What do we mean when we pray "Give us this day our daily bread"?
In this petition we ask our Father to provide what we need for today. The Church sees in it a child's trust in a Father who cares for everyone, for the good and the not so good alike. By praying it, we honour God for his generosity.
The words "daily bread" first mean food and the ordinary needs of life. Using the word "us", not "me", reminds us to care about those who are hungry and to share what we have. We are also asked to trust God for today rather than being consumed by worry about tomorrow.
Many Christians through the centuries have also understood the bread as more than food: the word of God, and above all the Eucharist, the Bread of Life. Both meanings are held together in the Church's tradition, so we pray for our bodily needs and for the food that sustains the soul.
Sources
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 2828
- Matthew 6:11
- John 6:35
Awaiting review by the chaplaincy. Written in our own words; the Church's own texts are the authority.