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Ember
PT

Grace Before & After Meals

1 min
Prayer
Sign of the Cross

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

In nómine Patris, et Fílii, et Spíritus Sancti. Amen.

Grace Before Meals

Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona, quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.

About this prayer

The traditional Catholic grace before and after meals, sanctifying the table and giving thanks for God's gifts. These brief prayers transform the ordinary act of eating into an act of worship.

History

Blessing meals before eating is a Jewish practice continued by Christians from the earliest times. The practice is rooted in Christ's own act of blessing bread at the Last Supper and at Emmaus. The traditional Latin graces have been prayed in Catholic households for centuries.

How to pray it

Pray the grace before meals standing or bowing before sitting at table. After eating, offer thanks with the grace after meals. These prayers may be said aloud together as a family.

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