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Our Father Who Art In Heaven,
Engraved by A. Hoen & Co Engravers, Baltimore,
Printed in 1876,
M. Crider Publishers |
Jesus said, ‘What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered in its branches.’
Another thing he said, ‘What shall I compare the kingdom of God with? It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.’ |
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| | Reflection on the Our Father Prayer Card
The circulation of prayer cards, such as today’s card is an important part of popular devotions in our Church. This beautifully engraved card was published to spread the Our Father and help people to pray. The beauty of the card promotes and celebrates the beauty of the prayer. Jesus shares in today’s reading that the Kingdom of Heaven is like yeast in bread. And of course bread is central in the Our Father and eucharist as well. So let’s look a little closer at why bread was so important in Jesus’ time. Not sure if you have ever made a loaf of bread, but if you have, then you would realise the massive difference that yeast makes. When flour, water, a splash of oil and salt get kneaded together, without yeast, the bread would just be like a hard brick coming out of the oven. So the yeast softens the bread; it ads air to the bread; it makes it eatable, it makes the bread enjoyable and above all… it makes the bread increase in size dramatically. Jesus understood this and thus he uses the image of yeast to convey the point that even with a tiny amount of yeast, the whole bread can be saved, improved, increased in size: a small addition, results in a huge difference!
Especially after our reading from yesterday, where we saw how Jesus chose the Twelve apostles, we understand better what Christ means. The Kingdom of God begins as small and from there it grows to become large and beautiful. So bread has become one of the most powerful symbols in Christianity, as it symbolises growth. Even when found in the Our Father (Give us this day our daily bread) we ask God to provide us with both actual and also spiritual food to help us grow in our love for God, and in our love for each other.
All throughout the Bible many more references to bread occur (multiplication of loaves, the Last supper, Moses and the food from Heaven, etc…), all pointing towards our dependence on God’s provision for our human and spiritual survival today. Bread ultimately points to Jesus Himself. He IS the bread we must all take in if we truly seek physical, spiritual, and… eternal life.
by Patrick van der Vorst |  |
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