In the Gospel for today’s Mass the Lord gives us the most familiar prayer of all, the “Lord’s Prayer.” It is a prayer shared by and prized by all Christians. Few if any have not committed to memory. Yet hidden within the Lord’s prayer is a mysterious word that both Greek and Biblical scholars have little agreement over or even a clear understanding of in terms of its precise meaning. I call it “hidden” only because most Christians do not read Greek and are unaware of the difficulties and debate surrounding the word. They simply accept that the most common English translation of the Our Father as undisputed. To them the problem is hidden.
The mysterious word occurs right in the middle of the prayer: τὸν ἄρτον ἡμῶν τὸν ἐπιούσιον (ton arton hēmōn ton epiousion) which is rendered most usually as “give us this day our daily bread.” The problematic word is epiousion. The difficulty is that the word seems to exist nowhere else in ancient Greek and that no one really knows what it means. Even the Greek Fathers who spoke and wrote Greek as their mother-tongue were unaware of it’s exact meaning. It occurs no where else in the Bible (with the exception of the parallel passage in Luke’s version of the Our Father in Luke 11:3). It appears nowhere in wider Greek literature, whether Christian or Pagan. The early Church Father Origen, a most learned and well read man, thought that Matthew and Luke, or the early Church had “made up” or coined the term.
So, frankly, we are at a loss as to the exact and original meaning of this word! It’s actually pretty embarrassing when you think of it. Right there in the most memorable text of Christendom is a word whose meaning seems quite uncertain.
Now, to be sure, over the centuries there have been many theories and positions as to what this word is getting at. Let’s look at a few.
- Grammatical Analysis– The Greek word seems to be a compound word from epi+ousios. Now epi means over, above, beyond, in addition to, or some similar superlative. Ousious refers to the substance of something. Hence, to put these words together we have something amounting to supersubstantial, or super-essential.
- The Eucharist – Some of the Greek and Latin Fathers thought is clearly referred to the Eucharist and surely not to ordinary food or bread. Origien for example cites how Jesus rebuked the people in John 6 for seeking bread that perishes rather than the Bread which endures unto eternal life which is Jesus’ flesh and which he will give us. (cf Origen On Prayer 27.2) St. Cyprian too, while admitting that “bread” can be understood simply, goes on to advance that the bread referred to here is more certainly Christ himself in the Eucharist (cf. Treatise on the Lord’s Prayer, 18).
- Ordinary and daily bread – St. John Chrysostom however favors a notion that the bread for which we pray is only “bread for today: Just enough for one day….Here Jesus condescends to the infirmity of our nature….[which] does not permit you to go without food….I require necessary food not a complete freedom from natural necessities….It is not for wastefulness or extravagant clothing that we pray, but only for bread and only for bread on a daily basis so as not to worry about tomorrow (Gospel of Matthew Homily 19.5)
- Bread for tomorrow – St. Jerome says, The word used by the Hebrews to denote supersubstantial bread is maar. I found that it means “for tomorrow” so that the meaning here is “give us this day our bread for tomorrow” that is, for the future (Commentary on Matthew 1.6.11). Many modern scholars favor this understanding as well.
- Supernatural bread – But St. Jerome also says in the same place: We can also understand supersubstantial bread in another sense as bread that is above all substances and surpasses all creatures (ibid). In this sense he also seems to see it linked to the Eucharist. When he translated the text into Latin as the Pope had asked him to do he rendered it rather literally: panem nostrum supersubstantialem da nobis hodie (give us today our supersubstantial bread). If you look up the text of Matthew 6:11 in the Douay Rheims Bible you will see the word “supersubstantial” since that English text renders the Vulgate Latin quite literally.
- Every good thing necessary for subsistence – The Catechism of the Catholic Church adopts an inclusive approach: Daily” (epiousios) occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. Taken in a temporal sense, this word is a pedagogical repetition of “this day,” to confirm us in trust “without reservation.” Taken in the qualitative sense, it signifies what is necessary for life, and more broadly every good thing sufficient for subsistence. Taken literally (epi-ousios: “super-essential”), it refers directly to the Bread of Life, the Body of Christ, the “medicine of immortality,” without which we have no life within us. Finally in this connection, its heavenly meaning is evident: “this day” is the Day of the Lord, the day of the feast of the kingdom, anticipated in the Eucharist that is already the foretaste of the kingdom to come. For this reason it is fitting for the Eucharistic liturgy to be celebrated each day. (CCC # 2837) As such the Catechism attempts no resolution to the problem but simply indicates that several interpretations are possible and non-exclusive to one another.
So when we have a Greek word that is used no where else and when such important and determinative Fathers struggle to understand it and show forth rather significant disagreement, we are surely left at a loss. It seems clear that we have something of a mystery.
Reverencing the Mystery – But perhaps the Lord intended that we should ponder this text and see a kind of multiple meaning. Surely it is right that we should pray for our worldly food. Likewise we should pray for all that is needed for subsistence, whether just for today or for tomorrow as well. And surely we should ask for the Bread of Life, the Holy Eucharist which is the necessary Bread that draws us to eternal life and which (Who) is over and above all earthly substances.
So there it is, the hidden and mysterious word in the middle of the Our Father. Most modern translations have settled on the word “daily.” For the record, the Latin Liturgy also uses the word daily (quotidianum). But in truth no one word can capture what is said here. The Lord has left us a mystery to ponder. I know many of you who read here are learned in Greek, Latin, the Fathers, and scripture scholarship and I am interested in your thoughts. This article is incomplete and has not covered every possible facet of the argument. I leave that you, all who wish to comment.
