Twenty-fifth Day
'Give us this day our daily bread?' — Matt. vi. 11.
'
IVE us this day our daily bread!'
Here we have the genuine words
of a child who confidently expects
his Father to supply all his wants,
even to the very smallest. O Father of us all,
Thou hast given us a body which is mortal,
though Thou didst not make it so at first: — but
we disobeyed, and so death became our portion.
This weak and mortal body, then, needs food
every day, or it will grow faint and perish.
Give it to us! Give it of simple kind, and in
what quantity is necessary. Let us learn to
remember, as we beg for it, that it is Thou Who
dost supply it from day to day. Thou givest
their daily bread to Thy children, Thy servants,
and Thy soldiers, if they are fighting under
Thy standard. Let us ask it with confidence, and take it from Thy hand with grateful
thanks!
It is rare for those who serve Thee to want for bread. True — Thou wilt often refuse what would gratify greediness or ill-regulated appetites, because these are bad, and it is more worthy of Thee to restrain than to gratify them; but as to the necessaries of life, hardly ever dost Thou refuse them to such as fear Thee and ask with humility. Thou hast charged the rich with the support of the poor; and hast placed so high a value on almsgiving that it can never cease to flourish in Thy Church. But even shouldst Thou, our Father, see well to let us want for bread, or for any other necessary of life, what should we say? We must simply go back to the previous petition: — 'Thy will be done ’: — for ' My meat,' said Our Lord, is ' to do the will of him that sent me.’ [1]
Another version reads 'Give us our supersubstantial bread,’ by which we understand the Bread of the Holy Eucharist. O my God, give us this to-day and every day. Were we only worthy to communicate every time we are present at the Holy Sacrifice! The table is prepared, but the guests are wanting: yet, O Jesus, Thou callest them to come! Let us desire this Bread of Life fervently and eagerly. Those who ‘ hunger and thirst for justice' desire it; and the most perfect act of love is to long incessantly to receive Jesus Christ.
- ↑ John iv. 34.