Give us this day our daily bread. We pray this in the prayer Jesus taught his disciples to pray. I have been thinking about it a lot lately.
Last year at this time, Melvin and I were in France, shopping almost daily for bread and everything else! I loved the twice-weekly organic market under the aqueduct, and of course there was a bakery right down the block with baguettes and so many other tasty treats. I have been thinking of those who can no longer shop daily at the local market, visiting with sellers and other customers. I especially miss the fresh strawberries.
And of course even here in the land of the supermarket things have changed. Yesterday I went to the store for the first time in 10 days. I donned a mask, used a sterilized cart, stayed 6 feet from other shoppers, and bought enough food for 2 weeks (I hope). When I got home we carefully wiped everything down and put it away. We are so privileged to be able to shop in this way - to have a safe home, the time to shop and clean well, money to buy so much food at once, a car to transport it, and on and on.
Give us this day our daily bread. I’m good for a while. It doesn’t make me any less grateful, but it definitely doesn’t feel like a plea I need to make right now.
But there are so many who do not have this same luxury. Who wonder where their next meal is coming from. Who have no place safe to prepare it, or eat it. So today I pray, give them this day their daily bread.
And prayer becomes action. One of my greatest gratitudes is for the faithful people at the church I serve - St. Mary’s by the Sea. For 50 years, volunteers have been feeding the hungry through our Christian Social Concerns ministry. And still are. Today we were thrilled to take a huge delivery from the Monterey County Food Bank - staples like rice and beans, tuna and peanut butter (packed in plastic bags, thanks to the National Guard) and two refrigerators full of fresh produce. Other volunteers have been picking up daily donations of baked goods from a local grocery store (the daily bread you see in the picture above - much more in the refrigerator). And still other volunteers work to actually distribute the food 3 days a week. Many of our regular volunteers are frustrated because they cannot be physically present at this time to care for those who come seeking help. But their behind-the-scenes work and prayers keep it all running smoothly. The church is not closed, for sure - the church is present in the world!
Give is this day our daily bread. What does that mean for you today?