Grace Thompson
Saying grace is a Christian practice of reciting a short prayer before or after a meal, requesting or thanking God for his gifts. While it is not exclusively Catholic, it is a firm Catholic tradition. Catholics say grace before meals to ask God for his blessing, and after meals as a prayer of thanksgiving for all the good things God has given them. Some common Catholic graces include Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen and Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, our morning joy, our evening rest; let these gifts, to us, be blessed and us to your loving service.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of Grace | A short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating |
| Who says Grace | Catholics and Christians of all denominations (Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant) |
| Purpose of Grace | To thank God for the food and gifts they have received |
| Grace before meals | "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen. |
| Grace after meals | "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. |
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What You'll Learn
Catholics say grace to thank God for their food
Saying grace is a Christian practice of reciting a short prayer before or after a meal, thanking God for the food. It is not exclusive to Catholics, but it is a firm tradition in Catholicism. The prayers are meant to give thanks to God for the food and acknowledge that it is He who provides for our daily needs.
The grace prayer before meals asks God for His blessing, while the grace prayer after meals is a prayer of thanksgiving for all the good things God has given. It is also a prayer of intercession for those who have helped us and an opportunity to pray for the souls of those who have passed away.
There are many variations of grace prayers that Catholics can use before and after meals. Here are some examples:
Before Meals
- "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty. Amen."
- "Lord Jesus, our brother, we praise you for these gifts which we are about to receive from your bounty."
- "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, our morning joy, our evening rest; let these gifts to us be blessed, and us to your loving service."
- "O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
After Meals
- "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen."
- "We thank Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hast satisfied us with Thine earthly gifts; deprive us not of Thy Heavenly Kingdom, but as Thou camest among Thy disciples, O Saviour, and gavest them peace, come unto us and save us."
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Grace is a short prayer or phrase
The word "grace" refers to a short prayer or phrase of thanksgiving said before or after eating. Theologically, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible, in which Jesus and Saint Paul pray before meals. The practice reflects the belief that humans should thank God, who is believed to be the origin of everything. Pope Francis has encouraged all believers to embrace the "beautiful and meaningful custom" of saying grace before and after meals.
While grace before meals asks God for his blessing, grace after meals is a prayer of thanksgiving for all the good things that God has provided. It is also a prayer of intercession for those who have helped us and an opportunity to pray for the souls of those who have died.
Before Meals
- "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty. Amen."
- "Lord Jesus, our brother, we praise you for these gifts, which we are about to receive from your bounty. Amen."
- "Father of us all, this meal is a sign of your love and care for us. Bless us and this food, which we receive from your generosity. Amen."
- "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts, to us, be blessed. Amen."
- "O Christ God, bless the food and drink of your servants, for you are holy, now and forever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
After Meals
- "We give Thee thanks, almighty God, for all Thy benefits, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen."
- "Vouchsafe, O Lord, to reward with eternal life, all those who do us good for Thy name’s sake. Amen."
- "Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God."
- "May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen."
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Saying grace is a Christian practice
Catholics have various grace prayers that they recite before and after meals. One traditional prayer before a meal is:
> Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty.
Another version of this prayer includes the addition of "through Christ our Lord" at the end. Some Catholics also make the Sign of the Cross over the food with their right hand while saying this prayer.
After meals, Catholics may recite the following traditional prayer:
> We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. Vouchsafe, O Lord, to reward with eternal life, all those who do us good for Thy name's sake. Amen. V. Let us bless the Lord. R. Thanks be to God.
This prayer expresses gratitude for the meal and also serves as a prayer of intercession for those who have helped prepare the food. It is worth noting that while saying grace before meals is a firm Catholic tradition, saying grace after meals is less commonly practised by Catholics nowadays.
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Catholics say grace before and after meals
The traditional phrasing for grace before meals is:
> Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Other variations of this prayer include:
> Bless, O Lord, the food before us, and bless the hands that made it. We pray that you give bread to all those who hunger, and give hunger for righteousness to those who have their bread. Amen.
> Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, our morning joy, our evening rest; let these gifts to us be blessed and us to your loving service.
> Lord Jesus, our brother, we praise You for...Father of us all, this meal is a sign of Your...
The grace prayer after a meal is a prayer of thanksgiving for all the good things that God has given. The traditional phrasing for grace after meals is:
> We give Thee thanks, almighty God, for all Thy benefits/gifts, ...Loving Father, we praise you for all the gifts..... Thank you, Father, for your gifts: help us to...
> We thank Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hast satisfied us with Thine earthly gifts; deprive us not of Thy Heavenly Kingdom, but as Thou camest among Thy disciples, O Saviour, and gavest them peace, come unto us and save us.
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There are different prayers for saying grace
Grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating. Theologically, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible, in which Jesus and Saint Paul pray before meals. The practice reflects the belief that humans should thank God, who is believed to be the origin of everything.
There are indeed different prayers for saying grace, and these vary across different Christian denominations. Here are some examples of prayers said by Catholics before meals:
- "Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen."
- "Lord Jesus, our brother, we praise You for... This meal is a sign of Your..."
- "Father of us all, this meal is a sign of Your..."
- "Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest; let this food, to us, be blessed."
- "Bless, O Lord, the food before us, and bless the hands that made it. We pray that you give bread to all those who hunger, and give hunger for righteousness to those who have their bread. Amen."
After meals, Catholics may say the following prayers:
- "We give Thee thanks, almighty God, for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen."
- "We give thanks for all your benefits..."
- "Thank you, Father, for your gifts: help us to..."
Eastern Catholics, Eastern Lutherans, and Eastern Orthodox Christians say the following prayer before meals:
"O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for holy art Thou, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
After meals, they stand and sing the following:
"We thank Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hast satisfied us with Thine earthly gifts; deprive us not of Thy Heavenly Kingdom, but as Thou camest among Thy disciples, O Saviour, and gavest them peace, come unto us and save us."
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, it is a firm Catholic tradition to say grace before meals.
Grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating. Theologically, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible, in which Jesus and Saint Paul pray before meals.
Some examples of Catholic grace prayers before meals include:
- "Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts which we are about to receive from thy bounty."
- "Come Lord Jesus, be our guest, our morning joy, our evening rest; let these gifts, to us, be blessed and us to your loving service."
- "Lord Jesus, our brother, We praise You for..."
