Feast on something that makes sense of it all

The Lamb's Supper by Scott Hahn
The Mass as Heaven on Earth
Doubleday, 1999

According to reliable statistics, about 40 percent of Catholics don't believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. It's a fairly safe bet even a higher percentage don't understand the Book of Revelation. What makes The Lamb's Supper a must-read is that it successfully tackles both those topics – better than that, it expertly explains the undeniable and unbreakable link between the two.

The subtitle, The Mass as Heaven on Earth, is the real key, here. Dr. Scott Hahn, professor of Biblical Theology at Franciscan University of Steubenville and the founder of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, breaks through all the symbolism and strange imagery in Revelation to show that it describes the Mass. It's all there if you know what to look for, and Hahn does. What's more, it's also all part of the marriage feast of the Lamb; it's the worship of the angels and saints in heaven – what they do in heaven is what we do here! And what we both do is tied together (think about some of the words from the Mass: "Lift up your hearts..." and "With the angels and saints in heaven, we proclaim...").

This is mind-boggling stuff, to say the least. However, it's nothing new, as Hahn quickly admits. The church Fathers knew this and it's been reaffirmed right through to the Second Vatican Council. The Lamb's Supper, however, makes it very accessible to the every day person in the pews, carefully and succinctly explaining the connection step by step. As such, this is one book no Catholic should be without. This small tome is literally capable of completely transforming one's perception of the Mass, from a potentially stilted, unemotional, ceremonial memorial into an incredible participation in the most perfect event ever unveiled... the Eternal Supper of the Lamb.