Grace at Meals
Sanctify your meals with prayers of blessing and thanksgiving, recognizing God as the source of all good things.
Before Meals
Grace Before Meals
Traditional Form
Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts,
which we are about to receive
from Thy bounty,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Latin
Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona
quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi.
Per Christum Dominum nostrum.
Amen.
After Meals
Grace After Meals
Traditional Form
We give Thee thanks, Almighty God,
for all Thy benefits,
Who livest and reignest,
world without end.
Amen.
Extended Form
We give Thee thanks, Almighty God,
for all Thy benefits,
Who livest and reignest, world without end.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
Latin
Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus,
pro universis beneficiis tuis,
qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum.
Amen.
About
The Tradition of Saying Grace
The practice of blessing food before eating has ancient roots in both Jewish and Christian tradition. Jesus Himself blessed bread before the miraculous feeding of the multitudes and at the Last Supper.
Grace before meals acknowledges that all good things come from God and asks His blessing upon the food. Grace after meals expresses gratitude for His providence. Together, they transform an ordinary meal into a moment of prayer.
St. Paul exhorts us: "Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31). Saying grace is a simple but powerful way to follow this teaching in daily life.