Grace said properly

[happymommy]

My brother got smacked in the mouth for saying that “prayer” one Thanksgiving many years ago. Of course, the rest of us had to really restrain ourselves, because it was darn funny and we didn’t want to get smacked, too.

yeah, we don’t let him pray before meals anymore. It was funny until we had kids and wanted to teach them to correct prayers. Everyone once in awhile he’ll slip it in, but we usually have one of our girls say grace:thumbsup:

 

[Ruthie]

When I eat with my PV, he says, “Lord, bless this food to our use and us to thy service. Amen” He then makes the sign of the cross and then, we eat.

He told me that Protestant give thanks before they eat; we ask for a bleissing and then give thanks afterwards.

LOL! Benedictgal, I’m laughing because I learned this blessing from my beloved Grandmother - a Congregationalist minister’s wife! Her version went, “… and our lives to Thy service…”

Lord, bless us all,

Ruthie

 

[tjfitz]

I learned these prayers for before and after meals from sisters at a Catholic grade school in Topeka, Kansas, probably in about 1947. I don’t think I changed them through the years.

Before the meal: “Bless us, Oh Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bountiful hands through Christ our Lord, Amen.”

After the meal: “We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all Thy benefits, Who livest and reignest forever and ever, Amen.”

 

[Rachel_1]

I usually add in at the end (just silently) “Please help this food to not make me fat” LOL (I watch my calories)

 

[Palaeologos]

We sometimes use “O Lord, who art the Bread of Life, give bread to the hungry; and may we, who have bread, always hunger for Thee. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.”

Often we use “Bless us, O Lord, etc.”. On bigger occasions we’ll preface it with

V. The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord :
R. And Thou givest them their meat in due season.
V. Thou openest Thine hand :
R. And fillest all things living with plenteousness.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost :
R. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

 

[SMHW]

When I eat with my PV, he says, “Lord, bless this food to our use and us to thy service. Amen” He then makes the sign of the cross and then, we eat.

He told me that Protestant give thanks before they eat; we ask for a bleissing and then give thanks afterwards.

Of course, I revert back to the “Bless us O Lord…” when solo, with my other friends or with my family.

My husband (now Catholic but raised mostly Lutheran by a mother who grew up Episcopalian) says that grace. But there’s an additional line, “And make us ever mindful of the needs of others,” before the “Amen”.

What’s funny is that I once watched an episode of the Father Dowling Mysteries on television and Fr. Dowling and Sr. “Steve” said that grace when they sat down to eat together.

I remember wondering who the writers and/or actors were getting their info from, Catholics or Protestants.

 

[peary]

One of the absolute WORST grace before meals that I have ever heard is: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” Nowhere in that prayer is God ever addressed in the first person!

Your prayer is fine. I see nothing wrong with it. The old Catholic standard is still the best, in my opinion: “Bless us, O Lord, in these Your gifts, that we are about to receive, through Christ Our Lord. Amen.”

It addresses God in the first person; it seeks His blessing on us. It thanks Him for the food we are about to eat (considered to be ‘gifts’), and it theologically teaches us that all of this comes through Christ. AMEN!

 

[Speramus]

One of the absolute WORST grace before meals that I have ever heard is: “God is great. God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” Nowhere in that prayer is God ever addressed in the first person!

That’s the Romper Room grace from the 1960’s! Maybe not the best grace that could be prayed, but do kid’s TV shows have any prayers any more?

 

[SenorSalsa]

I just realised that I’ve been using the plural out of pure habit (in the vernacular) even when eating alone!

I always think this as I say grace, but “bless me, O Lord” seems so weird to say. I just rationalize it by saying I will include those eating around me, even if they are there just by chance (as in a cafeteria)

It is similar to things like the Confeitior. “and you my brothers and sisters” doesn’t make no sense when there aren’t any women present, but I haven’t been to a single men’s group event yet where everyone was quick enough on their toes to leave it out.