Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics

Karen Estep reviews Scott Hahn and Ken Ogorek’s new devotional from Emmaus Road Publishing.

Breaking the Bread: A Biblical Devotional for Catholics, Year C

By Dr. Scott Hahn and Ken Ogorek

Publisher: Emmaus Road Publishing

As a fellow convert to the Catholic faith, Scott Hahn’s books have been instrumental in my journey of coming home. So, when the opportunity came to review Breaking the Bread, Scott Hahn and Ken Ogorek’s new Catholic devotional for Year C, I jumped at the chance. This devotional serves as another instrumental tool to help deepen not only my faith but to also further my understanding of the Catholic Church.  

When the book arrived, I just kept flipping through the pages. Not only have Hahn and Ogorek written reflections and questions and shared Scripture quotes, but they have also added beautiful works of art. All of the artwork in the book would all be great for people who like to add Visio Divina to their prayer routine.  

Once I was done with just random flipping and “oohs” and “ahhs,” I dug a bit more into each section of the book. The book is very clearly labeled with our various liturgical seasons, with the cover pages for each section in the traditional liturgical colors. For each Sunday the Scripture readings are listed, then it goes into a brief reflection of the Scriptures and then comes my favorite part: how the Catechism reflects our biblical Catholic beliefs. Next there are reflection questions, and each Sunday section ends with a simple prayer.  

For converts and cradle Catholics alike, the Catechism is an important tool that may get pushed to the back burner. Growing up in a Christian household, I knew it was important to understand my beliefs and the reason why I believe what I do. As a new convert, the Catechism is important for me to continue to enhance my understanding of all the “whys” in the Catholic Church. To have this tool used in a weekly Sunday devotional will only aid the reader into understanding our faith. I still look like the “mind-blown” emoji when I realize how Catholicism works, and it amazes me how much God must love us to have what can seem to be an endless puzzle all just fit together.  

My second favorite part of each section is the closing prayers. Each prayer is beautifully written with intentions that match the Sunday Scripture readings. Not only are there prayers to Jesus, Mary, Joseph, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit, there are prayers to help us pray with specific saints as well. Praying with the saints is another way we can deepen our relationship with Jesus because these holy men and women are wonderful examples of how to live our lives for Christ on a daily basis.  

I think this devotional could be stretched to be read and utilized the whole week, not just on Sundays. You could start Sunday with just reading the Scriptures, then throughout the week read the reflections, read how the Catechism ties in to the Scriptures, complete the reflection questions in a journal, and do some Visio and Lectio Divina. Splitting each Sunday section up throughout the week is a great option for all of us busy moms on the constant go and a great way to reflect on God’s love throughout the week.  

I am learning that there are so many ways to experience God in Christianity. More and more each day I learn that the Catholic Church, in all of her beauty, has set us up to experience God in all of the ways. One major way is digging into the living Word, another way is to pray, and probably the most important way is when we go to Mass. This book can help you in all of those areas throughout the week while focusing in on the scriptures that are read to us on Sundays.

As Christians, our relationship with Jesus is the central focus. In the world we live in today, with all of the many distractions, chaos, and confusion, we should be helping ourselves by using devotionals that bring us back to our relationship with Jesus, which should be our central focus. That can all be found in Breaking the Bread.  

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Copyright 2024 Karen Estep
Images: Canva