The Author
"I don't write about adolescence. I write about war. For adolescents."
-Suzanne Collins, author of The Hunger Games
RETREAT DESCRIPTION
Part spiritual retreat, part Bible study, part book club, this study invites Christian teens to seriously consider and ponder, perhaps for the first time, Jesus's Way of nonviolent love of friends and enemies. Over the course of 40 days, students will listen to the first eight presentations in Rev. Emmanuel McCarthy's world renowned retreat Behold the Lamb, while reading (or listening to) the first book in Suzanne Collins' young adult trilogy, The Hunger Games. Students will walk away with a better understanding of the perennial problem of violence in human society, better able to see it in the context of Church history, teaching, and tradition, and most importantly in the eternal light of the Gospels. The ultimate goal of this study is to help participants grow in the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love.
RETREAT SCHEDULE & LOGISTICS
Course Duration:
- July 1 - August 9, 2026
Live Online Class Schedule:
- July 1, 8, 22, 31, August. 6, and final Q&A TBD
- 60 minute classes
- 8:30-9:30 a.m. Pacific, 11:30-12:30 Eastern
Teacher-Student Interaction (Weekly):
- Five, 60-minute live classes with Ms. Finnigan
- Final 60-minute Q&A with Fr. McCarthy
Class Ages & Size:
- 25 student maximum, 6 minimum
- Recommended for ages 14 and up
Workload:
- The retreat is designed to be completed over 40 days with about 1-2 hours of listening or reading every other day.
- Most participants will complete the reading in about one week and continue with the listening and study guide activities after that.
Who is the course for?
- High school age students
- Students with an interest in classical literature
- Christians
- Non-Christians who respect Christianity and want to learn more about the Christian worldview
- Fans of the Hunger Games who want to see it through a Christian lens
- Teens who are interested in war or reading about war
PARENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO LISTEN TO THE LECTURES WITH THEIR CHILDREN!
Questions? Email
The Teacher (via recorded audio)
Fr. Emmanuel Charles McCarthy, born October 9, 1940, is a priest of one of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Byzantine-Melkite, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope. He has been a Catholic priest for over forty years, ordained on August 9, 1981, in Damascus, Syria. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree with majors in philosophy and English from the University of Notre Dame in 1962. He received his Masters Degrees in English and in Theology from the same University. He earned his Doctorate in Jurisprudence from Boston College Law School in 1967 and was soon after admitted to the Massachusetts Bar for the practice of law. The cure of his daughter was the official miracle for the canonization of St. Teresia Benedicta a Cruce, St. Edith Stein, who was killed at Auschwitz.
(He has never read The Hunger Games. The book did not exist when he recorded the Behold the Lamb retreat in 1995.)
The Lectures
Behold the Lamb is a professionally recorded retreat on the Nonviolent Jesus of the Gospels and His Way of Nonviolent Love of friends and enemies that was given by Emmanuel Charles McCarthy at Our Lady of Knock Shrine in Knock, Ireland, in March 1995. It consists of sixteen presentations, which collectively contain what is considered to be the most comprehensive and spiritually profound proclamation of Jesus’ vital Gospel message of Nonviolent Love. He takes as his central theme the Nonviolent Lamb of God and focuses on this biblical symbol and reality as the true icon and transcendental model for encountering God as revealed by Jesus, and for understanding and following the Way of God as taught by Jesus. Every Christian, every Christian Church, indeed all humanity, should ponder whether what is said here about God and God’s Way as made visible by Jesus, the Lamb of God, is THE GOOD NEWS for which each human being, consciously or subconsciously, ceaselessly yearns, whether what is said here genuinely fulfills the hopes and quenches the fears that universally reside at the deepest recesses of each human soul.
(Bread Alone covers the first eight presentations in Behold the Lamb.)
The Materials
Each enrollment comes with a hard copy Study Guide that will help the student:
- pace learning
- check for understanding
- reflect on the material
- engage with the study personally, spiritually, creatively
- make connections
- and prepare for group discussions.
It also includes suggestions for final projects and enrichment.
The online course will:
- Provide access to the Behold The Lamb lectures, divided up according to the Study Guide for ease of listening;
- Include convenient links to the Catechism, Bible readings, and other sources;
- Include visuals to aid contemplation.
