On Bread

Intermountain Catholic

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On Saturday I made zucchini bread, using squash grown in a friend’s garden and baking pans passed down by my grandfather.

When Grandpa joined the Army, he was trained as a cook. Although he soon left that specialty behind, becoming an officer and finishing his career as a lieutenant colonel, he never lost his love of baking. It became his hobby when he retired, and he was known for donating baked goods to church events.

He also baked whenever he came to visit my family. I particularly remember when he came shortly after I moved to a new school, and my mother came at lunchtime, bearing a bread braid still warm from the oven, and for that day at least I was popular, as other kids asked for a taste.

When Grandpa died, my mom inherited his recipe books and baking pans, and it was those that I used to bake the zucchini bread.

The squash I picked this past summer from the garden of some friends, who granted me permission to harvest cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and peaches from their back yard while they were on vacation. Most of the produce I ate fresh, but there was more than enough zucchini, so in addition to passing some on to others in my office, I froze some to keep until the time was right, and on Saturday the time was right.

  The day my friends returned from their trip I left them a loaf of zucchini bread as a thank you for their generosity. The next morning I received a text saying how much they appreciated it, because there had been no other breakfast food in the house. I smiled for the whole day, grateful that my gift had been more than a tasty treat.

As Christians we believe that Jesus is the Bread of Life – he is the food for his people now, just as the manna from heaven was given to the Israelites in the desert.

Bread is mentioned many times in the Christian Bible, both in the Old Testament and the New. Bread was offered in sacrifice among the first fruits of the earth, a grateful acknowledgment of our forefathers to the Creator. God commanded that the Israelites eat unleavened bread every year at Passover, commemorating the Exodus; he gave them manna in the desert.

The multiplication of the loaves is the only miracle mentioned in all four Gospels, and at the Last Supper Jesus broke the bread and instituted the Eucharist.

We call this sacrament “Eucharist, because it is an action of thanksgiving to God. The Greek words ‘eucharistein’ and ‘eulogein’ recall the Jewish blessings that proclaim – especially during a meal – God’s works: creation, redemption and sanctification,” states the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Through the Eucharist, we enter into communion with Christ and form one body, with Jesus as the head.

For me, the zucchini bread was an action of thanksgiving for family, friends and the bounty of the earth. It also was a communion of sorts, joining me with my grandfather and my friends not only through memories by through faith. In addition to passing down his baking pans through my mother, Grandpa passed along his faith. He prayed the rosary every day for 40 years and was always ready to help those in need. Like my grandfather, my friends are active in their parish and also give of their time, talent and treasure to others. All three of them nourish my soul, providing examples of how I wish to live my faith.

Marie Mischel is editor of the Intermountain Catholic. Reach her at marie@icatholic.org.