I have always believed as St. John Chrysostom stated and related it to the manna in the desert. God will provide for me daily what I need to remain alive until it is my time to go home. Knowing this, I should not be in distress about basic needs, depending fully on God to feed me. I believe this would also include the Holy Eucharist. Daily should be a part of my life and every persons life. I pray I become more in tune with this thought and begin to attend daily Mass again. Thank you for the beautiful video.
So for you daily best captures epiousion. Give us TODAY our bread surpassing substance.
In seminary I pondered this and came to conclude something very similar to Ms. Baylis-Lockett. I interpreted “super” essential to be “most essential” or the very basic necessities of life. Manna from heaven is a very good example; Manna was simple sustenance that was also dependable. So for me, this part of the prayer is a very humble request (and statement of trust) that God will provide for our basic needs. I believe this also leads into the next parts of the prayer – that our trust in Him gives us strength to see our faults and thus to forgive others with grace, and resist evil that may tempt us.
I have to say this is great discussion and very enlightening!
I, like Ms. Baylis (supra), have had the same thought. Manna in the Desert was collected for one days ration only and would spoil if kept longer- God was in charge of the miraculous “bread” in every way and required faith that it would reappear each day. Other meanings may also be appropriate. God bless- Raymond
Good reference.
Raymond’s comment is accurate with one exception. Israel was commanded to gather manna for two days in the desert on Friday because they honored the sabbath and were told not to gather manna on this day. It did not spoil on the sabbath like it did all other days. The sabbath was ( and is ) from sundown Friday until sunset Saturday.
Hi Msgr. Pope. I am not learned in Greek, Latin, the Fathers, or scripture scholarship, but I do have a thought about what it might mean. Maybe Jesus was teaching us to ask for that something which is essential for our continuing existence but which can only be supplied by God, thus admitting our total reliance on God. That is certainly such a very special something that it deserves it’s own word.
so epiousion is epi (over) since only GOd can give it. Good.
I consider myself fortunate in that I use the Douay Rheims, and I’ve been long acquainted with the “supersubtantial bread” reference in the Lord’s Prayer. I’ve always found it appropriate to see the Manna in the desert to be a foreshadowing of the Living Bread come down from heaven. It is that super-substantial bread which we must yearn for each day, not bread that feeds the body only. As Christ taught, if we seek the kingdom of heaven first, all other things will be added to us as well. If we have our eyes set firmly on that Heavenly Bread, then certainly God will supply the earthly.
well said, epi=not the body only
Interesting — but it is unlikely that Jesus spoke it in Greek to the disciples, although that is the way it is presented in Greek. I’d be interested to know what the cognate phrase means in Aramaic or Hebrew, even. Since Aramaic is still an “official” language in the Church and is still in daily use in the liturgy of the Syrians, that info should have been included, or added, to the article.
I included the aramaic in the video. The problem with using the Aramaic as a source for the discussion is that there is no Aramaic Source. The Aramaic version (which seems to say “daily”) is just a projection back into Aramaic from the Greek or other modern Languages. We simply do not know how Jesus said it exactly in Aramaic.
I am confused. If Jesus said it in Aramaic, why must the words be translated from the Greek or Latin back to Aramaic?
I am assuming that this is because although Christ said it in Aramaic, the Gospel writer in this case Matthew and Luke wrote it in Greek. I am sure someone can confirm this.
Wow! The video is beautiful! Thanks so much.
It is nice
Msgr. Pope,
This is a fine exposition of the “problem” (or, rather, mystery) of epi+ousios. I really have nothing to contribute on that issue. (If I did, mind you, I could leave the day job.)
I will point out that the root +ousios (an adjective formed from the participle form of the word “to be”) also appears in the Nicene Creed, where Christ is described as “one in being (homo+ousion)” with the Father. Interestingly enough, in the revised translation of the Missal “one in being” will become “consubstantial,” somewhat parallel to tranlsating epi+ousios as supersubstantial. Be that as it may, as I endeavor to understand the meaning of a word like epi-ousios, I usually find a comparison with like terms to be useful. If nothing else, it gives me two words to ponder not only the meaning of, but the relationship between them.
good connection
Just as an aside, the recitation of the Pater Noster is a requiremnet before the distribution of the Eucharist, not, I should think, without reference to epiousion.
a la Cyprian!
I feel so very simple in all your company but am thoroughly enjoying reading everything. I love this phrase of the Lord’s Prayer because it is asking not only for Daily Bread, but also a reminder that it is necessary and sufficient. One needn’t worry about anything else nor tomorrow may bring. Very much like the daily manna in the desert.
I am learning so much here. Thank you.
so epi = surpassing substance
Thank you for the meditation, Msgr. Pope. Interesting!
TeaPot562
Mysteries usually are interesting.
In Aramaic the word, Yomana, is your daily bread (especially understandable in the ghetto).
🙂
Here goes! There IS supposed to be one known instance of the word occurring in secular Greek (in the neuter plural), but on a papyrus fragment which permits no secure translation – the suggestion in Arndt & Gingrich’s Lexicon of NT Greek is that it means a (slave’s) ration. William Barclay in his “Daily Study Bible” (1956, rev. edn. 1975) says the fragment (found “a short time ago” according to him) is from a woman’s (sic!) shopping list. So much for sexual stereotypes again!
The fragment is cited in LSJ’s standard Greek Lexicon, but no meaning is hazarded (“dub. sens.”). It was evidently published as long ago as 1934 in the “Journal of Theological Studies” (vol. xxxv, p.377). The footnote in the NAB on Mt.6:11 is rather sniffy about it all, and says the claim that there is a secular instance “is highly doubtful”.
