Bless us, O Lord, and these Your gifts
which we are about to receive
from Your bounty
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
I come from a Catholic family. Whenever we have family meals altogether like we will for this Thanksgiving dinner, we pray this prayer. I have nothing against it really except for the fact that I've been saying this prayer since I was really young. They used to make us kids start the prayer as well. But these days, whenever the family is together usually my grandfather starts the prayer.
I'm used to only praying this prayer when I'm with my extended family, so it surprised me when on Monday, my dad asked me if I wanted to say grace before eating. Where were we when he said this? We were taking a campus visit to Spring Arbor University. The school isn't Catholic; it's actually Free Methodist.
We prayed the above prayer, but that has kinda stuck with me. I'm no longer in the Catholic church, but out of tradition and for the other members of my family who are Catholic, I pray this with them. My dad isn't Catholic though; he's Episcopalian. I know the Episcopal church is a lot like the Catholics, but do they pray the same way?
What I want to know is do I have to say this prayer as my form of grace? When I'm with my church family, we don't pray this. Even with my Aunt Ann, whenever we're out eating at a restaurant, we don't say that prayer. It kinda bothered me that my dad had me use this form of saying grace. I don't like to say grace in this manner. It really bothers me.
It's such a simple prayer. God may not get tired of it, but I do. And I know it's not all about me and don't think I'm thinking that way because I'm not. Can't we just change it up a little bit how we thank God for our food?
This prayer is so traditional. I imagine it has been around for ages. Why can't we try something new? This is what a prayer for food usually probably sounds like in my current church:
Dear God, thank you for this time we have to spend with each other. I pray that you will bless this food to our bodies. Amen.
No offense to Catholics but your prayers are just too old and dull for me. It's like I'm saying the prayer, but not really praying the prayer. Which would you rather do? I would rather pray because saying isn't getting us anywhere. I feel like I've been saying this prayer for so many years that it means nothing to me. I guess I want a different way of saying grace. But with my traditional Catholic family, do you think that's possible?
1 comment:
I'm Catholic, and I work at Spring Arbor University. I'm glad you are on campus. It's a great school. Like many "traditional" Catholics, I still use that prayer at meals. It is familiar and comfortable, and I believe it's a great way of thanking God before eating. But I don't use it every time I say grace. I need variety in my prayer life, not just in saying grace. Some times I use the traditional prayers of the church; sometimes I use my own words. I wonder if God cares what words I use--my words, someone else's. I often pray using scripture--not my words, but I think most appropriate words. As a charismatic Catholic, I believe in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in my life, and I trust the Spirit to put in my heart, mind, and mouth, the words I need at the time. I think you can honor the tradition you were raised in when you feel it is appropriate. There have been times when I have really appreciated the prayers I learned as a Catholic--times when my burdens were so heavy that I could not think, when my heart was so broken I could not find words. At those times I find those remembered prayers served me well until my soul learned how to speak again and talk to my Father. I think most important, you should trust the Holy Spirit to help direct you in your prayer life-whether it's a blessing at meals or other times--and you can't go wrong. God will smile, recognize, and hear you--no matter what words you use.
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