Epiousiō. / Daylye breade or supernaturall. / Why wee aske oure bread to be daylye. / Forgyuenes of trespasses. / Our couenant with god, as we forgiue. &c
Our Daily Bread: Trusting God Day by Day
The Master explains the meaning of 'daily bread' as both spiritual nourishment in Christ and physical sustenance, leading to the Scholar's affirmation that we ask for daily bread to avoid anxiety about tomorrow, trusting God's daily provision.
Master. Some suppose this passage refers to the bread that Christ mentions in the1 sixth.2 of John. That is, it refers to the true knowledge and taste of Christ, who was born and died for us, with which the faithful soul is fed. The reason they derive this from is the Greek word epiousion, by which they understand supernatural, spiritual, heavenly, and divine.3 I do not reject this meaning, for both these expositions fit well with this passage; but why does he call it daily bread, which is also meant by this word epiousion?4 Scholar. We ask for daily bread so that it might always be present and continually accompany us—to quench and satisfy our thirsty desire and unsated stomach—so that we wouldn't otherwise be, as Christ says, anxious about tomorrow, because tomorrow will take care of itself.✦5 For it won't come without its own trouble and anxiety. So it's not reasonable that one day should increase the hardship of another.
Forgiveness: Our Covenant with God
The Master introduces the fifth petition for forgiveness, emphasizing our need for mercy, the necessity of humility, and the covenant to forgive others as we seek forgiveness from God.
It's enough for us to ask each day, since our generous Father is ready to provide for each day.6 Now follows the fifth request: in it, we ask the Father to forgive us the trespasses and failures we've committed.7 This request is certainly necessary, since no one living is free from sin.✦ Here, then, we must cast away all trust in ourselves. Here we must humble our boldness.8 Here we must pray to our most merciful Father, for the love of Jesus Christ—his most dear and obedient Son—to pardon, forgive, and utterly blot out our countless offenses from his book.✦ In the meantime, we ought to be mindful of the covenant we make with God: that it may please God to forgive us our trespasses just as we forgive those who trespass against us. Therefore, it's necessary that we forgive and pardon everyone for all their offenses, regardless of their nature or circumstances. If we forgive people their faults, our heavenly Father will forgive us ours.
Read the original English
Master. Some suppose this place to meane, that bread, that Christe maketh men…on of, in the. vi. of Ihon. That is, of the true knoweledge and taste of Christe, that was borne and dyed for vs: wherwyth the faithfull soule is fedde. The reasō wherupon they gather this is the greke woorde epiousion whereby they vnderstande supernaturall, ghostly, heauenly and diuine. This mea nynge I refuse not: for both these expositions may fitlye agree with this place: but whi calleth he it daily bred, whiche is also signified by thys worde epiousion.
Scholer. We aske daily bread, that myghte be alwayes presente and accompanye vs contynuallye: to slake and satisfye oure thyrstye desyre, and vnsaciat stomacke: least otherwise, we shuld be, as Christ sayeth, carefull for to morowe: because the morowe shall care for it selfe.
For it shall come not wythout his own discōmoditie & care, Wherfore it is not reason, that one day shoulde encrease the euell of another.
It shall be sufficient for vs, dayly to aske, that our most bountifull father is readye dayly to gyue. Now foloweth the fifthe requeste: wherein we beseeche the father to forgeue vs oure trespasses and de…auts, that we haue committed. This request, doutles is veri necessarye: sithe there is no man liuinge, free from sinne. Here therfore must we cast away all trust of our selues. Heare must we plucke downe our courage. Here must we prai oure moste mercifull father, for the loue of Iesu Christe hys moste deare and obedyent sonne, to pardō, forgeue and vtterly blot oute of hys boke, our innumerable offēces. Heare oughte we in the meane seasō, to be myndfull of the couenauute we make wyth God: That it maye please God so to forgeue vs our trespaces, as we our selues forgiue theim that trespasse agaynste vs. Therfore it is necessarye, that we forgyue and pardone all men, all theyr offenses, of what sort or condition so euer thei be.
If we forgiue men there faultes, our heauenly father shall forgiue vs oures.
Scripture echoes
- ↩Matt.6.34 — Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
- ↩Eccl.7.20;Rom.3.23 — For there is no righteous person on earth who does good and never sins. Rom.3.23 — For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
- ↩Exod.32.32-Exod.32.33;Rev.3.5 — But now, if you will forgive their sin—and if not, please blot me out of your book that you have written. Exod.32.33 — And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, I will blot out of my book." Rev.3.5 — The one who conquers will thus be clothed in white garments, and I will not erase his name from the book of life. I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels.
Notes
- 1 ↩Source reading is damaged: 'men…on' is reconstructed as 'mention' from the section witness ('Christe maketh men…on of, in the.vi. of Ihon'). The sentence was also split across following citation fragments.
- 2 ↩Standalone Roman numeral 'vi.' is a citation fragment of 'in the sixth of John' (John 6), split from the surrounding sentence by segmentation.
- 3 ↩Early Modern 'ghostly' means spiritual (not spectral); rendered as 'spiritual'.
- 4 ↩Source 'mea nynge' is a line-break split of 'meaning'; translated as 'meaning'.
- 5 ↩Early modern 'carefull' means anxious/worried (not modern 'careful'); rendered as 'anxious' to preserve the force of Christ's saying.
- 6 ↩Early modern 'that' here is read causally (since/because): daily asking is enough because the Father is ready to give daily—not as a relative 'that which'.
- 7 ↩Source reading 'de…auts' is damaged; restored as 'defaults' (failures/debts), a common Tudor pairing with 'trespasses' in Lord's Prayer teaching.
- 8 ↩Early modern 'courage' here means proud self-assurance or boldness of heart, not bravery; 'Heare' is 'Here', matching the surrounding sentences.
John Ponet's Short Catechisme (1553) companion
Rule yourself daily, not just on retreat
Chosen Portion turns the mirror into a daily practice — a short reading and examining question each morning before you lead anyone.
Chosen Portion makes the mirror daily: the ruler-formation questions this collection preserves become a two-minute morning examination in the app.
- A daily formation reading drawn from centuries of counsel to those in authority
- One pointed examination question a day — two minutes, before the meetings start
- Track your practice over weeks and watch the examined life become a habit