Barclay, in his 1999 book “The Lord’s Prayer” backtracks on his previous assertion that the fragment is from a shopping list (“a list of things which might be a shopping list” is what he now says), and reveals that the fragment was subsequently lost – so it is impossible to check the reading. Whatever it is, it is clearly a wild goose and I can understand why Mgr. Pope suppressed mention of it.
I shall pause to draw breath before adding a post on what Max Black has to say about the Aramaic behind the Greek translation (assuming no-one else beats me to it, as they are welcome to do).
Bain W.: I am not familiar with Greek shopping lists. Except for maybe a little restina or an occasional ouzo. But I am given to understand that ousia is something of a technical term in Greek philosophy. If this is so, I really must wonder how a term like epi+ousios appeared in the Gospels, whose writers I am assured were a world apart from the Greek philosophical tradition, both as a matter of style as well as substance.
Yes, that is exactly why I suppressed mention of it. It looks like the analysis of the handwriting of that old shopping list yielded “elaiou” = oil rather than epiousion.
I struggle with notions of the Aramaic since they are reconstructions and not source texts
Wikipedia had already come to my aid, Monsignor, before I read your reply. The article “Lord’s Prayer” gives a reference (at footnote 12) to a learned journal from 1999 which (although I cannot access it) would seem to explode the argument from the lost fragment. The NAB NT translation with footnotes is from 1986, however, so the fragment must already have been debunked by then.
On the principle “fools rush in” (and I need to emphasise that I have no knowledge of Aramaic beyond my limited capacity to follow where Max Black leads) and after a good night’s rest, it would appear I was foolish to identify “lachma” with “laẖma” in my earlier post responding to Giacomo.
The same Wikipedia article “Lord’s Prayer” gives a link at footnote 27 to a critique of the New Age Aramaic version used in the video clip you embedded: see http://aramaicdesigns.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-father-mother-birther-of-cosmos.html where the Aramaic phrase parallel to “give us this day our daily bread” is translated as “give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need”.
The opening words in the clip (Abwûn d’bwaschmâja) allegedly mean “O thou from whom the breath of life comes who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration”. If true, Aramaic must be astoundingly concise!
The Our Father is a summary of the Jewish Amidah Benedictions, which follow the Shema Prayer, which Jesus, as every Jew, was familiar with. The petition for daily bread is a summary of the following benediction:
“Bless this year for us, O Lord our God, together with all the varieties of its produce, for our welfare. Bestow ([from the 15th of Nissan insert:] dew and rain for) a blessing upon the face of the earth. O satisfy us with your goodness, and bless our year like the best of years. Blessed are you, O Lord, who blesses the years.”
However, the Our Father is a perfection of the benediction, because Jesus came to fulfill the Law. Therefore the petition for daily bread not only includes deliverance from want but also the arrival of new and everlasting manna, which is to come with the Messiah, and so the petition includes daily reception of the Holy Eucharist. (unfortunately this Eucharistic devotion is not as wide spread as it should, but God works in mysterious ways) This is made evident by the term Jesus uses for daily bread: “super-essence,” which has seven meanings:
1. The Divine Essence, i.e., God
2. The Divine Word, i.e., Tradition and Scripture
3. The Divine Liturgy, i.e., the Liturgy
4. The Divine Charity, i.e, love of God and love of man
5. The abundance of the messianic age
6. The new and everlasting manna, which, unlike the first manna, gives eternal life
7. The Blessed Eucharist
Quite rich. Thanks
Giacomo pipped me, but (following Max Black in his long discussion of “epiousion” in “An Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts” at pp. 203-207) I dare to say that the Aramaic for “bread” is “laẖma”.
In the video (at about 1’34) this transliteration appears for the petition “give us this day our daily bread”:- “hawvlan lachma d’sunqanan yaomana”.
I can recognise Black’s “laẖma” for bread, and “yaomana” appears to be the word for “daily” or “today”. According to Black, however, the relevant idiom is “yoma den we-yomaẖra” (literally “today and tomorrow”, but meaning “day by day”). I have a longer post on Black’s explanation, but I still think a breather on my part is indicated.
Rest well friend.
[My apologies for first posting this in the wrong place on your blog, Monsignor”. Perhaps you can delete it from where I first posted it]
Wikipedia had already come to my aid, Monsignor, before I read your reply. The article “Lord’s Prayer” gives a reference (at footnote 12) to a learned journal from 1999 which (although I cannot access it) would seem to explode the argument from the lost fragment. The NAB NT translation with footnotes is from 1986, however, so the fragment must already have been debunked by then.
On the principle “fools rush in” (and I need to emphasise that I have no knowledge of Aramaic beyond my limited capacity to follow where Max Black leads) and after a good night’s rest – thank you kindly – I must, it seems, admit to having been foolish to identify “lachma” with “laẖma” in my earlier post responding to Giacomo.
The same Wikipedia article “Lord’s Prayer” gives a link at footnote 27 to a critique of the New Age Aramaic version used in the video clip you embedded: see http://aramaicdesigns.blogspot.com/2007/06/o-father-mother-birther-of-cosmos.html where the Aramaic phrase parallel to “give us this day our daily bread” is translated as “give us wisdom (understanding, assistance) for our daily need”.
The opening words in the clip (Abwûn d’bwaschmâja) allegedly mean “O thou from whom the breath of life comes who fills all realms of sound, light and vibration”. If true, Aramaic must be astoundingly concise!
As some of you have said, I am not a scholar, but I am a Catholic.
As a Catholic, I have come to know this part of the Lord’s Prayer – “Give us this day our daily bread”, as my acceptance of God’s will for me at the start of each day. I accept His control and order for my day, along with the awareness of what it is that He wishes for me to do. I pray, “Give me a list of duties to serve You, Lord, for I know that You will provide the strength and ability needed to perform them.”
