Or by ‘supersubstantialis’ may be intended, ‘daily.’ Cassian, Coll., ix, 21: In that He says, "this day,” He shows that it is to be daily taken, and that this prayer should be offered at all seasons, seeing there is no day on which we have not need, bythe receiving of this bread, to confirm the heart of the inward man.
We pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” not only that we may have what toeat, which is common to both righteous and sinners; but that what we eat we may receive at the hand of God, which belongs only to the saints. For to him Godgiveth bread who earns it by righteous means; but to him who earns it by sin, the Devil it is that gives. Or that inasmuch as it is given by God, itis received sanctified; and therefore He adds, “our,” that is, such bread as wehave prepared for us, that do Thou give us, that by Thy giving it may be sanctified. Like as the Priest taking bread of the laic, sanctifies it, and then offers it to him; the bread indeed is his that brought it in offering, but that it is sanctified is the benefit from the Priest. He says “Our” for two reasons. First, because all things that God gives us He gives through us to others, that of what we receive of Him we may impart to the helpless. Whoso then of what he gains by his own toil bestows nothing on others, eats not his own bread only, but others’ bread also. Secondly, he who eats bread got righteously, eats his own bread; but he who eats bread got with sin, eats others’ bread.
It should be thought upon how when He had delivered to us this petition, “Thywill be done as in heaven so in earth,” then because He spake to men in the flesh, and not like angelic natures without passion or appetite, He now descends to the needs of our bodies. And He teaches us to pray not for money or the gratification of lust, but for daily bread; and as yet further restriction, He adds, “this day,” that we should not trouble ourselves with thought for the coming day.
And these words at first sight might seem to forbid our having it prepared for the morrow, or after the morrow. If this were so, this prayer could only suit afew; such as the Apostles who travelled hither and thither teaching - or perhaps none among us. Yet ought we so to adapt Christ’s doctrine, that all men may profit in it.
Or; He adds, “daily,” that a man may eat so much only as natural reason requires, not as the lust of the flesh urges. For if you expend on one banquetas much as would suffice you for a hundred days, you are not eating today's provision, but that of many days.
