Grace (prayer)
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Grace is a name for any of a number of short prayers said or an unvoiced intention held prior to partaking of a meal, thanking deity and/or the entities that have given of themselves to furnish nutrients to those partaking in the meal. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing which in some traditions is held to sanctify or make sacred the meal. In the English language tradition, reciting a prayer prior to eating is traditionally referred to as "saying grace".
A prayer of Grace is said to be an act of offering thanks to God for granting humans dominion over the earth and the right and ability to sacrifice the lives of divine creations for sustenance; this thanks is the "saying of Grace" prior to and/or after eating of any meal.
If one is not religious and the rest of the table is saying grace, it is considered to be polite and culturally appropriate to quietly observe or just bow one's head. It is often considered impolite or incorrect to start eating before grace has been said and completed.
The saying of grace as a meme and religious practice may have entered into the English language Judeo-Christian cultures with the Jewish mealtime prayer Birkat Hamazon, though any number of cultures may have informed the practice or it may have arisen spontaneously by individuals and then perpetuated in family traditions and social institutions.
The transignification, transubstantiation, ganachakra and agape feasts may have informed the practice of grace.
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[edit] The American tradition of Thanksgiving
In American Christianity the head of the household often ad libs a special grace on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter while the others observe a moment of silence. In some households it is customary for all at the table to hold hands during the grace.
[edit] Typical Christian grace prayers
- Ecumenical. God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.
- Protestant. Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and let these gifts to us be blessed. Amen.
- Catholic. Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy/Your gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy/Your bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
- Catholic (Latin). Benedic Domine, nos et hæc tua dona quæ de tua largitate sumus sumpturi. Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
- Eastern Orthodox. O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for holy art Thou, always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. The one saying the prayer may make the Sign of the Cross over the food with his right hand. After the meal, all stand and sing: We thank Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hast satisfied us with Thine earthly gifts; deprive us not of Thy heavenly kingdom, but as Thou camest among Thy disciples, O Saviour, and gavest them peace, come unto us and save us.[1] There are also seasonal hymns which are sung during the various Great Feasts. At Easter, it is customary to sing the Paschal troparion.
- Scots (The Selkirk Grace). Some hae meat and canna eat, And some wad eat that want it; But we hae meat, and we can eat, Sae let the Lord be thankit.
- Australian (any denomination). Come Lord Jesus, be our Guest, let this food of ours be blessed. Amen.
- Common in UK schools For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen.
Note: Many Christian households or institutions (e.g. schools) ad lib grace at every meal, and it is not uncommon for events from the day to be mentioned in the prayer.
[edit] Jewish grace
With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the offering of the presribed sacrifices ceased in Judaism. Thereafter, the Rabbis prescribed the substitution of other ritual actions to fill this void in Jewish obedience to the Torah. The ritural washing of hands and eating of salted bread is considered to be a substitute for the sacrificial offerings of the kohenim (Jewish priests).[2]
Though there are separate blessings for fruit, vegetables, non-bread grain products, and meat, fish, and dairy products, a meal is not considered to be a meal in the formal sense unless bread is eaten. The duty of saying grace after the meal is derived from Deuteronomy 8:10: "And thou shalt eat and be satisfied and shalt bless the Lord thy God for the goodly land which he has given thee." Verse 8 of the same chapter says: "The land of wheat and barley, of the vine, the fig and the pomegranate, the land of the oil olive and of [date] syrup." Hence only bread made of wheat (which embraces spelt) or of barley (which for this purpose includes rye and oats) is deemed worthy of the blessing commanded in verse 10.[3]
After the meal, a series of four (originally three) benedictions are said.
[edit] Other pre-meal sayings
In Japan it is customary to put one's hands together and say "Itadakimasu" ('receive' humble) before a meal.
Muslims say Bismillah ar-Rahman, ar-Raheem.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Brother Lawrence, ed. (1996), Prayer Book (Fourth Edition - Revised), Jordanville, NY: Printshop of St. Job of Pochaev, Holy Trinity Monastery, pp. 38
- ^ Jewish Dining Etiquette, About Dishes, <http://www.aboutdishes.com/art_of_eating/western/jewish.html>. Retrieved on 1 September 2007
- ^ Schechter, Solomon and Dembitz, Lewis N. (1901), “Grace at Meals”, 'The Jewish Encyclopedia', Funk and Wagnalls, pp. 61, <http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=400&letter=G>. Retrieved on 1 September 2007
[edit] see also
[edit] External links
- Mealtime Prayers from The Prayer Guide.
- Grace at Meals aricle from The Catholic Encyclopedia.
- Thanksgiving before and after Meals article from The Catholic Encyclopedia.
- Some military graces.
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