God has promised to all who believe and love Him, to provide, from the earth, for all our needs, to protect us from our enemies and to love us always. We are accustomed to receiving things and see this verse as receiving something for ourselves, when it is instead a provision in order to serve God. Our purpose in this world is to serve God, not ourselves. The ‘bread’ He gives us is the nourishment of the Holy Spirit, which enables us to bear good fruit which is stored for ourselves with God in Heaven.
Hence you see bread here as a symbol of all our needs and of God’s general providence. This is surely a well rooted approach
Nick,
Your discussion of Jesus’s use of ‘daily bread’ is significant. Jesus also calls himself the “bread of life”! This is why the ‘host’ is sanctified as the body of Christ and is not just a symbol during consecreation as some may believe. It is everything.
I do not believe that God means for ‘our daily bread’ in the Lord’s Prayer to take on this same significance, but to continually remind us to be aware of His presence in our lives on a daily basis. That we need to accept God every single day in every little thing that we do, because He is in control of every little thing.
When Jesus gave his disciples this prayer He knew that they would need help to let go of control of their own lives and allow God to control it for them. They needed a reminder every single day that God, the Creator, over and above ALL THINGS, was in control in a mighty way and that God’s will in heaven WILL BE DONE on earth with or without anyone’s help one day. Jesus gave them the prayer so that they and now we, could ask for “our daily bread” to serve God and stay on the path to heaven. Finally, Jesus gave them and us, the prayer to ask for forgiveness and help when forgetting who is in charge – “forgive us our trespasses”….”and lead us not into temptation.”
In this prayer we have a reminder of who God is; what God promises; who we are; what our purpose is and how to get back on our feet when we fall down on our way home.
We simply do not know how Jesus said it exactly in Aramaic.
It seems reasonable to suppose that, whatever word or phrase Jesus actually used, it would have been understood by the mostly Jews and smattering of Gentiles that heard it. That would suggest the “manna in the desert,” “depend on God” meaning, which might have been the limited way that those who heard it understood it at the time, even if He spoke of bread that is beyond (epi) the mere essential (ousios), something above the essence of “bread,” which is needed for biological survival. Perhaps some of them grasped a “new manna” eschatological meaning, given the growing belief of some at that time in the resurrection of the body.
Jesus spoke many times about bread, especially that He is the Bread of Life, and “man does not live on bread alone,” so it is likely that He had in mind multiple meanings, and that part of the prayer began to seen in a new light later on, after they had received the Paraclete. This would certainly include the Eucharistic meaning, but is likely not limited to it, especially since daily reception of the Eucharist was hardly the norm for the everyday faithful.
In its fullest meaning, it would seem to mean all of the above, a recognition that day-to-day existence requires more than mere physical food, more that mere biological survival, and that we need, each and every day, in addition to that bread which is physical food essential for physical life, we also need that bread which goes beyond the physical and is spiritual and transcendant food essential for spiritual and eternal life, i.e. the Lord Himself. Thus, we ask God to give us not only the physical things we need to survive (just as He feeds the birds and clothes the lillies of the field), but we ask Him to give us the extra-physical things, the beyond the essential and beyond the essence, that we likewise need everyday for true life.
I find your translation of ousios as essential interesting hence epiousious here would be beyond the essential.
Dear Bender,
As an aspiring Catholic, with a German Lutheran and Liberal Catholic Church background I am happy to read your interpretation in respect of the “multiple meanings”. When I read Msgr Pope’s post with reference to the grammatical analysis and finally the inclusive approach of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I experienced such a resonance with the fact that the “daily bread” in Our Lord’s Prayer makes provision for Spirit, Soul and body: Jesus thus taught that we should ask that all our needs be met, beyond just the mere physical. For me it was an amazing post by Msgr Pope – and this morning’s little reading of this post and the thoughts of other contributors like you, has truly enriched my understanding of Our Lord’s Prayer!
Regards and blessings.
A.M.D.G.
Jesus: And when my ‘Fiat Voluntas Tua’ has its fulfillment ‘on earth as it is in Heaven’, then will the complete fulfillment of the second part of the Our Father occur – that is, ‘Give us this day our daily bread.’ I said: ‘Our Father, in the name of all, I ask You for three kinds of bread every day: the bread of your Will, (My food is to do the Father’s Will) or rather, more than bread, because if bread is necessary two or three times a day, this one is necessary at each moment and in all circumstances. Even more, it must be not only bread, but like balsamic air that brings life – the circulation of the Divine Life in the creature. Father, if this bread of your Will is not given, I will never be able to receive all the fruits of my Sacramental Life, which is the second bread we ask of You every day. Oh! how my Sacramental Life feels discomforted, because the bread of your Will does not nourish them; on the contrary, it finds the corrupted bread of the human will. Oh! how disgusting it is to Me! How I shun it! And even though I go to them, I cannot give them the fruits, the goods, the effects, the sanctity, because I do not find Our bread in them. And if I give something, it is in small proportion, according to their dispositions, but not all the goods which I contain; and my Sacramental Life is patiently waiting for man to take the bread of the Supreme Will, in order to be able to give all the good of my Sacramental Life. See then, how the Sacrament of the Eucharist – and not only that one, but all the Sacraments, left to my Church and instituted by Me – will give all the fruits which they contain and complete fulfillment, when Our bread, the Will of God, is done on earth as it is in Heaven.
Then I asked for the third bread – the material one. How could I say: ‘Give us this day our bread’?
Very nice link of the bread to doing the Father’s will. This is surely a bread beyond material bread !
