Do you say grace in restaurants?

[Aureole]

jmcrae, that’s even more wonderful. It’s good to encourage prayerful habits. I have the opposite effect on my grandmother. She often forgets to pray before meals but when she sees the Sign of the Cross she remembers. Maybe these boys will do the same thing for their grandmothers.

Prayer after meals isn’t required, it is a good practice though Andruschak. I got into the habit of it while living in community for a month over the summer. I can’t remember the words for the life of me so I use similar ones to the blessing before meals.

 

[MyPhilomena]

yes we do say grace in the restaurant if we eat out at one.

 

[Hastrman]

Something I noticed watching anime: everyone in Japan says the Shinto blessing before meals. Probably because it’s not long–you just clap your hands and say “itadakimasu”, “I humbly partake,”–but they all do it.

It grew, I believe, out of the desire to show the gods that one wasn’t taking the food for granted. But nowadays, even though people think Japan is very secular (it’s pagan, there’s a difference), everyone makes a little religious gesture before they eat.

I don’t know, I just thought it was kind of nice.

 

[Wendy-Kay]

I had a friend who is the most amazing person I know. She converted at age 20 and has since answered a call to a religious vocation. What began her journey to conversion was seeing someone make the sign of the cross at a restaurant! So, with that always in mind, no matter what, we always make the sign of the cross and pray before our meals dining out.

 

[Corki]

Yes, we do but I must admit I didn’t do this before having kids. They lead us in grace when we are out. They do it in Latin too.

 

[runandsew]

Yes, we say grace before every meal, no matter where we are, fancy resturant, or the local burger joint,also we make the sign of the cross before and after we say Grace.

 

[wcknight]

I don’t usually, but I fully intend to make it a habit. I wish I had started years ago. It may be a lot tougher to start now, most folks who know me, know I’m Catholic but rarely see me pray. I don’t want to make a big show of it, but our faith should be practiced 24/7 not just on Sunday mornings.

 

[vince2paul]

If I’m alone, I’ll do it silently;
sign of the cross
prayer
sign of the cross

Usually, after meal, I’d make sign of the cross and say “thank you, Lord.” Don’t know whether it’s valid or not.

But if I’m with my mum. She loves to ‘force’ me to lead the prayer.
But it’s okay, I love to pray now!

Btw, do I need to say grace if I want to eat my friend’s french fries/a piece of nuggets? Well, usually to be saved, I pray if I accompany my friends, in case I get something.

 

[Aureole]

vince2paul, why wouldn’t praying “thank you, Lord” be valid? You can’t have an invalid prayer outside of the Liturgy so far as I know.

 

[vince2paul]

vince2paul, why wouldn’t praying “thank you, Lord” be valid? You can’t have an invalid prayer outside of the Liturgy so far as I know.

Well, could the prayer be Insufficient if it’s too short?
But I guess the length will not matter.

 

[prv]

jmcrae, that’s wonderful. I can only imagine what that would be like. I don’t know eight people who pray before meals (At least noticeably).

How many here pray after meals? I normally forget somehow but I do it when I remember.

Sadly I remember only the prayer (Bless me…) they taught us in Catholic grade school for the meal blessing, but not the one for the thanksgiving, eventhough (sp?) both we were required to say as a class, one before the meal and one after. Even the non-Catholic (Church of Christ) third grade teacher had us say both as well as the final prayer of the day, and rebuked me once for sitting down before the ending sign of the cross.

 

[leaner]

We don’t eat out very often, but when we do, yes, we say prayers. I don’t do it to make a show, we say it just the same as we would “behind closed doors” – I guess I just want others to see there are people, both young and old who pray. Even had some older couples stop by the table and comment how nice it is to see a family praying together before a meal

 

[vince2paul]

…rebuked me once for sitting down before the ending sign of the cross.

I’m guilty of that! Can’t help, there are time where I have to eat while walking, so I stop, I say grace, and walk again.

Off-topic, I just realised that there’s the word “MORE” below the smilies, after seeing AquiaSavio’s post. Goodness! :banghead:

 

[Flopfoot]

Could have sworn I posted in this thread before… or was it one of the threads that got destroyed in the great flood (hacking / offline flood thing)? Ah well. I try to remember to say grace when I eat out, but generally make it as discrete as possible. I’ll still make the sign of the cross if I think I can get away with it though (-:

 

[wjp984]

unfortunately, grace is the one thing I continually forget even when I am at home. I really should say grace more often. I too often think about how hungry I am and just start eating.

 

[LilyM]

unfortunately, grace is the one thing I continually forget even when I am at home. I really should say grace more often. I too often think about how hungry I am and just start eating.

Hey, I’m cradle Catholic and I forget far too often as well wjp Often takes my folks or people around me to remind me.

At least if it’s a particularly delicious meal I usually remember to say thanks afterwards.

But people, why all this emphasis on whether the prayer is ‘too long’ or ‘too short’ to be valid, or not of a standard form? We’re not talking the Mass or the Rosary here, a simple thank you from the heart before and after eating is more than sufficient.

 

[Flopfoot]

Sadly I remember only the prayer (Bless me…) they taught us in Catholic grade school for the meal blessing, but not the one for the thanksgiving, eventhough (sp?) both we were required to say as a class, one before the meal and one after. Even the non-Catholic (Church of Christ) third grade teacher had us say both as well as the final prayer of the day, and rebuked me once for sitting down before the ending sign of the cross.

The thanksgiving prayer may have been something like, “We thank you Lord for all you have given us, through Christ our Lord, Amen”

At least that’s the prayer I learnt…

 

[RCAdvocate]

Yes, we pray before meals. At home or out. This is the prayer I say after meals.

We give you thanks, Almighty God, for all your gifts. You who live and reign, forever and ever. Amen

 

[abb]

Anyone want to break down where I can find or figure out all the prayers before and after meals? I usually do the sign of the cross and “Bless us…” before meals no matter where I am at… But sadly I don’t know what to do after meals.

Are you supposed to stand or kneel while you do the sign of the cross and prayer before meals? and after? thanks…

Andrew

 

[jmcrae]

Anyone want to break down where I can find or figure out all the prayers before and after meals? I usually do the sign of the cross and “Bless us…” before meals no matter where I am at… But sadly I don’t know what to do after meals.

If you can get hold of a Baltimore Catechism #3, it’s got all the standard prayers that we’re supposed to memorize.

Are you supposed to stand or kneel while you do the sign of the cross and prayer before meals? and after? thanks…

Andrew

At formal dinners or when it’s a fairly large group, we stand - otherwise we sit.