I love this book so much, and it had such an impact on our faith life, that we've since bought over a dozen copies to give or loan to friends and family over the last few years.

Dr. Scott Hahn's The Lamb's Supper: The Mass as Heaven on Earth. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Don't miss your chance to score a $25 Borders gift card this month just by commenting on BreadAlive. Read more info here.

Kids’ Book Review: How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?

Two weeks ago on Thomas' and my night out, when I took him to Borders to shop for a new book, we ended up picking out How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?, by Jane Tolen & Mark Teague.

Of course, when I read it in the store, I thought it was perfect for him at this point, since the dinosaur in the book "tries" so many of the "pushing the limits" things at bedtime that Thomas himself likes to try to pull.

Tolen and Teague have pulled off another good one in their series of "How Do Dinosaurs... " books with one that encapsulates toddlers at bedtime and explains that good dinosaurs - and good boys - aren't supposed to do certain things at bedtime.

It's a good, calming, but fun bedtime book, and if you're looking for one, check out How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?, by Jane Tolen & Mark Teague.

Book Review: Churched

On the flight to DC this week, I wrapped up reading Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess. I had been reading it on and off for the last couple of weeks, and took advantage of the couple hours' flight to wrap it up.

In short: it's a hilarious autobiographical comedy about a boy (the author) growing up in a family that shops for the "right" church, and then lives, eats, and breathes the experience of their church life & community.

His tales of Sunday school, of the things he witnesses around the church, the impact of the faith on his parents and siblings, of going to his church's school, and the like were easy to relate to, having been raised in a Catholic school myself, but also kept me in stitches. Hardly a paragraph went by without a good hearty laugh or at least a little chuckle.

At the end, there's a short turn toward the "preachy." It's only a couple of pages, and it's not the kind of preachy that tells you you're going to H3ll, but it stands out. You can skip it if you like, or you can read it. He actually makes some really good observations and points about "church."

It was neat to me that in one story in the book - in which he and classmates are sent out in a neighborhood in teams with the goal of winning a prize by "winning" the most souls for Christ - it was in the house of "the Catholic lady with Mary in her front yard" that Matthew seems to learn the most outright lesson of God's compassion and love in the whole story.

I was looking for a break from the non-fiction that typically plagues my reading "to do" list. This was a good, funny choice. I give it two thumbs up. Check out Churched: One Kid's Journey Toward God Despite a Holy Mess.