In some Jewish versions of the Our Father coming from the medieval period they use the world temidit which has the meaning of daily, ceaseless, constant. It is linked to the mitzvot temidiot -they are commandments which are constant such as the one of Talmud torah -the constant study of Torah. In judaism bread is associated with the Torah so it is a constant or ceaseless feeding on the Divine bread or manna which is the Word of God.
Yes, and also the bread of doing God’s will as Luis says above.
yes exactly. the bread/manna of the Divine Will is the deepest penetration of the Eucharistic Mystery. Fiat Amen
yes bread is word, so give us your word dayly is like give us your son dayly, cause the son is the word, and too the door of heaven’s kingdom or eternal life
Forgot to add that the perpetual daily offering in the Temple was the Korban Tamid. Thus this term is fittingly linked to the perpetual Sacrifice of the Eucharist. In the Mass and Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration we constantly/daily feed on the Divine manna who is Word of God and Messianic Bread of Life..
Amen
Well, when you try to translate language from the past you will always have different views. That’s why for the most part religion is sometimes called a mystery. And of course it is a mystery. When you speak in another language you must also think in that language. Since no one knows how to think in ancient Greek, we will always wonder what it means. Everyone is over anxious to have their views accepted as the true meaning of the words that have been credited to Jesus Christ. That’s why their are four gospels. What you believe and what is actual truth can be explained by the answer that Jesus gave to Pilot when ask “what is truth”? Jesus gave no response to the question. Do you know what is truth?
Yes, truth is the one thing that we CAN know.
The truth is Jesus Christ. He has come and is BOTH our physical food under the accidents of bread and wine, and spiritual food in the fact of transubstantiation. Yes, fact because Jesus spoke it as such and since He is truth then so is His saying “I am the Bread.”
People’s troubles come in this because they can’t see so they won’t believe. He answered that problem in Thomas.
People want to know “how” can it be, when the only thing they need really is to accept “why” He is the bread.
.
Yes, but even the Greeks contempory to te time did not know what epiousion meant. That is what makes it so interesting and intriguing.
Thanks so much for this article. I wonder why this information is not more widely taught. I don’t remember getting this in RCIA. My daily recitation of the rosary has been greatly enriched. I hope that Mgr. Pope and others will promote wider knowledge of these facts.
Thanks, spread the link !
it’s quite easy to get lost.. trying to understand God in the bible has become, for some of us, an intellectual pursuit rather than a journey home to our true Home and Family.
there are a lot disagreements among biblical scholars that we often lose sight of a reality. there is only one Word in scripture and it’s not so difficult to understand.. it is not something profoundly intellectual but Somebody simple.
for some, biblical scholarship has become an impediment rather than a tool in truly understanding the Word and sharing in His divine life..
the entire prayer is a prayer that we may be united to our Father.. that we may share in the Divine life.. the mystery word is telling us to pray that we may totally give ourselves and thus totally, truly, really and substantially receive the Bread of Life as often as possible.. not only when we are obliged to or when it is convenient.
our heavenly Father gives us that “daily” bread TODAY. He answers the prayer in the positive, DAILY. the only mystery is why we dare refuse Him and then tell ourselves we’re excused because we’re busy trying to find out what the aramaic, hebrew, greek or latin word really means.
may God have mercy on us all.
That’s quite a dampener, Allan. If you find some of the comments tedious (and that is in the nature of blogs) there is an easy solution; but it is unjust to disparage biblical scholarship as you do.
There nothing wrong with trying to find out, as exactly as possible, what the words of Sacred Scripture say and mean, and such work is actually essential – especially for those with the responsibility of translating the original texts into the vernacular languages. Nor is there anything wrong or spiritually dangerous as such in scholars dedicating their entire working lives to such a project.
In individual cases it is entirely possible that the intellectual approach to Sacred Scripture can obscure the life-giving message it contains (such work must always be carried out with humility and according to the rules proper to the science), but the Catholic Church has promoted and defended biblical scholarship ever since Pope Damasus commissioned St. Jerome to apply himself to the subject in the 4th century.
Well said here Bain. I think perhaps Allan has unecessarily divided the intellectual life from the spiritual life. I suppose in the end we must always accept his invitation to remember the forest and not just one tree, but each tree is also important and part of the whole.
it was not my intention to disparage biblical scholarship on my previous post bain. my sincere apologies if it came across as such.
being a student of Sacred Scriptures myself, i also know it is essential. i only wanted to point out that “for some” the study of Sacred Scriptures has become merely academic. a source of intellectual gratification.
i am also aware that the Church, the official custodian and interpreter of the Bible, promotes biblical scholarship and has given rules proper to the science. the spiritual danger is when one deviates from the rules and starts making claims that lead to confusion among the faithful. the countless disagreements prove how great the temptation is to deviate and start thinking that one is better than the Magisterium. we see that in the raging scholarly debate on the first 11 chapters of Genesis. the Church declares a Truth but one theologian says this and another theologian says that.
when the Church’s Truth is questioned and downgraded to being just another interpretation among many, something is wrong and spiritual danger is clearly present.
My dear brother, Allan, spiritual things are spiritually discerned. Fully comprehending the Word of God relies upon the openness of the heart of the reader to the Holy Spirit. Eating His daily bread signifies the daily study of His word and applying it in our lives. God knows every purpose, every thought, every motive that we have in studying His bread. The Lord’s prayer, like any word in the Bible, was made to appear complicated by men as this is the working of Satan, to bring confusion instead of peace.. Satan uses a lot of these bible scholars as sharp instruments to oppose the progress of truth…
May you continue to search His word daily as how the people of Israel gathered their manna daily every morning..
No, Allan, it is I who must apologise for not reading your post with proper charity.
