"A Loaf of Lore": A Reflection on the Psalm for August 5th, 2018: Eighteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time

PSALM  78:3-4, 23-24, 25, 54

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

What we have heard and know,
and what our fathers have declared to us,
We will declare to the generation to come
the glorious deeds of the LORD and his strength
and the wonders that he wrought.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

He commanded the skies above
and opened the doors of heaven;
he rained manna upon them for food
and gave them heavenly bread.

R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Man ate the bread of angels,
food he sent them in abundance.
And he brought them to his holy land,
to the mountains his right hand had won.

​R. The Lord gave them bread from heaven.

Faith comes as a gift through various mediums. Sometimes it is received through first hand experiences, the sacraments, or nature. Other times, it is received through God’s word in scripture, or other intellectual engagements. But often, the most dynamic way God nurtures my faith is through the stories of others’ personal experiences and through their witnesses to His love and faithfulness. My faith is nurtured through His fidelity not only to me, but to those around me. And who doesn’t love a good story?

In my mind, my grandmother was a living saint. And not only because she put up with my grandfather. She lived her life with a rhythm and grace I have always admired and strive to emulate. Growing up, I remember sitting on the bench seat at her kitchen table, watching her make bread. Measuring her flour by the handful, she would softly hum a tune while she worked the dough with rhythm and precision; with love, patience, and fidelity—not only to the recipe, but to her family.

Bread is crafted with time and great care. Each ingredient carefully measured and necessary for producing the final product. And then, the final product—an essential staple in the nourishment of each uniquely made, individual life. And each uniquely made individual is created for the nourishment of another individual life. So, we are not a bunch of roaming, aimless individual lives, but a communion of souls—carefully kneaded and patiently waited upon by the Maître Boulanger—until we are finally baked to perfection in the oven of eternity.

Many stories float around in my head of the good God is doing in so many lives. The way He—the Bread of Life—rescues, redeems, heals and sustains in the most dire of circumstances. These are the stories that rescue, redeem, heal and sustain me when my faith is weak. This sustenance is essential because for many of us the journey of faith ebbs and flows as we walk through this life. Sometimes His presence penetrates our very being. He courses through our veins just as the very bread that sustains us. We can see Him, hear Him, feel and even taste Him. These are the moments of abundance we can use to nourish another when they are feeling depleted. Just as others will help bring to mind His goodness when we feel alone or filled with doubt. God gives us His very self through others as bread from heaven in our times of need. May we always have the wisdom and courage to share our stories with one another, and “declare to the generation to come… the wonders that He wrought.”

Let us pray: Jesus, my Eternal Love and the Bread of Life—I praise you for being the perfect bread from heaven, and for creating me in Your image and likeness so that I may, by Your grace, provide nourishment to another in their time of need.


Lori MacDonald

"God gives us His very self through others as bread from heaven in our times of need." - Lori MacDonald (Ora Reflections)