Praying after meals

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I can be a scrupulous person, and I was wondering if it was a sin to be embarrassed to make the Sign of the Cross. In public I pray before meals and make the Sign of the Cross, but I recently have been wanting to pray after meals too, but I feel embarrassed of openly praying twice for a meal. Is it a sin if I pray the second time without anyone knowing?
 
I would say no as you are praying after all. Which is more than I do as I normally forget to pray after my meal.😊 But I don’t understand why you are only embarrassed the second time, why not the first time?If you’re allright to openly pray before your meal then you shouldn’t be embarrassed to pray afterwards also.
 
I will not comment on the sinfulness of this–I don’t have facts. I will say this, though: try to overcome your self-consciousness. Besides the way you may feel, many people may be strengthened by your willingness to profess your faith by beginning prayer with the sign of the cross in public. (Obviously, more than that. The sign of the cross is a prayer itself. The more prayers, the better! 👍 ) Also, consider Luke 9:26:
For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.
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You know what is in your heart.
 
Praying, for Catholics, involves making the cross first, for others, it does not. I believe that, just like the rosary, it can be completed fast or slower than fast. I pray the rosary in the waiting rooms of hospitals, sometimes! If you are leading a life contrary to your Faith, in some aspect, it may be that you are more self conscious? Assuming you are not doing so, then, just accept that Catholics are only a third of the population, and that it is better not to follow the people who do not pray before their meals!
 
Is it a sin? No it is not.

BUT, I would question the depth of your faith, if being a Catholic Christian is embarrassing to you. If the rituals of your faith make you uncomfortable, and you do not want to openly display that you are a member of this church, you may want to explore why that is.

I came from a faith where Roman Catholics are considered to literally be spawn of the devil. They believe that the Pope is the Devil Incarnate on this earth. My beloved maternal grandfather was a minister in that church for over 55 years. I virtually adored that man, loved him with my whole heart.

I told him when i decided to become a Roman Catholic. I was nine years old, and I was afraid to tell him. I knew that he would be disappointed, and I was afraid that he would despise me and totally reject me. But, I told him anyway, because I loved my new faith, and I knew that it was more important than anything else in my life.

He did not reject me (I suspect he prayed for my immortal soul everyday till he died). He merely said that each person must make their own choice about their religion. He stopped my uncles from jumping all over me (they had). I was 13 when I was finally baptized, and he was dead. I suspect this would have upset him a bit, but I didn’t care. God was more important.

I have NEVER been ashamed to be a Catholic. I wore religious medals around my neck during my 10 years on active duty in the US Army. I had to take showers with groups of guys, and I ALWAYS had at least one medal, and a cross, around my neck. I was teased about this by some, asked questions about it by others, and most just ignored it.

I made the sign of the cross when saying grace before meals (admittedly very hurriedly during Basic Training, because we didn’t have much time to eat.). I even said grace before eating C-Rations out in the field. Sometimes guys would comment about it, most of the time nobody said anything.

I also said morning and night prayers. Even out in the field, I said my morning and night prayers. If necessary, I would say them while on guard duty, or doing some other military necessity, but they got said. I ALWAYS made the sign of the Cross when I said those prayers.

If anyone asked, or made a comment, I would explain that my faith expected me to give thanks to God for my meals. When someone would make a comment along the lines of “You call this garbage a meal?”, I would explain that it was nourishment for the body, and therefore something i should be grateful for. I explained that making the sign of the Cross was something that we did, to acknowledge the Trinity before and after prayers.

I know for a fact that a couple of guys sought out a Chaplain for some religious training because of my example.

I also got of those guys to help build a Chapel for a Convent near our Post in Bamberg, Germany. Sounds strange, a bunch of GI’s volunteering their labor (and money) to build a Chapel for some Nuns, but it actually happened. Check the European Stars & Stripes for May 1964, for details. The story was also in the local Bamberg newspapers in April and May 1964, the Overseas Weekly, the 4th Armored Division Newspaper and several others.

You NEVER know when your public example may impact someone else.

NEVER, EVER, BE ASHAMED TO BE A CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN.
 
It may help you to know that in monasteries, monks pray before and after meals. At the prayer before the meal, the abbot or prior gives a blessing and the monks respond to it, and after the meal, the monks give thanks for the meal.
 
Sometimes I will do a sign of the cross with my thumb over my heart in public.
 
My parish choir went out to eat last year after the last Thursday rehearsal before summer. When the food was served, I started munching while doing a half sign of the cross—maybe not even that. But everyone else waited, then made the sign of the cross together and in normal speaking voice but with intention, not apologetically, started saying the blessing together. Since then, I have made no qualms at about making the sign of the cross in public.
 
OP - I suppose there might be some legitimate concern with seeming overly pious. You want to talk to God on the one hand but don’t want to make a show of it drawing attention to your prayer on the other.

As far as I know, we are not required to make the Sign of the Cross except in communal prayers (e.g. Mass). I think that is partly to make sure the whole community is praying together. When praying alone, making the Sign of the Cross is certainly beneficial, but I hesitate to say mandatory.

It probably suffices to bow your head and clasp your hands. You’ll probably make the Sign of Cross half the time out of habit.
 
user3 said:
I can be a scrupulous person, and I was wondering if it was a sin to be embarrassed to make the Sign of the Cross. In public I pray before meals and make the Sign of the Cross, but I recently have been wanting to pray after meals too, but I feel embarrassed of openly praying twice for a meal. Is it a sin if I pray the second time without anyone knowing?
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I thank God for catholics like you my friend!!

Don’t be embarassed. I pray and do the sign of the cross regardless of where I find myself eating. And a thanksgiving prayer after meals is wonderful devotion.

You are doing the right thing. 🙂

God bless you my friend.
 
user3 said:
… but I feel embarrassed of openly praying twice for a meal. Is it a sin if I pray the second time without anyone knowing?
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A prayer is a conversation with God. You pray any time you give consideration about your life, whether you act properly, every time you seek advice how to behave, every time you ask for something important to you or to your loved ones. It does not matter where or when you are doing it. There is of course no need to make the sign of cross every time you are praying. A prayer is something intimate. It is your personal conversation with God and in every case you should evaluate if it is adequate to show your intimate relation to other people.
The sign of cross has been devaluated. I have seen many sportsmen doing it before competition, I have seen even boxers making the sign of cross before the fight. What does this sign really mean to them? I think it has become a kind of a magic curse or spell that may bring them achievement and success. By no means making no sign of cross can be considered a sin, because you are simply not obliged to do it. Do not be preoccupied with the feeling of sin-guiltiness. It does not make sense. God is very understanding.
 
Thank you all for your help. I think in this situation it’s mostly that I’m embarrassed of seeming overly pious as someone has said. I also tend to be guilty a lot whenever i have just a small piece of food and I wonder if saying thank you God for this food is enough or if I should go through all the motions. I think that may relate to this problem. I’ve decided that it’s okay for me not to do the Sign of the Cross when thanking God for my food afterwards, especially since I’ve barely been able to remember to pray afterwards anyway. I hope that’s okay.
 
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