I am now feeling perturbed by the implications of what April has written (can she really mean what I think she means?), but chastened as I am by my over-reaction to what you wrote, I had better leave it for now.
Peace.
amen april.. may you also be continuously blessed with a genuine understanding of the Word and not just of the letters.. may you be constantly nourished and enlightened by the Word made flesh that awaits us “daily” in every single Mass.. and may our heavenly Father always grant you the light of His Truth and the Fire of His Love.
amen to that.. spiritually receiving our Lord daily is excellent. however, entering into the Holy Mass and receiving Him in Holy Communion is infinitely better.
we know that the passover in exodus 12 was a “type” or foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice that was to come. the command was to slaughter the lamb, apply the blood on the doorposts and lintel of every house and then EAT THE FLESH.. on that night, if an Israelite family suddenly decided they only wanted to sacrifice the lamb and apply the blood but wanted to have mac and cheese or pizza for dinner instead of the roasted flesh of the lamb, they would have transgressed the covenant and that family’s first-born son would have been dead the following morning.. God was very specific in His command.
when the crucifixion of Good Friday was made present in an unbloody manner at the upper room.. when the first sacrifice of the Holy Mass was offered by our Lord Himself.. when he instituted the priesthood that will offer the same sacrifice in all the altars of the world today.. He made himself high priest and Sacrificial lamb.. to offer the sacrifice Himself and to be slain, offered and eaten.
in the Bread Of Life discourse of John 6, when the crowd deserted Him for teaching that one should “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood”.. when everyone was repulsed by the thought of eating His flesh and drinking His blood.. when nobody understood what he said and only a handful of people were left, it would have been our Lord’s duty as a teacher of israel to clarify the matter or say something like “I only meant it figuratively” or “you misunderstood me”.. but no. He stood his ground and instead of retracting, he repeated it four times. even our first pope peter received the question that we are all asked daily when faced with the unfathomable mystery of the Eucharist “do you also wish to go away?”
our Lord wouldn’t compromise the greatest gift that God has given us.. the Gift of Himself in the “daily bread” that we dare to ignore and refuse daily.
after all, our Lord didn’t just say “take this all of you and think of me” or “take this all of you and pray to God”. He was very specific in saying “take this all of you and EAT it.. this is my body, which will be given up for you”.
i’m sure He said what He meant and He meant what He said. reading the menu and understanding how the food is prepared and cooked is great but having the meal is better. amen.
spiritually receiving our Lord daily is excellent. however, entering into the Holy Mass and receiving Him in Holy Communion is infinitely better.
we know that the passover in exodus 12 was a “type” or foreshadowing of the perfect sacrifice that was to come. the command was to slaughter the lamb, apply the blood on the doorposts and lintel of every house and then EAT THE FLESH.. on that night, if an Israelite family suddenly decided they only wanted to sacrifice the lamb and apply the blood but wanted to have mac and cheese or pizza for dinner instead of the roasted flesh of the lamb, they would have transgressed the covenant and that family’s first-born son would have been dead the following morning.. God was very specific in His command.
when the crucifixion of Good Friday was made present in an unbloody manner at the upper room.. when the first sacrifice of the Holy Mass was offered by our Lord Himself.. when he instituted the priesthood that will offer the same sacrifice in all the altars of the world today.. He made himself high priest and Sacrificial lamb.. to offer the sacrifice Himself and to be slain, offered and eaten.
in the Bread Of Life discourse of John 6, when the crowd deserted Him for teaching that one should “eat my flesh” and “drink my blood”.. when everyone was repulsed by the thought of eating His flesh and drinking His blood.. when nobody understood what he said and only a handful of people were left, it would have been our Lord’s duty as a teacher of israel to clarify the matter or say something like “I only meant it figuratively” or “you misunderstood me”.. but no. He stood his ground and instead of retracting, he repeated it four times. even our first pope peter received the question that we are all asked daily when faced with the unfathomable mystery of the Eucharist “do you also wish to go away?”
our Lord wouldn’t compromise the greatest gift that God has given us.. the Gift of Himself in the “daily bread” that we dare to ignore and refuse daily.
after all, our Lord didn’t just say “take this all of you and think of me” or “take this all of you and pray to God”. He was very specific in saying “take this all of you and EAT it.. this is my body, which will be given up for you”.
i’m sure He said what He meant and He meant what He said. reading the menu and understanding how the food is prepared and cooked is great but having the meal is better. amen.
One of our Israeli born Hebrew Catholics believes the word translated as opiousion could be menat which means ‘a part of’ or ‘portion of’ which is where the word manna originates. Thus she suggests ‘menat lakhmenu leyom’. I think it may have been ‘ana hayom ten lanu menatnu temidit’. Very interest
that should be epiousion not opiousion. I pressed something before i had completed the reply.
I was intrigued by ‘crazylikeknoxes:”… occasional ouzo”‘ and the term “epiousion” in discussion, and wonder are both words from the same root, perhaps meaning somerthing about ‘spirit’. My wife and I were ending a meal in a small cafe in Athens and saw ouzo was on the menu, and thereby ordered a small ouzo with our coffee. The waiter promptly brought us our coffees and a small bottle of ouzo each. Something was clearly missed in translation, but not wishing to look a gift horse in the mouth, we consumed both coffees and ouzo. Consequently we did not require a taxi to our hotel, as we were floating a foot above the pavement, and made a very light hearted and pleasant walk to our lodging. So from the effect of ouzo on us I can readily connect with the ‘epiousion’ of our spiritual uplifting that our daily Eucharist can transform in us.
