The meaning of “Give us this day our daily bread” is a request for God to provide us with the spiritual and physical nourishment we need to live. It also expresses our humble dependence on God’s provision and outhe present day. r focus on
We live in a very different context than people did in the first century. Give us this day our daily bread. Today there are millions and millions of people in the world who have to rely on noticeably daily bread to come in. They may not know where their next meal is coming from, and they live day to day.
For many reasons there is still food insecurity even right here in our own county. So, we pray give US this day OUR daily bread. Not only mine, but everyone’s. So, I think we are called to help so that ALL of us has our daily bread. That’s why we have a food pantry. The boxes are by the elevators.
Many other people, however, — can I say “most of us”—don’t live like that. Or at least it doesn’t feel like we live like that. We can go to any number of grocery stores, and we can see shelves of food. For many of us, the problem is not that we have too little to eat; it’s that we’re eating too much. And so, what does it really mean in a context where many people around the world are surrounded by great wealth and prosperity that we pray: Give us this day, our daily bread?
This is still a powerful reminder and a necessary prayer because even though we may see grocery stores around every corner, we still are dependent upon God to give us what we need. Haven’t we seen this even in the last couple of years with various upheavals, supply chain issues, COVID, and inflation? We’ve actually seen empty shelves. We’ve seen how quickly, even in our very wealthy world, we can be missing what we think we need. So, we really do rely upon God.
And when he says daily bread, of course Jesus means not simply bread or even simply food, but everything we need for this day. It’s so instructive that Jesus tells us to pray, Give us this day our daily bread. If we’re honest, we’d kind of like it to say, Give us this year our yearly bread. God, once a year I’ll come to you. Can you set me up for the year?
And more….. Not only do we ask for bread for physical nourishment. As Catholics we are super-blessed to be nourished with the Bread of Life, the very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Himself in Holy Communion. Give us also, Lord, the Bread of Angels.
Saint James Catholic Church 