Thanksgiving After Meals (Grace After Meals)
Also known as: Grace After Meals Thanksgiving After Meals Agimus tibi gratias
English Text
We give thee thanks, almighty God, for all thy benefits, who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Translation tradition: Traditional English
Latin Text
Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus,
pro universis beneficiis tuis:
qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 10:31; 1 Thessalonians 5:18
When to pray: After every meal.
History & Background
Giving thanks after meals follows the example of Christ and the apostolic practice attested in Acts 27:35 and 1 Corinthians 10:30–31. The short thanksgiving «Agimus tibi gratias» derives from the monastic refectory tradition and appears in Benedictine, Dominican, and other religious community practices. The addition of the Requiem prayer for the souls of the faithful departed — prayed after the first part — became standard in many Western Catholic households as a simple act of charity for the Poor Souls in Purgatory. This combined form was taught in Catholic schools and households throughout the English-speaking world during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Book of Blessings (Rituale Romanum, 1984) also provides a complete thanksgiving after meals.
Related Prayers
Source
https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html verbatim