Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians [Paperback]

Scott Hahn (Author), Mike Aquilina (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2003

Until we get to heaven, we’re all unfinished Christians.

There are no "self-made" success stories in the spiritual life. No do-it-yourself kits for aspiring saints. That’s why Living the Mysteries is ideal for a family member, friend, or fellow parishioner who was recently in the RCIA program and received the sacraments of initiation – baptism, confirmation, and the Eucharist – at the Easter Vigil. That’s why it’s perfect for a lifelong Catholic, too.

The early Church had a process in which a teacher guided seekers through stages of inquiry and purification, culminating in a final phase called "mystagogy" — MIST-a-go-gee — "the revelation of the mysteries."

The instruction the early Christians needed is what we all need, no matter when we were baptized, no matter how much theology we’ve studied. That’s because God’s mysteries are inexhaustible and, until we get to heaven, we’re all unfinished Christians.

Spirit-Led Mystagogy from the Ancient Masters

Now eight of the early Church’s greatest teachers can be your guides as Living the Mysteries presents the wisdom and insights of: St. Ambrose
St. Augustine
St. Basil
St. Clement of Alexandria
St. Cyril of Jerusalem
St. Gregory of Nyssa
St. John Chrysostom
St. Leo the Great

Designed as a devotional – and more – for the fifty days between Easter and Pentecost, Living the Mysteries is a rich spiritual resource valuable any time of the year. Each day features:

• A passage from the Church’s great teachers that focuses on a relevant point of the mystical or moral life

• A plan with practical applications for letting that reading inspire your prayer and actions throughout the day

You will treasure these timeless lessons on gaining eternal life.

About the authors Scott Hahn and Mike Aquilina are the founders and trustees of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and have co-hosted several series on the Eternal Word Television Network. Each has written extensively on Catholic doctrine, history, and devotion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 283 pages
• Publisher: Our Sunday Visitor (IN) (September 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1931709122
• ISBN-13: 978-1931709125
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #394,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars What every RCIA teacher needs, June 22, 2004

By 

Angie Maquire (Chicago) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians (Paperback)

Finally, after ten years of teaching RCIA, I have found the book that every teacher's been looking for. Unlike the other materials that we've had to use, these authors don't talk about mystagogy, they DO it. Better, they show how the Church fathers did it. Our parish priest agrees. This is the best resource for our catechumenal candidates.

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very fresh approach to Mystagogy, especially useful for RCIA, May 31, 2004

By 

E. Griffin (Alexandria) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians (Paperback)

This anthology presents a number of short readings for meditation and prayer. They are drawn from writings of recognized early teachers of Christian doctrine, including St. Basil the Great, St. Gregory of Nysaa, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, St. Ambrose of Milan, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. John Chrysostom and St. Leo the Great. We may have heard of, even revered these early saints, hearing them mentioned on feast days, without really knowing their thoughts and ideas. This book makes those thoughts accessible. Very fresh and useful, too. The authors, Hahn and Aquilina, also show us how to use their book, with encouraging words about such things as meditation. The book focuses on on the ancient riches of God's Word and early Christian teachers and their value for us today.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The early Fathers made me Catholic, February 19, 2009

By 

Stratiotes Doxha Theon "2 Thes 2:15" (Richmond, Missouri) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians (Paperback)

When I first began to study the early church fathers, as a committed Christian of the Reformed (Calvinist) Protestant tradition, they began to draw me in and change my way of thinking. At first I thought they were calling me to be Orthodox and so my growing love for "the mysteries" pulled me toward this book. This was not the book that made me slide away from Orthodox and into Catholic but it did feed my hunger for living the mysteries which began with my Orthodox friends.

Cardinal Newman once said that the early church fathers made him Catholic and he would not so quickly kick the ladder that had brought him to that height. The fathers made many of us Catholic and they never cease to inspire and guide us to new heights. Dr. Hahn and Aquilina have demonstrated time and again their passion and heart for the fathers. This is just one more way they have revealed it to those of us who have fallen in love with the Church because they fell in love with the Fathers. This is a highly recommended resource for living the mysteries rather than just talking about them. Sts. of the early Fathers, pray for us.