Mealtime prayers with friends

Bless us, Oh Lord

Bless us, Oh Lord,
and these thy gifts,
which we are about to receive,
from thy bounty,
through Christ, Our Lord.

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May All Be Fed

May all be fed.
May all be healed.
May all be loved.

– John Robbins

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An Invocation

Loving God, bless all those gathered here today
as we come together in friendship and fellowship.
Thank you for the blessings of our individual
and collective God-given gifts.
Place in our hearts the desire to make a difference
to our families, to our community, to our country,
and to the many cultures and peoples worldwide.
Give us balance in times of distraction and uncertainty.
Help us move towards our goals with determination
and always with an abundant sense of humor.
Thank you for food in a world where many know only hunger;
For our faith in a world where many know fear;
For friends in a world where many know only loneliness.
Please bless this food we are about to share, those who prepared it, those who serve it,
and those who have worked to make today the special occasion that it is.
For all of this we give you thanks.

– Izola White

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Giving Thanks

For food in a world where many walk in hunger;
For faith in a world where many walk in fear;
For friends in a world where many walk alone;
We give you thanks, O Lord.

– Author Unknown

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Meal Prayer

Our dear Heavenly Father,
we thank thee for this food.
Feed our souls on the bread of life
and help us to do our part in kind words and loving deeds.
We ask in Jesus’ name.

– Author Unknown

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Humble Hearts

In a world where so many are hungry,
may we eat this food with humble hearts;
in a world where so many are lonely,
May we share this friendship with joyful hearts.

– Author Unknown

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Bless our Food

Bless us, O God. Bless our food and our drink.
Since you redeemed us so dearly and delivered us from evil,
as you gave us a share in this food so may you give us a share in eternal life.

– Author Unknown

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Restore Us

May this food restore our strength, giving new energy to tired limbs, new thoughts to weary minds. May this drink restore our souls, giving new vision to dry spirits, new warmth to cold hearts.
And once refreshed, may we give new pleasure to you, who gives us all.

– Author Unknown

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Bless this Food

Blessed are you, Lord our God,
maker of heaven and earth
and Father of all your people:
we give you glory for your goodness
and for your loving care for us.

Bless this food
and grant that all who eat it
may be strong in body
and grow in your love.

Blessed are you, Lord our God,
for ever and ever.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 156.

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May we eat Well

Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe:
you raised your beloved son from the dead,
and made him Lord of all.
We turn to you in prayer
and ask you to bless us
and this food you have given us.
Help us to be generous toward others,
and to work with them so that they too may eat well.

Loving Father,
may we all celebrate together
around your table in heaven.
We praise you and give you glory
through Christ our Lord.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 178.

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Praise be to You

Loving Father,
we thank you for bringing us together for this meal:
may we continue to live in your friendship
and in harmony with one another.
Bless this food,
a sign of your loving care for us,
and bless us in our daily lives.
Bless your church throughout the world,
and all those who seek to do your will today.

Father of mercy,
all praise be to you
through Jesus Christ our savior,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 181.

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We are Grateful

Lord God and giver of all good gifts,
we are grateful as we pause before this meal,
for all the blessings of life that you give to us.
Daily, we are fed with good things,
nourished by friendship and care,
feasted with forgiveness and understanding.
And so, mindful of your continuous care,
we pause to be grateful
for the blessings of this table. May your presence
be the extra taste to this meal
which we eat in the name of your son, Jesus.

– Edward Hays

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Food as a Symbol

Earth maker and Lord of all creation,
we are mindful that this food before us
has already been blessed by the sun, earth and rain.
We pause to be grateful
for the hidden gifts of life in this food.

Bless our eyes and taste
so that we may eat this food
in a holy and mindful manner.

We lift up this bread;
may it be food and symbol
for all of us who shall eat it.

– Edward Hays

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Picnic or Barbeque

Lord Jesus, our brother,
be with us today.
Bless our happy gathering,
and bless this meal that we share.
Protect us all,
and help us to grow in your love.
Lord Jesus,
we praise your holy name for ever.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 179.

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Banquet Prayer

Lord Jesus,
we are your brothers and sisters,
and we gather here in your name.
In your love, give us your blessing,
and bless this food for us.
Help us to grow in your love,
and work with you to build up the kingdom of God.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 182.

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For the Good of All

May we be strong in virtue
firm in time of trouble,
and always ready to help others in time of need.

