daily bread

[temple_143]

Does the “daily bread” in Our Lord’s Prayer literally means we need to take the Host everyday? Is this the reason why the Catholic church holds daily masses?

 

[patrick457]

Does the “daily bread” in Our Lord’s Prayer literally means we need to take the Host everyday? Is this the reason why the Catholic church holds daily masses?

Here’s one which has puzzled many a people for 2000 years. Very often, in many Bibles we see the petition translated as “give us this day our daily bread.”

The word for ‘daily’ here is the Greek epiousios, which has no direct or simple English translation and which is actually an hapax legomenon, appearing only in the gospels of Matthew and Luke (literally ‘said once’; a word which occurs only once in either the written record of a language, the works of an author, or in a single text); it is not found anywhere else in Greek or Hellenistic literature.

Because it is a word of uncertain meaning - it could be possible that the writers of the Gospel coined the word themselves - there have been several interpretations of its meaning. You have the usual interpretation (which is quite ancient) of epiousios as ‘daily’. Another interpretation has it that epiousios was coined from epi ‘on/over/at/against’ and ousia ‘substance’; hence, the idea would be something like “supersubstantial/superessential bread” (cf. the Latin Vulgate’s literal rendering supersubstantialem). In yet another interpretation, epiousios can also be understood as existence, i.e., bread fundamental to one’s survival (as in the Syriac Peshitta, where the line is translated “give us the bread of which we have need today”). Still another has epiousios as meaning “for tomorrow.”

In the ancient world, bread is the staple food. It’s what most people ate everyday, so bread is considered the most important item for one’s survival. Hence the reason why bread is called the ‘staff of life’. By extension, ‘bread’ is sometimes used to mean basic necessities and living conditions in general. So on one level, we are asking God to continually provide us with the things that we need.

On the other level, you also have the Eucharistic meaning. The Eucharist is our ‘supersubtantial’ bread. St. Ambrose faced the same problem of expressing both significations of epiousios when teaching the prayer to his catechumens in ancient Milan. He asked them why we use the word ‘bread’ after the consecration since he had previously explained that after the words of the priest it is no longer bread and wine, but the very Body and Blood of Christ. He explains it thus: “He (Jesus) called it bread indeed, but He called it epiousion, that is, supersubstantial. It is not the bread that passes into the body but that bread of eternal life, which sustains the substance of our souls. Therefore, in Greek it is called epiousios.”

 

[Nita]

Here’s one which has puzzled many a people for 2000 years. Very often, in many Bibles we see the petition translated as “give us this day our daily bread.”

The word for ‘daily’ here is the Greek epiousios, which has no direct or simple English translation and which is actually an hapax legomenon, appearing only in the gospels of Matthew and Luke (literally ‘said once’; a word which occurs only once in either the written record of a language, the works of an author, or in a single text); it is not found anywhere else in Greek or Hellenistic literature.

Because it is a word of uncertain meaning - it could be possible that the writers of the Gospel coined the word themselves - there have been several interpretations of its meaning. You have the usual interpretation (which is quite ancient) of epiousios as ‘daily’. Another interpretation has it that epiousios was coined from epi ‘on/over/at/against’ and ousia ‘substance’; hence, the idea would be something like “supersubstantial/superessential bread” (cf. the Latin Vulgate’s literal rendering supersubstantialem). In yet another interpretation, epiousios can also be understood as existence, i.e., bread fundamental to one’s survival (as in the Syriac Peshitta, where the line is translated “give us the bread of which we have need today”). Still another has epiousios as meaning “for tomorrow.”

In the ancient world, bread is the staple food. It’s what most people ate everyday, so bread is considered the most important item for one’s survival. Hence the reason why bread is called the ‘staff of life’. By extension, ‘bread’ is sometimes used to mean basic necessities and living conditions in general. So on one level, we are asking God to continually provide us with the things that we need.

On the other level, you also have the Eucharistic meaning. The Eucharist is our ‘supersubtantial’ bread. St. Ambrose faced the same problem of expressing both significations of epiousios when teaching the prayer to his catechumens in ancient Milan. He asked them why we use the word ‘bread’ after the consecration since he had previously explained that after the words of the priest it is no longer bread and wine, but the very Body and Blood of Christ. He explains it thus: "He (Jesus) called it bread indeed, but He called it epiousion, that is, supersubstantial. It is not the bread that passes into the body but that bread of eternal life, which sustains the substance of our souls. Therefore, in Greek it is called epiousios."

Thanks for the good information Patrick. I especially liked the explanation by St. Ambrose.

 

[Nita]

Does the “daily bread” in Our Lord’s Prayer literally means we need to take the Host everyday? Is this the reason why the Catholic church holds daily masses?

Hi Temple; and welcome to the forum.
No, “daily bread” does not mean we have to receive Communion every day. The Church requires that we receive Communion only once a year - at Easter.

From the Catechism of the Catholic Church - see the** “third precept”**
vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P75.HTM

#2042 The** first precept **(“You shall attend Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation.") requires the faithful to participate in the Eucharistic celebration when the Christian community gathers together on the day commemorating the Resurrection of the Lord.

The **second precept **(“You shall confes"s your sins at least once a year.") ensures preparation for the Eucharist by the reception of the sacrament of reconciliation, which continues Baptism’s work of conversion and forgiveness.

The **third precept **(“You shall humbly receive your Creator in Holy Communion at least during the Easter season.") guarantees as a minimum the reception of the Lord’s Body and Blood in connection with the Paschal feasts, the origin and center of the Christian liturgy.

 

[JRKH]

Without disagree ing with the others here, I have never seen the Eucharist in this.

When Jesus taught the prayer to the crowds, it was very early in His ministry. The crowds would not equate “bread” to the Eucharist. Nor had Jesus begun his teaching to the Apostles on the Eucharist.
What Jesus is talking about in Matthew, Chapters 5, 6 and 7, where the Lords prayer is taught, are much more basic day to day things. Look how just a few verse down from this in Mt 6:19-34, Jesus talks about not fretting over riches. Specifically in vs 25 and again in vs 31 he specifically points out that we are not to worry about food.
Then in vs 34 he concludes by saying, “"So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.”
Thus do we see the petition in the Lords prayer, only for what we need today. Our daily bread - our daily needs. And we leave tomorrow to God.

That is how I have always understood this passage.

Peace
James

 

[puzzleannie]

Does the “daily bread” in Our Lord’s Prayer literally means we need to take the Host everyday? Is this the reason why the Catholic church holds daily masses?

It means of course the Bread of Life, which is sufficient to every day even were it taken only once a year, which is the law of the Church, but also all our daily material and spiritual needs.