I have two related posts, which I would like to share, even though the caravan has moved on. [It is always a pleasure to read some light-hearted contributions such as BrianOFoz’s from (?) downunder, btw.]
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On the various attempts at reconstructing the actual words used by Our Lord, Max Black has a long discussion (“Aramaic Approach to the Gospels and Acts”, pp.203-207) which hangs on the exegesis of Lk.13:32f., and accounts for the discrepancy between the two evangelists in what follows “epiousion”:- Mt.6:11 has “sEmeron” (“today), whereas Lk.11:3 has “to kath’Emeran” (“day by day”).
Black concluded that the original Aramaic petition was simply “give us our bread day by day” which was expressed idiomatically (literally, “today and tomorrow” where “tomorrow” was represented by a word not in general use). Someone (St. Matthew, or whoever was behind Q, or whoever) attempted to translate this literally, but got tangled up with the second limb of the idiom and produced “epiousion” (on this theory, derived from epi + ienai, to come: the coming day/ tomorrow).
St. Luke (according to this argument) translated the idiom correctly (“to kath’Emeran”), but felt unable to jettison the nonce word “epiousion” and ended up with a tautology.
I would like to comment, if I may, on the discrepancy mentioned in my previous post:-
Give us this day/ today / sEmeron (Mt.6:11, cf. the rebuke in 6:34)
Give us . . each day/ day by day/ to kath’ Emeran (Lk.11:3)
St. Jerome’s translation of “epiousion” (occurring in both Gospels) also differs –”supersubstantialem” in Mt., but “cotidianum” in Lk.
Rome adopted a Latin version which preserves “hodie” (from Mt.) AND “qu]otidianum” (from Lk.)
English translates these variants as:-
(a) “Give us today our supersubstantial bread” (Vulgate, Mt.6:11)
(b) “Give us day by day our daily bread” (Vulgate, Lk.11:3)
(c) “Give us today our daily bread” (Pater Noster)
Only (a) hints at the Eucharist. Marcion (a heretic in the primitive Church) read “Give us today Your daily bread”, which makes the petition explicitly Eucharistic (cf. Jn.6:35 “I am the bread of life”).
Nevertheless, even a materialistic reading of “daily bread” has a spiritual dimension stretching back to the manna in the desert (Ex.16:4): none of it was to be kept, because it went bad overnight (ibid., vv.19f.).
On the sixth day, however, they could collect enough for two days and the stored manna did not go bad (ibid., vv. 21-24).
Then came the experience of Canaan – overflowing with milk and honey – and God’s people forgot Moses’ warning not to take abundance for granted (Deut.8:12) or think that the fruits of the earth were the produce only of their own toil (ibid., v.17).
Hence the prayer of Agur (Pr.30:8f.):-
“Give me neither poverty nor riches; (provide me only with the food I need;)
Lest, being full, I deny you, saying, ‘Who is the LORD?’ Or, being in want, I steal, and profane the name of my God.”
What a wealth of associations, as we ponder this multivalent and mysterious word “epiousion”!
“Marcion (a heretic in the primitive Church) read ‘Give us today Your daily bread’, which makes the petition explicitly Eucharistic”
No he didn’t. You made that up.
Rather an abrupt way of calling me out, and not charitably expressed either either, but I will respond all the same – despite not knowing precisely what I am accused of “making up.”
[1] Was Marcion a heretic in the primitive Church?
Check out St. Justin, Apology I, cap. XXVII.
[2] Did Marcion read “your bread” in the Lord’s Prayer?
Check out the apparatus criticus in Nestlé-Aland, Novum Testamentum Graece (edn. 27, 1993) under Lk.11:3.
[3] Does this variant reading make the petition explicitly Eucharistic?
I don’t offer any authority for that, since it stands to reason: Jesus as the bread of God, come down from Heaven and giving life to the world (Jn.6:33)
Peace
i am by no means a scholar… but meditation on the Lords Prayer, and the Hail Mary and the Mysteries of the Rosary are what brought me to the church….
“Abba” (daddy) a familiar form of address, a caring and personal God , not a God of judgment and anger and wrath.. but “daddy” who loves me
who is in Heaven (not the one in the living room, then, but the “Abba” of heaven who made me)
Hallowed be Thy name, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done
(all of these things, please.. ) on earth as they are in heaven…..
let heaven and earth be “as one” place where Your will is done, and Your name is Hallowed, and your Kingdom is finally come…..
in other words, please let the messiah come to restore God to earth, soon!
Give us this day our daily bread
(here we come to the complex word, that means more than MERELY one thing.. it is a “super substantial” bread, encompassing BOTH/ALL kinds of bread, from the needed bread of our daily substance, to the needed bread of our spiritual substance.)
AND
(critical here… the daily bread is LINKED with this next phrase)
forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.
The phrase “give us” is linked in both sense and phrase with “forgive us” and therefore BOTH must be viewed as needed for our daily life. we sin, and fall short….. we *require* God to forgive us in order to live… just as we require food to live…. and we MUST confess our sins and be forgiven before we can receive the daily bread of the Eucharistic supper…..
we must , therefore, ask for forgiveness daily… and know that we are dependent upon God to both forgive us and feed us.
we.. poor weak things that we are. can only do our small part in forgiving those whose “sins are against us” as opposed to the sins against God which only He can forgive.
but just as the Talmud says that God made wheat to grow, and not bread, so that man could participate in creation… could actually “help” in producing his food.. and have an active part/role to play… so we are asked to forgive those who trespass against us, as an acting together with God……
Lead us not into temptation (this made a LOT more sense when i found out it could be translated into “preserve us from the time of trial and tribulation” or as Jesus said.. “Pray, then, that you are not put to the test!”)
but (instead of allowing us to be tested) deliver us from evil (or the snares of the evil one)
Amen
… and she kept these words in her heart, and pondered (meditated) upon them….
