separateurCreated with Sketch.

Do we see our food as an act of God’s divine providence?

whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative
Philip Kosloski - published on 11/24/24
whatsappfacebooktwitter-xemailnative
Sadly we do not always remember the simple fact that God is the provider of all our food, and that we are only instruments who cooperate with his plan.

Help Aleteia continue its mission by making a tax-deductible donation. In this way, Aleteia's future will be yours as well.

Donate with just 3 clicks

*Your donation is tax deductible!

In the modern world, most of us don't grow the food we eat. We buy the food at the grocery store or have it delivered to our front door.

This distance from the origins of our food can make it seem that humans are self-sufficient, that we do not need God for our "daily bread."

Yet, as many farmers recognize, the food we grow can be a tricky business and much of the process takes faith.

A farmer doesn't always know if his seeds will sprout and grow into corn, or if a hail storm will wipe out the crop that is ready to harvest.

The food that we have on our table is truly an act of divine providence.

Gift of God

Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this simple fact in an Angelus message in 2006 on the celebration of Thanksgiving:

In our Christian families, children are taught to always thank the Lord prior to eating with a short prayer and the Sign of the Cross. This custom should be preserved or rediscovered, for it teaches people not to take their "daily bread" for granted but to recognize it as a gift of Providence.

Furthermore, this act of thanking God for our food can spread to other parts of our lives, where we see the hand of God:

We should become accustomed to blessing the Creator for all things: for air and water, precious elements on which life on our planet depends, as well as for the food that through the earth's fertility God offers to us for our sustenance.

As much as we like to think that we can live without God, the truth is that God holds everything into existence and is the reason behind every blessing in our lives.

Did you enjoy this article? Would you like to read more like this?

Get Aleteia delivered to your inbox. It’s free!

Aleteia exists thanks to your donations

Help us to continue our mission of sharing Christian news and inspiring stories. Please make a donation today! Take advantage of the end of the year to get a tax deduction for 2024.