RACHEL LAVALLEE
STAFF WRITER
Franciscan University professor Scott Hahn filmed a series of talks with the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology, with the ultimate focus on God as father.
The filming, which took place October 1 at St. Mary’s Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was open to the public. Though largely attended by the local community, there were several Francis-can students in attendance.
Hahn, who holds a doctorate in systematic theology, spoke firstly on the Trinity as a divine fam-ily, and how the Church participates in this family, in his talk “First Comes Love.”
“The Catholic Gospel,” said Hahn, “is not only that we are redeemed from sin, but more than that, we are redeemed for adoption. We are partakers in the divine nature.”
Hahn took his audience through an examination of the Lord’s Prayer in his second talk, revealing that each part of the prayer connects to conforming one’s life to God’s.
Hahn also emphasized that the Lord’s Prayer is a family prayer.
“We don’t say ‘my father,’ we say ‘Our Father,’” said Hahn. “If God is our father then we are his family. We’re not just the sheep of his pasture, but we are the household.”
This talk resonated with sophomore Megan Reznicek, who attended the filming. “He broke down the Our Father really well,” said Reznicek. “It gave so much more purpose to the words, and now I think more about the meaning behind the words I’m saying.”
Reznicek also commented on Hahn’s third and final talk on confession, which incorporated his conversion story to Christianity, and ultimately to Catholicism.
“It was amazing to see how he worked the theme of the talk, mercy, into his testimony,” said Reznicek.
Hahn discussed how confession brings freedom from sin, and thus restores divine life to fallen humanity. “Absolution restores divine life,” said Hahn. “It’s more powerful than Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead, because that was merely physical.”
The filming is scheduled to go on sale in the spring of 2017.