Whenever we say the Lord’s Prayer, we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.”  Have you ever thought about why we pray for bread?  Bread comes from the earth, the seed, the ground, the rain, the sun.  Clearly part of God’s creation.  Bread is also the result of human activity, the work of the sowers, the reapers, the bakers.  Bread is often referred to as “the staff of life.”  It symbolizes everything that is needed for a person to live and to flourish, to have a life with meaning.  When we enjoy bread, we are benefiting from the abundance of God’s gifts and also from the service of our sisters and brothers in the human family.  This nourishment makes it possible for us to engage in our daily work for our families, our country and our world.  We enjoy our bread with grateful hearts.

by  Margaret Michaud, OSB