Grace, before meal, at a restaurant!

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I fondly think of the Norman Rockwell painting -
A older lady is saying grace - at a diner -
and patrons are looking upon her - with various expressions.

How about it ?
Ever say grace - in public ?
I haven’t, as I think of it.
Never occurred to me, I suppose.
Too busy of an atmosphere for it to dawn on me.
 
Yes, depending on who I am with. I think it is a nice gesture. It is done quickly with little fanfare. Do people notice? Perhaps.
 
Regularly. I think it’s more noticeable with a group of Catholics because we make the sign of the cross.
 
I do it as often as possible, with the Eastern style of sign of the cross, and no one pays any attention.

Don’t worry about it.

If you are going to do it, do it. If not, then don’t.

(On an unrelated note, why is there a birthday cake next to my screen name?)
 
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Yes I say grace before every meal, including when I am out in public.
 
Every time I eat in a restaurant.

You know why?

Years ago we were with another family and went out on Saturday night to a local Chinese Buffet. This place is huge and always packed with people.

Being Catholic, we all made the Sign of the Cross and prayed the traditional grace before meals in unison.

A little while later, a worker at the restaurant came up to us and said “Catholic” and made the Sign of the Cross. YES we replied. She explained in broken English, that she has been in the US for almost a year but she does not read English and had no idea where she could find a Catholic Church. We were able to invite her to Mass with us, get her in touch with a group from her home country who speak her language, it was beautiful.

Now, in that super busy restaurant where she had worked for almost a year, in all of those hours, hundreds and hundreds of customers, we were the first people who she had seen give public witness to the Faith. Just think about that for a moment.

And I have never once been the least bit embarrassed. If I am with a group of non Catholics, I simply make the SOTC and pray in a quiet whisper.
 
I always do.

And I make a big sign of the cross over the table then on myself.

I look forward to the opportunity to be mocked for the sake of Christ.
 
I do, with the Sign of the Cross.

Why not? It’s a small opportunity to witness to Christ, especially since I’m pretty bad at witnessing in other matters. This, I can do.
 
Usually a personal prayer maybe with a sign of the cross. It is useful against curses on our food in addition to everything else.
 
I don’t often remember to give grace, but when I have it in mind I do so. I give thanks for the meal that Im having and do a sign of the cross.
 
How do you reconcile public prayer with this?
Matthew 6:5-6
“When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.”
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I don’t because I never grew up with saying it and I always forget. But I notice that I always get the stink eye from other catholics when I already have begun eating and they’re saying grace.
 
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