Customer Reviews

Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Catholic and finding it difficult to avail yourself of the Sacrament of Confession? Using the old excuse of "I don't need a priest to confess"? Really wanting to go to confession but don't know how or where to start the process? Wondering why the Sacrament even exists? Well, look no further -- this book answers all of these questions. Scott Hahn does a fine job of asking these questions, answering them, and (what is so very useful to Catholics who are not Bible-literate) shows the Biblical basis for the Sacrament of Confession. Hahn's style of writing lends to quick, easy reading. Yet, it is so very powerful. I now use various chapters of the book in preparation for Confession.
Catholic and going to Confession regularly? Still get this book. I think it will only deepen your love for the Sacrament and for the Faith.

This is another thoroughly enjoyable and insightful book by Dr. Hahn. I highly recommend this book for Catholic and non-Catholic alike. This is a timely and much needed book covering a topic and sacrament apparently and sadly underutilized by many Christians. Dr. Hahn with a characteristic positive approach shows how confession as a wonderful gift not only heals and reconciles but also grooms and maintains the Christian on the right path. One could hardly discuss the sacrament of Confession without looking into what drives the need for reconciliation and that is of course sin. Using scriptural examples like the prodigal son, and St. Augustine's "Confessions", the author effectively illustrates our basic weakness toward sin in ways I hadn't considered before (for example I hadn't considered much the role of the older brother in the parable of the prodigal son). I also liked the discussion of how sin affects the whole mystical body of Christ and how its strength is found in the sacrament of penance. There's lots of good stuff in this book. I picked up a copy of this book before catching a flight for Pittsburgh and then on to Steubenville for my niece's graduation. I drove my niece to Steubenville from Washington State 4 years ago and loved the faithful Catholic university environment. This time for the graduation, I had the good fortune of meeting Dr. Hahn after Sunday mass.

I'll be the first to admit it. Although I have been a practicing Catholic all of my life I have failed to take full advantage of the sacrament of Penance. I have rattled off all of the usual excuses but after reading "Lord, Have Mercy" I realize that the fault for this blatant oversight is all my own. Scott Hahn makes a thorough and powerful case why we need confession. He presents us with a history of the sacrament from its earliest origins in the Jewish tradition. He argues that the average Catholic must come to a more mature understanding of this sacrament and needs to make frequent confession an important part of his/her spiritual life. Otherwise, we are sure to fall into the trap of blaming everyone else--our victims, our parents, our boss or perhaps even the government--for our own shortcomings and failures. I especially appreciated the "Examination of Conscience" presented in the appendix of this book. It is an extremely helpful tool for anyone preparing for the sacrament of Penance. Highly recommended.

This book is by far the BEST book by Dr. Hahn that I have had the privilege to read! Rome Sweet Home was very good, The Lamb's Supper was an eye opener, and Hail, Holy Queen touched my heart, but Lord, Have Mercy is a beautiful examination and explanation of the Sacrament of Reconciliation /Confession / Penance. He refers to Sacred Scripture as well as the Early Church Fathers, with a profound sense of humor and reverence at the same time. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to know the Catholic faith better as well as someone who just wants to understand the Sacrament of Reconciliation in all it's beauty.
Thanks Scott and God Bless you!

In reading this book I was regularly surprised by unexpected depths. Hahn is wiser than he seems because he strives to write at a simple and popular level. This book is also well-organized and documented, and will serve as an excellent guide to anyone seeking to understand the classic Roman Catholic theology of sacramental confession.

I found this to be a book of firm and orderly persuasion, calling Catholics (like me) back to a sacrament that has become astonishingly neglected. Hahn finds a biblical foreshadowing of confession in the Old Testament sacrifices: the sinner was required to personally offer God something costly and difficult in satisfaction for his sins. This is not the only way Hahn presents confession; he also speaks of it as healing and reconciliation, and devotes a chapter to the parable of the Prodigal Son. Hahn also knits together four aspects of the Atonement: economic, military, liturgical and legal -- all under one heading, that of Covenant. Only from the over-arching perspective of God's Covenant with us in Christ, he says, can we understand the full mystery of reconciliation.

Hahn also makes the valuable point that when we tell ourselves self-excusing stories, we cut ourselves dangerously loose from reality. We all do this, to a greater or lesser degree, and it takes great effort to resist it and practice honest, but we must realize that we are in God's all-seeing presence all the time anyway. We must grow to tolerate that light, because it is the only light there is; all else is confusion and darkness. This is just one of Hahn's many thought-provoking discussions.

Do you hate going to confession? Are you afraid to? Do you go only rarely? Do you wonder whether something you do is sinful? Do you ever worry that you made a bad confession? Do you wonder whether your confessions are doing you any good? Are you confused by today's new notions about confession? Or would you just like to deepen your understanding and love of this Sacrament?

If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, I have good news! "Lord, Have Mercy" is an insight-packed book that explains the Sacrament of Reconciliation and shows why it's not just a helpful practice but also the key to our spiritual growth.

