Fr. Pacwa's book is divided into six sections for use in the same number of Bible study sessions. Following a section on Old Testament background to the Christian Eucharist, in the remaining five sections he leads readers through what may be learned from the Old and New Testaments about the Eucharist, and in some instances, he also draws on Jewish tradition as it is still practiced today.
    
Parish Bible study groups, as well as individual Catholics, will find in this slim volume a helpful resource to gain a more complete scriptural background for understanding and experiencing the Eucharist.
    
In "Consuming the Word: The New Testament and the Eucharist in the Early Church," which takes wholeheartedly contemporary Catholic methods of Scripture scholarship and interpretation, Scott Hahn says his overall aim is "to promote biblical literacy for Catholic laypeople and biblical fluency for Catholic scholars and clergy."
    
To that end, Hahn not only draws on modern Catholic Scripture scholarship, but he takes quite seriously the role of sacred tradition, including the writings of the early Fathers of the Church and other saints. He even draws on what may be learned from the church's responses to early heresies, as well.
    
What may we learn about the Eucharist from the oral traditions that preceded the written New Testament documents? What may we learn from the New Testament documents themselves? What may we learn from the regional churches we find in the New Testament and from how the New Testament uses the Old Testament? What does it mean to say the Scripture is sacramental? How are the Lectionary and the New Testament similar and how do they differ?
    
By reading through what Hahn says in response to questions such as these, readers will find themselves and their understanding of both Scripture and the Eucharist greatly enriched.
    
Finley is the author of more than 30 books for Catholic readers, including "The Joy of Being a Eucharistic Minister" and "The Joy of Being a Lector" (both from Resurrection Press). To learn more visit www.mitchandkathyfinley.com.