In our First Reading today (Genesis 16:24, 1215), God gave the Israelites bread from Heaven to sustain them on their Exodus journey from slavery in Egypt to the freedom of the Promised Land. The manna appeared on the ground each morning near the place where the people had camped. They could gather only what they needed for that day. If anyone tried to hoard more than a day’s portion, it would spoil overnight and could not be eaten the next day. Only on the sixth day (Friday) could they gather and save enough Manna for two days so that they could observe the Sabbath rest on Saturday and avoid the work of gathering Manna on the Sabbath. This manna truly was their
daily bread, and God provided it in this way so that they could learn to trust that God would look out for them and provide for them.
At the Last Supper, Jesus instituted the Eucharist, giving us true food from Heaven his own Body to sustain us on our spiritual journey from this life to the Promised Land of the eternal Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus continues to give himself to us in the Eucharist each time that we participate in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This nourishment this daily Bread is necessary for the life and health of our souls. In John 6:35, we heard Jesus declare:
“I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst.” The Eucharist comes to us through the action of the Holy Spirit and the ministry of the priest as he serves
in persona Christi (in the Person of Christ) by speaking the words of consecration.
In the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:913), Jesus taught us to pray “give us this day our daily bread.” We believe that God cares about the things we need each day to sustain our lives, and he also cares that we have enough spiritual strength to build up our faith and trust in him. Knowing God’s concern for us can fortify us in times of trial and temptation. Dependent upon a generous and loving God, we must always remember to thank him for all that comes to us, particularly the gift of the Most Holy Eucharist.