Living the Mysteries: A Guide for Unfinished Christians

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.

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, and St. Leo the Great.

Designed as a devotional 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 and a plan with practical applications for letting that reading inspire your prayer and actions throughout the day.

About the Authors

Dr. Scott Hahn is the bestselling author of over forty titles, including The Lamb’s Supper and Reasons to Believe. Professor Hahn holds the Fr. Michael Scanlan Chair of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. As Founder and President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, he is Editor-in-Chief of Emmaus Road Publishing. His Emmaus Road titles include Understanding “Our Father,” Spirit and Life, Scripture Matters, Answering the New Atheism (co-author), and Catholic for a Reason Vols. I–IV (co-editor). He also serves as the McEssy Distinguished Visiting Professor of Biblical Theology at Mundelein Seminary. Dr. Hahn has six children and thirteen grandchildren. He lives in Steubenville, Ohio.

Mike Aquilina is the author or co-author of over forty books, including the best-selling The Fathers of the Church: An Introduction to the First Christian Teachers; The Mass of the Early Christians; and Angels of God: The Bible, the Church, and the Heavenly Hosts. His reviews, essays, and journalism have appeared in First Things, Touchstone, National Catholic Register, and elsewhere. Aquilina is the Executive Vice President of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and along with Dr. Scott Hahn has hosted several popular television series on the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). He and his wife Terri live in the Pittsburgh area with their six children.