Church Fathers Commentary Matthew 6:11

"Give us this day our daily bread." — Matthew 6:11 (ASV)

St. Augustine of Hippo: The three things requested in the previous petitions begin here on earth and increase in us according to our progress. But in the next life, as we hope, they will be possessed in perfection forever. ¹

In the four remaining petitions, we ask for temporal blessings that are necessary for obtaining eternal ones. The bread, which is the next petition in order, is a necessity.

St. Jerome: The Greek word here that we translate as "supersubstantialis" is επιουσιος. The Septuagint often uses the word περιουσιος, and by referring to the Hebrew, we find they always use it to render the word sogola.ⁱ

Symmachus translates it as εξαιρετος, that is, "chief" or "excellent," though in one place he has interpreted it as "special." Therefore, when we pray for God to give us our "special" or "chief" bread, we mean Him who says in the Gospel, "I am the living bread which came down from heaven" (John 6:51).

St. Cyprian of Carthage: For Christ is the bread of life, and this bread does not belong to all people, but only to us. We pray that this bread be given to us day by day, so that we who are in Christ—and who daily receive the Eucharist as the food of salvation—are not separated from the body of Christ by committing some grievous crime and thus being forbidden the heavenly bread.

Therefore, we pray that we who abide in Christ may not retreat from His sanctification and His body.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Here, then, the saints ask God for perseverance when they pray that they may not be separated from the body of Christ, but may remain in that holiness, committing no crime. ²

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, "supersubstantialis" may be understood to mean "daily."ⁱ

John Cassian: By saying "this day," He shows that this bread is to be taken daily and that this prayer should be offered at all times. For there is no day on which we do not need to strengthen the heart of the inner person by receiving this bread. ³

St. Augustine of Hippo: A difficulty arises from the fact that many in the East do not receive communion in the Lord's Supper daily. They defend their practice on the grounds of ecclesiastical authority, arguing that they do this without offense and are not forbidden by those who preside over the churches. But without making a judgment about them either way, we should certainly consider that we have received a rule for prayer from the Lord that we ought not to transgress. ⁴

Who, then, would dare to affirm that we should use this prayer only once? Or if twice or three times, only up to the hour at which we receive the Lord's body? For after that, we cannot say, "Give us this day," what we have already received. Or can anyone, on this account, compel us to celebrate this sacrament at the end of the day?

John Cassian: The expression "today" may also be understood to refer to this present life; as in, "Give us this bread while we remain in this world."

St. Jerome: We may also interpret the word "supersubstantialis" in another way: as that which is above all other substances and more excellent than all creatures—namely, the body of the Lord.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Or, by "daily," we may understand it to mean spiritual things—namely, the divine precepts which we ought to meditate on and put into practice.

St. Gregory the Great: We call it our bread, yet we pray that it may be given to us, for it is God's to give and is made ours by our receiving it. ⁵

St. Jerome: Others understand it literally, according to the Apostle's saying, "Having food and raiment, let us be therewith content," meaning that the saints should only be concerned with food for the present, since it also says, "Take no thought for the morrow."

St. Augustine of Hippo: So, in this petition, we ask for a sufficiency of all necessary things under the one name of bread. ⁶

Pseudo-Chrysostom: We pray, "Give us this day our daily bread," not only so that we may have something to eat, which is common to both the righteous and sinners, but so that what we eat, we may receive from the hand of God, which is a blessing reserved for the saints. For God gives bread to the one who earns it by righteous means, but to the one who earns it by sin, it is the Devil who gives it.

Alternatively, since the bread is given by God, it is received as sanctified. Therefore, He adds "our," meaning, "Give us the bread that is prepared for us, so that by Your giving it, it may be sanctified." This is just as a priest, taking bread from a layperson, sanctifies it and then offers it back to him. The bread indeed belongs to the one who brought it as an offering, but its sanctification is the benefit from the priest.

He says "our" for two reasons. First, because all things God gives us, He gives through us to others, so that we should share what we receive from Him with the helpless. Whoever, then, bestows nothing on others from what he gains by his own toil, eats not only his own bread but the bread of others as well. Second, he who eats bread obtained righteously eats his own bread, but he who eats bread obtained through sin eats the bread of others.

St. Augustine of Hippo: Someone might find it difficult that we are praying here to obtain the necessities of this life, such as food and clothing, when the Lord has instructed us, "Be not ye careful what ye shall eat, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed." But it is impossible not to be concerned about obtaining what we pray for. ⁷

But it is not improper to wish for the necessities of life and no more. For such sufficiency is not sought for its own sake, but for the health of the body and for such clothing and personal effects as to not be disagreeable to those with whom we must live with a good reputation. We may pray to receive these things when we need them and to keep them when we have them. ⁸

St. John Chrysostom: It should be considered how, after He gave us the petition, "Thy will be done as in heaven so in earth," He then descends to the needs of our bodies. He did this because He spoke to people in the flesh, not to angelic natures without passion or appetite. He teaches us to pray not for money or the gratification of lust, but for daily bread. As a further restriction, He adds "this day," so that we should not trouble ourselves with thoughts of the coming day.

Pseudo-Chrysostom: At first sight, these words might seem to forbid us from preparing bread for tomorrow or the day after. If this were so, this prayer could only suit a few people, such as the Apostles who traveled here and there teaching—or perhaps none of us. Yet we ought to adapt Christ's doctrine so that all people may profit from it.

St. Cyprian of Carthage: Therefore, the disciple of Christ rightly petitions for today's provision, without indulging in excessive longings in his prayer. It would be self-contradictory and incompatible for us, who pray that the kingdom of God may come quickly, to be looking forward to a long life in the world below. ⁹

Pseudo-Chrysostom: Or, He adds "daily" so that a person eats only as much as natural reason requires, not as the lust of the flesh urges. For if you spend on one banquet as much as would be sufficient for a hundred days, you are not eating today's provision, but that of many days.

St. Jerome: In the gospel entitled "The Gospel according to the Hebrews," "supersubstantialis" is translated as "mohar," that is, "tomorrow's." The sense would therefore be, "Give us today our bread for tomorrow"—that is, for the time to come.

1. Enchir., 115
2. De Don. Pers. 4
3. Coll., ix, 21
4. Serm. in Mont., ii, 7
5. Mor., xxiv. 7
6. Epist., 130, 11
7. Serm. in Mont., ii, 7
8. Epist., 130, 6
9. Tr. vii, 14