Required
The Hunger Games is not included in your purchase. This is to help keep the price low so you have the option to borrow it from the library. Audiobook is fine, but the film will not work as a substitute for the book!
Supplemental
You can use any Bible with this study but The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible is recommended. The Study Guide includes references to commentary and word studies that are very helpful. If you choose to purchase it, it will pay off for years to come!
Supplemental
The online course will provide links to all sections referenced in the Catechism, but a hard copy will come in handy and make it easier to do your own research and independent study. If you choose to purchase it, it will pay off for years to come!
The Guide and Moderator
Ellen Finnigan is author of Bread Alone: A Contemplative Study of The Hunger Games for Christians, and the creator of this course. She taught Ancient Greek and Roman Literature, as well as Composition and Creative Writing, at the high school level for the past ten years. She hosts the Catholics Against Militarism podcast, on which Rev. McCarthy has been a frequent guest. She recently founded Teach to the Text to promote contemplative learning. Sign up for the newsletter below to stay informed about new courses.
(Ellen has read The Hunger Games. She is on Team Peeta!)
Recommended Pre-Requisite
Students who are interested in the retreat would benefit from our Socrates May Seminar in which we will learn to pursue truth through asking questions and engaging in a dialectic, rather than through argumentation and rebuttal.
TESTIMONIALS
"This course could truly be life changing for a family."
- adult learner, live retreat, summer 2023
"The Hunger Games course was altogether phenomenal. The connection between the young adult saga and the 'Behold the Lamb' series was thought-provoking and inspiring. The lectures of Father McCarthy were spiritually profound, and the rich study guide allowed me to plumb the full depth of his words. Through the study, I was able to encounter the tradition of the Church in a new way and better engage with modern thought through a Catholic lens. I would wholeheartedly recommend this study for anyone willing to delve deep into contemporary issues while growing in faith."
-- Caitlin Manuel, 13-year-old student, live Lenten retreat 2025
"...entertaining and engrossing. A wonderful learning and spiritual experience."
- Jim Kiefer, adult learner, live retreat, summer 2023
"...eye-opening and an informative... disturbing and provocative...in a good way..."
-Dan Tracy, age 60, Salt Lake City, adult learn, live retreat
"My teen daughter and I took this class together. This was a great opportunity for me to meditate on the teachings of Jesus and explore a viewpoint outside of my own faith tradition."
-adult learner, live retreat
“Fr. McCarthy’s [Behold the Lamb] retreat was the turning point in my conversion to Christian Nonviolence."
-Fr. George Zabelka,
Catholic Chaplain to the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bomb crews
Photograph: George Zabelka, 1945
“Fr. McCarthy’s [Behold the Lamb] retreat is a remarkable contribution to furthering the understanding of Christian Nonviolence—so urgent a need for Christians today. Clergy and laity owe it to themselves, to the Church, to the world and to God to take time to prayerfully ponder what is said here."
-Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Nobel Peace Prize Laurette from Northern Ireland
Photograph: Mairead Corrigan McGuire
Note to Spanish Speakers
Las conferencias de audio y las transcripciones escritas para Behold The Lamb y su traducción al español, Ese es el Cordero, están disponibles para descargar en español sin costo alguno. Los Juegos del Hambre están disponibles para su compra en español, tanto en versión impresa como en audiolibro. La Guía de estudio está disponible solo en inglés y las sesiones en vivo se llevarán a cabo solo en inglés, pero los hispanohablantes podrán realizar la mayor parte de este curso en español y son bienvenidos a participar.
Behold the Lamb is available online in Spanish at no cost, both the audio lectures and the written transcripts. The Hunger Games is available in Spanish, both in print and on audiobook. The Study Guide is currently available only in English.
Can't Make It This Time Around?
If you are interested in participating in the future, email Ms. Finnigan and she'll add you to a list. Ms. Finnigan can also lead a private retreat for your group. Advent, Lent, and summer are great seasons for this!
Note About Religion and Participation
This Study is written from a Catholic perspective but for all Christians. It will be more personally challenging for believers, but it is open to anyone with an open mind. All who respect Christians and their Christian faith are welcome!