Grace before meals is the short prayer Catholic families say at the table before they eat, asking God to bless the food and the family. It takes about ten seconds. A second short prayer, the grace after meals, thanks God when everyone has finished.
Pray it with Clara
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
We give thee thanks, almighty God, for all thy benefits, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.
The traditional Catholic table prayers. Before he fed the crowd, Jesus looked up to heaven and blessed the loaves (Matthew 14:19).
Pray it with Clara at bedtime, in the Little Prayer Stories app.Get the app →Once they know the words, let your child start grace with the Sign of the Cross. Children love being the one who begins.
Before grace, go around the table: each person names one good thing from today. Then pray together.
Now and then, after grace, ask your child to name someone who is hungry today, and say a Hail Mary for them.
Yes. The grace after meals, on the card above, thanks God for all his gifts. Many families say it before anyone leaves the table.
It means God’s generosity: all the food on the table comes to us from his goodness, as a gift. “Thy” is an old word for “your”.
Yes. A quiet Sign of the Cross and grace at a restaurant or a friend’s house is enough. Children notice when their family prays everywhere, not only at home.
