I have suggested that one of the ways to acquire the mind of Christ is to reflect upon the way He prayed. In order to understand how He prayed, I have been presenting thoughts on His perfect prayer, the OUR FATHER. After we ask Our Father for the courage and the insight to do His will on earth and it is done in heaven, we petition Him to Give us this day our daily bread.

In this fourth petition, by saying give us, we express, in communion with our brethren, our filial trust in our heavenly Father. Our daily bread obviously refers not only to the earthly nourishment necessary for our continued existence. Here, bread has two meanings. In the more literal sense, bread is a metaphor for all our material needs. It’s a simple prayer, as Saint Gregory explains:

When we say to God, Give bread, we do not ask for delights, riches, and flowery robes. We do not seek the beauty of gold, the glow of precious stones, and vessels of silver. We do not request an abundance of land, the command of armies, superiority in war, and governance over nations. We do not desire horses, cattle, and herds of other grazing animals. We do not aspire to possess a host of slaves, pomp in the marketplace and acclamation by setting up monuments or public portraits. We do not yearn for silk garments and musical ensembles. We ask for none of these by which the soul is distracted from the divine and noble cares. We pray only for bread.

However, we need more than simply food to sustain our bodies; we also need food for our souls, which will sustain us throughout eternity. Christ God teaches us that He’s the bread of life and that whoever comes to Him will never hunger (John 6:35). In saying this, Jesus was telling us that His Way of Living is nourishment for our souls. He proved this by giving us Himself in Holy Communion so that He might always be with us, supporting us in our efforts to become more like Him.

There are Christians who do not believe in the real presence of Christ in Holy Communion and believe that His Word – His ways of living and thinking – are sufficient nourishment. Christians who do believe in His presence in Holy Communion have, I believe, a decided advantage since they, if they believe, have a true indication of His support and His continued presence with us. Ask yourself this question: What does Holy Communion mean to me?