May we be blessed by God
as we share this food
and as we work and live together
for the good of all.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 183.

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For Wonderful Gifts

Father of mercy,
we praise you and give you glory
for the wonderful gifts you have given us:
for life and health, for faith and love,
and for this meal we have shared together.

Father,
we thank you through Christ our Lord.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 186.

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Grace After Meals

Father, for our food
we thank you, and for our joys:
help us love you more.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 186.

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Thanks for Family and Friends

Blessed are you, loving Father,
for all your gifts to us.
Blessed are you for giving us family and friends
to be with us in times of joy and sorrow,
to help us in days of need,
and to rejoice with us in moments for celebration.

Father,
we praise you for your son Jesus,
who knew the happiness of family and friends,
and in the love of your Holy Spirit.
Blessed are you for ever and ever.

– Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, A Book of Blessings, 271.

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Evening Meal

We have come to the last meal of this day,
to our supper meal.
Let us be mindful of how our Lord,
at such a meal as this,
washed his friends’ feet
in an act of holy service.
As this food is about to serve us as nourishment,
may we also serve one another.
May the seal of God’s love rest upon this food
and upon this day now drawing to a close.
May we and our gifts of food
be under the tent of God’s peace.

– Edward Hays

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Blessings of God

The day is coming to a close,
and, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus,
we pause to break bread together.
May our eyes be opened,
and, in this act of common sharing,
may we see the risen Lord in one another.
May we see the Lord of Life in our food,
our conversation and lives shared in common.
May the blessing of God,
his peace and love,
rest upon our table.

– Edward Hays

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 God is Great

God is great, God is good.
Let us thank him for our food.
By his hands, we are fed.
Let us thank him for our bread.

– Author Unknown

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Beloved Stranger

Dear and beloved stranger,
Please eat this food with us
that we may all be nourished.
Please share this walk with us
that we may all know nature’s peace.
Please rest in this warm house
that we may come to know each other.
Please sleep under these soft blankets
that we may all know safety.
Please pray this prayer
that all our names of God
may guide us on.

– Christina Baldwin

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Make Us Worthy, Lord

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow men
throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger.

Give them through our hands this day their daily bread,
and by our understanding love, give peace and joy.

– Mother Teresa

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Traditional Blessing

For food that stays our hunger,
For rest that brings us ease,
For homes where memories linger,
We give our thanks for these.

– Author Unknown

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Sufi Meal Prayer

O Thou,
the Sustainer of
our bodies, hearts, and souls,
Bless all
that we thankfully
receive.

– Inayat Kahn

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Easter Table Prayer

Creator God and Lord of Life,
You who call forth from the darkness of death
all those who love You,
we rejoice, on this Easter Sunday,
in the resurrection from the dead
of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Visit our home and this table
with Your bright blessing of peace and life.
We pause in the midst of this prayer
to remember all the holy dead of our family
who live now in You and who await
the final and glorious resurrection of the dead.

Pause for silent reflection to remember those who have died.

May they and we,
because of our faith in You, our God,
taste in the victory of life over death.
May the Risen Christ, our Lord and Savior,
be our guest as we celebrate His resurrection
with this Easter Sunday dinner.
Bless those whose work to prepare this meal
has truly been a work of prayer,
and bless all of us who shall share it
with Easter love and joy.

May You, then, bless this table and this food,
and each of us
in Your holy name.

Amen.

– Edward Hays, “Prayers for the Domestic Church: A Handbook for Worship in the Home”

Be present at our table, Lord,
Be here and everywhere adored.
Thy people bless, and grant that we
may feast in paradise with thee.

Amen.

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Mealtime prayers are essential conversations with God. Paul tells us to:

“Celebrate always, pray constantly, and give thanks to God no matter what circumstances you find yourself in.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18a VOICE)

Poverty and starvation are an everyday reality for some, while others of us quench their thirst and put hunger at bay at our leisure. No matter which side of the pendulum we find ourselves on, praying God’s will over our lives and our meals is important.

“… for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:18b NLT)

Praying God’s blessing over our meals is a simple way to make a big difference on the daily alignment of our hearts. It helps us remember that our blessings come from our Creator… who deserves credit for all.

Here are 10 prayers that will fit any mealtime situation, from formal family dinners, to meals on the go at the neighborhood drive-thru:

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