Saying grace in public?

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St.Eric:
Kage,
That is awesome! I had never even thought of that. Nice point to ponder.
Weird, you just said what I did…
 
In public, as a family, it is just like at home. We make the Sign of the Cross, pray and end with the Sign of the Cross. We tend to use the “Bless us oh Lord and these thy gifts…”

When we are out with others that pray, but are not Catholic, we make the Sign of the Cross before and after, but pray silently with whomever is speaking.

When we are out with others that don’t pray, we make the Sign of the Cross before and after, and pray silently. Most of the time when this happens, we are eating at a place where meals do not all come out at the same time. The last time we did this, people stopped eating and talking while we prayed.

We is just my son and me. My husband is not Catholic, but bows his head with us.
 
I must eat at the places where only that 20 percent eat, since I can’t remember the last time I have seen anyone else saying grace before a meal in public unless there were eating at my table with me.

I always do personally, even taking a moment when going though drive though.
 
Hmm.

My mum is always going on about me “showing off” by making the sign of the cross or praying out loud. So, unless my dad is saying grace or he has asked me to, I pray silently.

When out, I always make the sign of the cross. Usually i bow my head and hold my hands in prayer to make it clear what im doing, but I don’t like to say it outloud, definitely if my mum is there :eek:, for fear of showing off. If people realise I am praying, that is enough. They know who i am praying to by the sign of the cross.

The prayer itself is between God and myself. No need to shout it out to everyone.

In Christ.

Andre.
 
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Fr_Chuck:
I must eat at the places where only that 20 percent eat, since I can’t remember the last time I have seen anyone else saying grace before a meal in public unless there were eating at my table with me.

I always do personally, even taking a moment when going though drive though.
CAF members aren’t the only people who go out for a meal sometimes you know…

Thing about polls is people normally answer the poll if they have something to do with the question… people who don’t say grace probably didn’t enter this thread.
 
I say a silent prayer (when I remember). I’m trying to be more aware of it, and I would like to get to the point of just doing it regularly. I know it should not matter who is around, but praying in public or even in front of my own family only should not be a problem.

I’m only comfortable praying in Chruch or with the Knights or alone. I think if I had developed better prayer habits earlier on, I would not be so self concious now.

I envy folks who can sign themselves and pray -silent or aloud no matter where or who else is around them. that’s the way it should be…
 
I don’t much care who likes it, notices, or not. There’s only one person I’m concerned with at that point.
Pax Domini sit semper vobiscum.
 
I don’t really have any consistent habit. At home we do not say grace, with perhaps the exception of special occasions.

When out with certain friends we will say grace together.

When I am alone or with those that do not pray, I will occasionally remember to say grace quietly. Often I remember after I have started eating and will offer a prayer of thanks after I have eaten. In these circumstances I will bow my head, pray silently, and not use the sign of the cross.

Yet, all too often I forget about saying grace all together.

My extended family often has me say grace at holiday meals (think Thanksgiving dinner). I don’t really know why, but they have been asking me to do so for years. I have come to expect it. Yet, in the same group we don’t usually say grace for a normal meal.

The only times I seem to be consistent about saying grace is during Boy Scout events. (I was a Scout as a youth, and now I volunteer as an adult leader.) It is virtually impossible to even serve a snack at a Scouting function without stopping to say grace. I think that is a good thing.

I am trying to improve in this regard, but changing long held habits is a bit difficult, particularly when doing so alone.
 
I pray every day in meal hall at my university residence. I cross myself after I pray, sometimes before. I just say it silently. One day, I was eating by myself. I said my prayers, and began enjoying my food. I noticed there was a guy sitting a couple tables away from me that was looking at me every couple minutes. I was a little unnerved, but I ignored him. After he was done eating, he came over to me, and I quote: “Excuse me miss, I just wanted to say I really respect the fact you showed your gratitude before you ate!” I was shocked, and I think I stuttered a thank you after him. I was grinning for the rest of the day.
Thank you God for food, and for wonderful people like that guy! ^^
 
My wife and our three children quietly say grace whenever we’re eating, public, private, where ever. Sometimes I bit self-conscious before I start–“I’ll look like a Jesus freak.” Afterwards though I always feel better and like we won a little battle for the Lord. 🙂
 
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