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God gave the Israelites bread from Heaven to sustain them on their desert journey to the Promised Land. The manna appeared on the ground each day near the place where the people were camped. They could gather only what they needed for the day. If anyone tried to hoard more than a day’s portion, it would spoil by the following morning. Only on the sixth day could they gather and save enough for two days, so that they could observe the Sabbath rest on the seventh day. This manna truly was daily bread.
At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, giving us food from Heaven –his own Body and Blood – to sustain us on our spiritual journey from this life to the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus continues to give himself to us in the Eucharist each time we attend Mass. This nourishment is necessary for the life and health of our souls. It comes to us through the action of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the Priest in the words of consecration.
In the Lord’s Prayer, we pray – give us this day our daily bread. We believe that God cares about the things we need each day to sustain our lives; he also cares that we have spiritual strength to build up our faith and trust. Knowing God’s concern for us can strengthen us in times of trial and temptation. Dependent upon a generous and loving God, we must never forget to thank him for all that comes to us. Indeed, the very word “ Eucharist” comes from a Greek word that means “to give thanks.”
Sometimes our physical needs seem to monopolize our prayer time. So many people lack basic food and shelter or are unemployed; terrible diseases afflict our friends and family members such as the current COVID-19 pandemic; our planet suffers the effects of pollution; we see the misuse of power in many places; we are disheartened by the continuing horror of abortion; there is a lack of peace between nations – the list goes on and on. These are all worthy causes for our prayer. God’s help in finding solutions to these problems is part of the daily bread that we seek.
We must also pray for the spiritual food that is essential in our lives. So, in our prayer we remember the needs of our faith family gathered in worship. We pray for the holy men and women who dedicate their lives to the work of the Church. We pray for those who do not know Jesus, that they may come to faith. We pray for ourselves, that we may grow in holiness and charity. As we offer these prayers, we are always to remember the generosity of our God, who gives us all good things. How sincere is our thanksgiving prayer today and every day of our lives?
