“O Jesus, give me, I pray, the bread of humility,
the bread of obedience,
the bread of charity,
the bread of strength to break my will and melt it into yours,
the bread of interior mortification,
the bread of detachment from creatures,
the bread of patience to bear the sorrows that my heart suffers.
O Jesus, You want me crucified, fiat,
the bread of seeing only You alone in everything and always.
Jesus, Mary, the Cross, I want no other friends than these!
So be it.”
Saint Bernadette often defined herself as “poor”. This prayer, which she composed herself, is a masterpiece of spiritual humility.
All about Bernadette’s Prayer
When to pray the prayer of the poor beggar?
In moments of self-doubt, difficulty in obeying, or when seeking to deepen one’s inner life.
What interpretation can be made of this prayer?
Bernadette expresses her radical desire for God. The “bread” she asks for is not material but spiritual: it is the strength to renounce her ego to leave all the room for Jesus.
Who is this prayer addressed to?
To those who aspire to holiness by the “little way” of humility and hidden service, at the school of Bernadette.