Padre Pio said that it is intended to mean,”Holy Communion!”
Those of us who are interested to do so, may make an act of Spiritual Communion,frequently, throughout each day! We are never alone!
Desciples did not speak Greek.Bible was written in Greek,because then was under Roman Greek empire.many words in fact were spoken ILLYRIAN=Albanian today(Saint Peter and Paul spread the religion in the lands where was spoken ILLYRIAN).So for, give us our bread today means and it does for today because tomorow you should pray again for the new day as it becomes today again when in a new day.
The word Hamen in Albanian means HAM,hami,haj,hane,hene,ha.hanger(in English means hungry but in Albanian means eating, but i guess when hungry you eat so it has not lost its meaning from ILLYRian to English,it did stay in the family)hamen means we are eating or eating=food.
Feed us today and forgive us our sins as we forgive other’s who had sinnded against us.
je zeus,ie zeus Christi=Kryqi(albanian)=cross. the one on the cross in now Zeuz(Zeus without s zeu=zot Albanian=God english=theo Greek.) JE and ie is Albanian word for you are,
the God on the cross.
As Illyrian spoke a Greek wrote.correct but mixed languages,but since many Greek still speak Albanian then between both languages you will translate the real meaning.Many words created making it sound Greek but has not lost the pronaunciation mutch.But also old Greek and today is not the same so even Greek has lost their meaning of old words, but Albanian can help.And so you know is not everything Greek, but translated from originals(and burned the originals as it happened in Alexandria even untranslated ones) when they became empire together with Rome.
feed us today and the part forgive means give us your blessing as in holy as in comunion. so feed us physicaly and spiritualy.
I think i made a mistake with word Arton and hemon. so dont minde what I said on that part, besides other .
ἐπιούσιον if you remove the N epiousio=daily bread ,as well but this seems to be so upside down as Latin language.but since ton in Albanian as well means our as in E jona jonat,, e tynja(theirs)tonja,tonat tona ton(our)
then Ar ton ar in Albanian means gold and also land.so ar ton our land then arton=food in greek.
epiousio=daily bread thru translator
help our lands to produse our daily food. but which ever way means same thing.give us a produktive land and water, the water part I am considering epiousio where e pi =i dink, ousi=close to what we(albanian) call water =UJI.So as in prayer do not ask for wealth but just so you have Water and food.
the forgive us our sins is the part when you get hit with holy. to be without a sin is holy comunion.
In greek TON alone means his but TON arton=our bread.(Ton in Ton arton means OURS)
ἡμῶν τὸν hemon ton means =us his
ἡμῶν hemon=our
ἄρτον ἡμῶν =give us
ἡμῶν ἄρτον=our bread
So Albanian ton=our arton=our land hemon=food, ton=our, epiou=drink water but does not sound like it. unless if you may want to take epiousion as in drinking water so. give us our daily bread and water.
In Any Greek words you must try Albanian too because they lived side by side and both spoke both on those times.Both of them are modern now but back then perhaps was dialekt differences.
People called Arvanitas in Greek today, who are Albanian speaking and also Arberesh In Italy who speak 15th century Albanian maybe can help better on understanding Greek words which are lost,and many other words as sociology which i know what it means thru Albanian(Soci=shoqi=friend) and many more science words.
Greek our bread give our(us) daily food.
But the prayer Our father in heaven was oraly kept rather then translated from the book.
Forgot to mention that Epi ousion the Epi in Albanian means give. Epi,epia,epja,epjau,epe.jepi jepjau,jepe.nepi nepua,nepjau,nepe ,,,all of these words= give.
but ,e pi=I drink., i am drinking.
it is a proof that god’s name is also visnhu and working is a sacrifise for the lord vishnu (another name for lord krishna or christ)
see how the words bashmaya and vishnaja resembles ; vishnu who is the lord of working and who threfore provides the daily bread for those who work for him……..
Please pardon this late entry which is due to the fact that I am reading the bible through at a rate of a few chapters a day and have just come upon this. Another piece of data which may (or may not) help clarify is in Proverbs 30:7&8 where at least one translation (NIV) mentions daily bread. I suppose that one would have to go back to the original language.
I’ve been praying about this…. I felt it could mean give us this say the bread of today .. as it is mentioned in Hebrews in the chapter discussing the creation and how God rested on the seventh day.It refers to the fact that we ought to also have entered into his rest but did not, and throughout the generations needed again to be “saved” so they mention that again another day had to be appointed for salvation, and they called it ” Today”.This reminds me of Christ,s message of coming to God through Him…. also the verse “come to Me all of you who are burdened and heavy laden and I will give you rest” so it could be an entering into God,s rest through Jesus into our salvation, into the eternity that is Now where only God’s love exists.
very cool answer claudia
Danke, endlich habe ich das Problem begriffen 😉
Theoretisch ist das ne super Sache, ich uberlege mir nur, ob das langfristig brauchbar ist!
“Epiousios” is a combination of 2 Greek words as pointed out in the article. “Epi” is simply a preposition so don’t let this prefix get in the way. The real analysis should be of “ousios” which occurs in another place. Titus 2:14 uses the Greek word “periousios” which KJV translates “peculiar”. Now remove the “peri” prepositional prefix and there is “ousios”. This word has the meaning of “possession, property, what one has”. This can only be understood in both cases, Matt. 6:11 and Titus 2:14, when one knows about THEIR possession, property, and what they have.” Of course this is hidden for it must be revealed by YAHWAH God as to who THEY are before they will ever know about their POSSESSION.