You'll discover why "like bathing, we need confession often"; why "the more we need it, the less we want it"; how denying our sins harms our lives, health, and loved one; and how the author painfully learned all of this the hard way. Dr. Hahn also reveals the insidious ways self-deception and excuses corrupt us; the secret of defeating them; how God DOES make it possible for us to grow in holiness. He also gives us Old and New Testament proofs that God wants us to confess in a ritual sacrament, not just in our hearts and minds; the three components of Old Covenant penance rites; why these rites were difficult to perform; how our Sacraments bring "divine fulfillment" to Old Covenant ones. Plus, the author reveals why it stunned people when Jesus forgave sins; proof that He really did give His Apostles (and their successors) the power to do likewise; the deep, ancient meaning of His words about "binding and loosing"; why He couldn't give His Apostles that power without also requiring that we confess our sins aloud; and seven Church Fathers' and early saints' writings that prove early Christians confessed to priests.

Dr. Hahn goes on to relate Confession's crucial relationship to the Eucharist; how to tell mortal sins from venial (and where the BIble distinguishes between them); and how Jesus does more in Confession than we do! In addition, you'll discover seven things the priest does for you in Confession; how when one confesses a mortal sin, "Christ works a greater healing than He worked at the tomb of Lazarus"; how Christ is really "the Priest behind the priest"; plus five reasons why doing the penance you're given is so important. The author likewise teaches you how frequent Confession helps you conquer your sins; how Adam's sin was much more than disobedience; and how God's moral laws "are just as firmly fixed" as nature's laws.

The author also tells why even Martin Luther thought of Confession as vital; how we must show mercy if we want to receive it; the many ways to do so daily; the benefits of holding a "family day of jubilee" and how to do it; plus WHY YOU SHOULD BE FILLED WITH HOPE, not discouragement, despite your spiritual struggles. And much, much more.

Filled with quotes from Scripture, the saints, the popes and Church documents, "Lord Have Mercy" will make you treasure Confession as never before. Just reading it let graces pour into my soul. And he's humorous to boot! You can't help but benefit from this book, no matter where you stand on the spiritual maturtiy scale. It's like an outstanding retreat, only in book form. It's Heaven-sent for people who were poorly catechised, too. Plus, priests and catechists will find it a gold mine.

With a style that is engaging and a content that is challenging, Scott Hahn lays out the scriptural foundation for repentance and confession, along with the history of the development of the sacrament.

This is lucid theology! It is also a practical guide for those who find confession difficult. A real eye-opener, this book is a convincing testimony why -- like bathing -- we need confession often.

Like many Catholics, I approach the confessional with about the same degree of enthusiasm as I generally muster for the dentist's chair. In "Lord, Have Mercy," Scott Hahn writes about the sacrament in a warmly personal yet theologically rich way that's sure to have many of us running for the nearest confessor.

After a vivid opening story, Hahn introduces an in-depth discussion of God as our loving Father, who always offers us, through the sacrament of reconciliation, the free and powerful gift of divine mercy to heal us of the effects of our sins, and to provide us with a gentle way back home. Tracing the ways in which the Church's confessional practices have developed through the ages, Hahn shows that its basic understanding of the sacrament has remained the same. He also encourages readers to begin the practice of regular confession, if they haven't already. And, in three appendices, he gives the rite of reconciliation of individuals, acts of contrition, and prayers to say before and after the sacrament. Then follows an excellent, thorough guide for the examination of conscience.

No, confession isn't easy. But let's get over it. The chance to restore our relationship with God, our eternal loving Father, is well worth a short bout of the squirms. if you're not convinced of that, read "Lord, Have Mercy".

Confession is good for the soul.
An oft used and clichish statement which belies the important healing qualities in many ways of this wonderful sacrament. I have heard many confession in my almost twenty-six years as an ordained Catholic priest. This book is superb in presenting both the background development and pastoral understanding of the Love, Mercy and Compassion of the Lord for His People contained in this sacrament. I recommend this book to all who are interested in learning more about the Sacrament of Peace and Reconciliation. God Bless!

Rev. Fr. James E. O'Neal
Catholic Chaplain US Army
Korea

What happened to confession? During the mid-sixties, in many parts of the Church, it seems that changing notions about sin contributed to the demise of this rite. But neglecting classic Christian themes like sin, guilt, forgiveness and penance does not make them insignificant or irrelevant.

Scott Hahn, well-versed in biblical studies and other classical writings, does an excellent job of tracing the history of confession. Beginning with the atonement ceremonies of the Hebrew people, he guides the reader through the appropriate New Testament passages, as well as selections from the Church Fathers. Hahn shows how the entire Tradition of the Church has much to say to moderns.

As in his previous Doubleday books ("The Lamb's Supper," "Hail, Holy Queen," and "First Comves Love"), Hahn takes a refreshingly orthodox approach to his subject