How do you pray in public?

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dilleachta

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How do you pray or say grace before meals in public and/or with mixed company (e.g., out to dinner with a large group of people from work)?

Do you make the sign of the cross and say grace out loud by yourself or pray silently or not pray at all?

I’m just curious what others do…thanks!!!

PS: I’m wondering because I found myself feeling awkward and a bit caught off guard recently in a social setting for lunch. Whether alone or in public I usually make the sign of the cross and pray quietly (or silently) but on that occasion I chose to simply pray silently.
 
Well, although I’m very proud of my faith, I feel awkward making the sign of the cross before meals outside of my home, not because I don’t want people to know I’m Catholic or very religious (all of my friends know that) but simply because I feel like it’s just “out of place” in those particular situations. And right now I’m referring to eating meals at my college cafeteria. For this reason, I began thanking God for the gift of the food and drink I receive from His Divine Bounty at the beginning of each day so that I can cover everything at once.

May God bless you always! 🙂
 
I pray silently in public I make the sign of the cross in my heart before each prayer.

Mary.
 
Usually the sign of the cross and pray silently, but when I have my kids with me, we pray out loud as some are still learning and need help in saying it 🙂
 
Alone: sign of the cross and silent
With kids: sign of the cross, not loud, but not silent (low voice)
 
I too feel a little out of place in public, but I feel it is a duty to pray aloud. It would as if I were denying who has taken note of my action.my faith to not. I pray in a normal voice and have not noticed anyone who has taken note of my actions.👍
 
If the whole table is praying together, sometimes we pray aloud and sometimes not. If I’m the only one praying, I usually make the sign of the cross, and bow my head, pray silently, and my table companions hold off on making any conversation in my direction until I’m done. People are OK with that; they don’t take it as being obtrusive or anything. (The traditional grace before meals does not take very long: 10 seconds or so, if you time it.)
 
Pray silently but I have started to make a sign of the cross on my lips and say my blessing in my head.
 
The sign of the cross and grace are said silently both in public and in my home, when I have company for a meal. When my husband was still alive, it was the same. Now I am a new widow, and I pray as I wish when I am eating alone, and do indeed sign myself and pray out loud.

My Catholicism has become an issue with my daughter, so it is best for me emotionally to just let it go and forego any display of religious activity. Some day perhaps I will get up the courage to stand up for myself in my own home, but for now, peace in the family is more important.
 
lifeisbeautiful said:
Alone: sign of the cross and silent
With kids: sign of the cross, not loud, but not silent (low voice)
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This is what I do as well. Though if it’s my husband and me we will pray out loud together if it’s just us. If we’re seated with a larger group of people that includes non-Catholics, we pray silently.
 
EasterJoy said:
If the whole table is praying together, sometimes we pray aloud and sometimes not. If I’m the only one praying, I usually make the sign of the cross, and bow my head, pray silently, and my table companions hold off on making any conversation in my direction until I’m done. People are OK with that; they don’t take it as being obtrusive or anything. (The traditional grace before meals does not take very long: 10 seconds or so, if you time it.)
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Ditto.
 
Where’s make the SOTC and whisper your prayer? :confused:

I can’t pray silently: My mind wanders. Praying out loud annoys others. Whispering is best. 🙂

I don’t say grace because I don’t know how. I just thank God for my food. I wish I could learn how to say grace. 😦
 
Melodeonist said:
Where’s make the SOTC and whisper your prayer? :confused:

I can’t pray silently: My mind wanders. Praying out loud annoys others. Whispering is best. 🙂

I don’t say grace because I don’t know how. I just thank God for my food. I wish I could learn how to say grace. 😦
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A traditional grace is:

“Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy Bounty. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.”

But any thanking of God for your food is fine. There’s no “right” way to do it.
 
pensmama87 said:
A traditional grace is:

“Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy Bounty. Through Christ, our Lord, Amen.”

But any thanking of God for your food is fine. There’s no “right” way to do it.
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Thanks! 🙂

I will probably make a printout of grace in Word of Photoshop and stick it to the refrigerator so I can learn it. 😃
 
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