Today’s blog is the much-anticipated monthly book review! For today it isn’t a newer release, however, reading it gave me a new view of both the book of Revelation as well as the Mass…Scott Hahn’s “The Lamb’s Supper: the Mass as Heaven on Earth.”
Published in 1999, it is his look at both Revelation and the Mass, and how the Mass is the best way to understand the main scope of Revelation. “As with his earlier ‘Rome Sweet Home,’ Hahn’s ‘The Lamb’s Supper’ seeks to bring scriptural exegesis and Roman Catholic ritual tradition into fruitful dialogue. The central thrust of this piece is that Catholic liturgy offers the best interpretive paradigm for studying the Book of Revelation.” – from Publisher’s Weekly.
It is a short book, approximately 175 pages, but an excellent read. As he does not get too in-depth with his exegesis, this book is perfect for anybody looking at an introduction to the relationship between Revelation and the Mass. This was written well before there was any dialogue to changing the language of the Mass, however, several times when he refers to what the Church Fathers used in their liturgy, it was a word-for-word match. This just reinforced to me what was said when the new translation was released, they were trying to go back more to the traditional language.
Also, Dr. Hahn came at this book as somebody who converted to Catholicism and saw the Mass with new eyes, traditions that I had never thought much about. This, in turn, made me look at these weekly occurrences with new eyes, and this book helped give me a greater appreciation for the Mass and the complexity that surrounds it, from the priest at the altar to the heavenly hymns.
If you have not read this book already, and want a fresh understanding of the Mass, try this book.
As always, if you have any ideas and comments for things I could change, please let me know. If you have any books that you have read or have read the books I mention, please leave a comment. We here at Salzmann also want to know what people are reading. Comments are always appreciated – anything I can do to make this better I will strive my best to accomplish.
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