"One day at a time" is a familiar motto for people in times of crisis. The slogan is meant to get us to focus on the issues at hand, rather than fret about the past or the future, which we cannot control.

Of course, we are most inclined to worry about the past and the future when we are facing difficulties, for painful situations usually arise from past errors and threaten future happiness. We struggle with guilt about the past. We struggle with fear of the future. These struggles often rob us of joy today.

In today's Gospel reading, Jesus announces that he is "the bread of life," and compares himself to the "manna in the desert" that God provided Israel during the Exodus. During the Exodus, when the Israelites were hungry, God provided bread each morning --- but just enough for one day. Jesus is the bread of life, but we are not offered a lifetime supply of blessings in one installment. We are offered enough to get through today. We need to learn to turn to God for sustenance one day at a time.

Discipleship is a long journey. We do not know where it will lead. It is likely we will experience successes and failures that we never anticipated, and that we never thought we could survive.

We experience shattering love, and find ourselves capable of more love than we thought we had. And we experience devastating loss and betrayal. Could Jesus give us a pill that would enable us to withstand all our life experiences? Or could God at least give us a guidebook or a set of flash cards that could help us to prepare for what is to come?

God doesn't do any of that. Instead of giving us a program, God gives us a person in Jesus Christ. We are called to turn to him each day.

There is not much in our culture or society that teaches us to live our lives day by day, and to enjoy the moment. At every turn we are taught to prepare for the future with things like education, retirement accounts and wise financial investments. In some religious circles the afterlife is emphasized, rather than the life we have today. While it is true that we are called to keep eternity in mind, and not be short-sighted in our decisions and actions, we are also called to be faithful today.

Jesus is the bread of life. We pray each week at Mass for our "daily bread." We are challenged to take nothing for granted in our spiritual or physical lives. God does not promise us tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow. We have today. We must ask ourselves how we can be faithful at the beginning of each day, and reflect on our faithfulness again at the end of each day.

I don't know about you, but it sounds refreshing to focus on today rather than on yesterday or tomorrow. It is just so difficult to do. I constantly worry about the impact of past choices and actions, and constantly worry about the future of myself and my family.

The good news is that the bread of life is here for us. It is here in a physical way each time we celebrate the Eucharist, and it for us in prayer and Scripture if we will feed on it every day.

Bill Peatman writes from Napa.