Dear Friends in Christ,

I’ve seen a certain picture in the dining room of many rectories and monasteries. Maybe you have seen it too. A humble man is sitting down for a simple meal. On the table is bread and a bowl, probably of soup. A large bible is also on the table with some reading glasses on top. The man’s body is bent forward in prayer, offering thanks for this modest meal. When I see this picture, it reminds me to give thanks for every good gift, no matter how humble.

In the middle of the Lord’s prayer is the petition, “Give us this day our daily bread.” We pray the Lord’s prayer at every Divine Liturgy and every other church service. We begin meetings with it. It’s part of our daily prayers. The petition, “Give us this day our daily bread,” speaks of God’s generosity and goodness. It calls us both to receive and to share our material goods, because God’s bounty is too rich for us to keep to ourselves. We are called to share not by force but out of love, so that the abundance of some may remedy the needs of others.

The prayer for daily bread recalls the story of the Israelites in the wilderness. The people longed to be back in Egypt where they thought things were better, so they asked God for bread. God rained bread down from above – manna. All they had to do was gather it. Anyone who tried to gather more than a day’s worth found that the bread would rot. One day’s worth (or two before the Sabbath) was all you received, and you would have to trust God for tomorrow’s portion.

Jesus was always eating in the Gospels. If there wasn’t enough food, He made more. He compared Himself to bread: “I am the bread of life.” Bread is a biblical image for the Word of God and for the Holy Eucharist. And that’s why we as followers of Jesus have been feeding people ever since with community meals, outreach, and education.

Since the fall of 2025, a group of priests and deacons has been journeying with five men who are candidates in our Eparchial Diaconate Program. The candidates take courses online, but they also gather throughout the year to learn and share. So far, they have learned about liturgical singing, the role of deacons, and have had some practice preaching. They also gather for shared meals, prayer, and social time. Through education and food, these candidates are being fed so that they might feed the faithful of our Eparchy as deacons in the future.

Please support this year’s Annual Eparchial Appeal so that the Eparchial Diaconate Program and all other initiatives can feed our faithful and that they in turn can feed others daily bread.

Yours in Christ,
Bishop Michael Smolinski, C.Ss.R., Eparch of Saskatoon