Love God. Live the Eucharist.

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June 11, 2023: Our Daily Bread

Probably one of the oldest prayers that many of you learned.  Let’s say it together:  “Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done”

 

Hold it.  Do you really want God’s will to be done?  Most often we want our wills to be done and we pray so that God does our wills.  Like a Pop Machine, I put this in and I expect this result.  And then we get mad at God for not doing our will.

 

Or think . . . what is God’s will?  Many times we assume that God’s will is unpleasant or painful, that it must be  like a trial and needs a sacrifice, or it cripples our freedom or development.  For many, God’s will feels like a “downer,” that God is against all joy, celebration or pleasure.  But that is not true.  God wants good things for us.  God created us and is committed to the adventure of our lives . . . but it’s us who often get side-tracked, or off course to what will really give us joy.

 

Let’s continue with the Lord’s Prayer: “On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread.”   Hang on.  Of course we all want our daily needs to be met.  That is, daily food, but the prayer speaks of something deeper.  The bread that gives life.  That is, the Eucharist.

 

Often people will ask me why I can stay so positive, so optimistic.  One of my secrets?  Receiving the Eucharist. This is the “God food.”  This is the stuff that gets us through the week.  It’s the physical presence of God WITH us, IN us, FOR us.  I am always amazed when people don’t come to Mass weekly.  This is your “power source.”  Receive it, for the week ahead is going to be tough.  As Pope Francis says, “It is not a reward for good behavior, its fuel for the week ahead.”   

 

As Jesus said in the gospel, “I am the LIVING bread that gives life.”  It is not a stagnate substance.  Think of it as a glow (an energy) and when you receive this gift . . . you, too, become that energy.  It is the presence of Christ that declare, “you can do this.  You can get through this. You’ll be OK, you are not alone.”

Let’s keep going with the Lord’s Prayer: “And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.”  Do you see the connection?  God’s love for us, in God’s will (wanting good things for us), helps us to receive God (in the Eucharist) so that we can go make a difference in the world.  How?  A big part is forgiveness.  We want God to forgive us, and it occurs as we forgive others.

 

Just a couple of years ago, I decided to have a deep talk with a family member.  Basically, I wanted him to say he was sorry for all the rotten things he’s said and done to me, so I could forgive him.  But as it got closer to the time for this big talk, it occurred to me that he probably was never going to admit any fault and no matter what he said, I would be disappointed anyway.  So I changed it all around . . . and when we met, I asked him to forgive me for all the rotten things that I had done or said to him.  And that was it . . . I needed to be forgiven.  And maybe there’s someone in your life, where you don’t feel good about the relationship.  Maybe they are not the issue.  Maybe it’s you.  Maybe you need to ask them to forgive you.

 

“And deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory now and forever.”  During Mass, we have a little embolism stuck in before that ending.  But outside of Mass, it’s OK to just go right to it.  For it ends the prayer by giving God praise now and forever. 

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