The Bread of Life & Forgiveness

 After requesting the gift of bread, we ask forgiveness for our sins, “As the Lord’s Prayer continues, we ask: Give us this day our daily bread. We can understand this petition in a spiritual and in a literal sense.  For in the divine plan both senses may help toward our salvation …. Christ is the bread of life …. we who live in Christ and receive his Eucharist, the food of salvation, ask for this bread to be given us every day ….  After this we ask pardon for our sins, [when we pray] forgive us our trespasses ….  [He] also promised to show us a father’s mercy and forgiveness.” [From a Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer by Saint Cyprian of Carthage, bishop and martyr]  “The bread petition in the Our Father shows us that something new was happening in Israel.” [Gerhard Lohfink, The Our Father, p.20]

 

Jesus offers us the Gift of the Bread of Angels, His Body and Blood – the Eucharist.  To prepare ourselves to receive this “BREAD”, Jesus urges us to seek forgiveness for our sins.  As we ask for forgiveness for our sins, let’s remember God’s mercy is offered to all.  When we seek forgiveness we seek God, we offer forgiveness we help make God’s mercy known.

 

A Bishop Barron Insight on The Lord’s Prayer “… the Son of God teaches us to pray.  This is why the Our Father, the Lord’s Prayer, is the model of all prayer …. Keep in mind that prayer is not designed so much to change God’s mind … [God] is the one who wants nothing other than to give us good things—though they might not always be the things we want.”

 

Take a few minutes today to thank God for the Bread of Angels, the Gift of mercy and all that God has given you.

 

St. Joseph pray for us. 

St. Andre Bessette intercede for us. 

May God Be Praised!