Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
One
The first two words of this petition “Give us” teach us the kind of trust we should have in our Father. The Catechism tells us it is “The trust of children who look to their Father for everything that is beautiful” (CCC 2828).
Once again we are urged to foster what the ancient Church called parrhesia (para-see-ah)
· Straightforward simplicity with God
· The trust of a small child toward a perfect Father
· Joyous assurance
· Humble boldness
· The certainty of being loved.
Two
“Our Daily Bread” refers to
1. The appropriate things we need to live
2. The Bread of Life
a. The Word of God
b. The Eucharist
CCC 2830 The Father who gives us life cannot fail to give us the nourishment life requires – all appropriate goods and blessings, both material and spiritual. In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus insists on the filial trust that cooperates with our Father’s providence.
Does this relieve us of our responsibility? Hardly…
“He is not inviting us to idleness but wants to relieve us from the nagging worry and preoccupation” that prevent us from spending time with God in prayer; time with family and others in friendship and time living a well-rounded and balanced life that results in happiness and peace.
Yet some people still lack bread
Does this fact that some have no bread prove there is no God or does it prove we are responsible to take care of others.
CCC 2831 “The drama of hunger in the world calls Christians…to exercise responsibility toward their brethren.”
Hebrews 13:16 Keep doing good works and sharing your resources, for these are sacrifices that please God.
Three
Material Poverty is not the worst thing.
Spiritual Poverty is worse. No one goes to Hell because they lack food; people do go to Hell if they reject God.
That is why the CCC (2835) says this petition, (give us this day our daily bread) with the responsibility it involves, also applies to another hunger from which men are perishing: Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God…Christians must make every effort to proclaim the Good News…There is a famine on earth, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.
We have an aversion to this phrase “Proclaim the Good News” because we have the distorted view of a street preacher condemning people to hell. That is not what Christ intended.
To proclaim the Good News literally means to make it public, don’t keep it private. Your relationship with Jesus is supposed to be personal but it was never to be kept private. That is a chief deception of the devil. For if we always keep our faith private then no one will ever be led to Jesus. Remember the key principle: people come to God through other people and especially through the means of friendship.
So what should we do? Live a simple way of life inviting people to share life with you. just do what you do and invite others to do it with you. A meal, a drink, a walk, the Hockey Play-offs… and while your doing this together, be genuinely interested in them; ask them what they are reading or listening to; what their opinions are, how they came to those. Really get to know and understand them and love them unconditionally. Then when the time is right – invite them into your spiritual routine to pray the Rosary with you. Be wise concerning the right moment but do not be timid.
Four
While “Our Daily Bread” does refer to the appropriate earthly things we need to live; our daily bread refers primarily to the Bread of Life - he Eucharist – that God provides in Daily Mass.
In the original Greek “Daily” is (epiousios). Taken literally epi-ousios means “super-essential” or “super-substantial.” This refers directly to the Eucharist, the medicine of immortality without which we have no life within us. (see CCC 2837)
For Jesus said: I tell you most solemnly, if you do not eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you will have no life in you. Anyone who does eat my flesh and drink my blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. John 6:53-56
With this petition we ask Our Father to give us the Eucharist every day. He hears and answers our prayer by giving us the Eucharist in daily Mass. Yet most people choose not to go and receive. Why do we not go?
Five
Satan knows the power of the Eucharist and does all he can to prevent you from receiving Jesus.
In the classic work The Imitation of Christ, Thomas A Kempis writes: This enemy, Satan, is aware of the great benefit and remedy for sin contained in Holy Communion and tries by every trick and occasion he can to withdraw and prevent you from it. To conquer the wickedness and snares of the devil then, frequently go to the fountain of grace and divine mercy—the fountain of all goodness in the Eucharist —where you can be cured of your misplaced desires and vices. Then you will be made stronger in resisting all the temptations of Satan.
Some people experience the worst attacks and deceits of this fiend when it comes to receiving Holy Communion. As Job tells us: the evil spirit comes among the children of God, to disturb them with his usual malice, or to frighten and confuse them, so that he may, through his crafty suggestions, lessen their love for the Eucharist or destroy their faith; this is to make them either abandon Communion, or approach with little love. You must completely ignore his wiles—however foul and abominable; turn all his filthy suggestions back upon him. Satan must be treated with utter scorn and contempt. Do everything in your power to receive Jesus in the Eucharist daily or as often as possible and never give into the attacks and deceptions Satan arouses.