Blessing Before Meals (Grace Before Meals)
Also known as: Grace Before Meals Blessing Before Meals Prayer Before Eating
English Text
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Translation tradition: Traditional English
Latin Text
Benedic, Domine, nos et haec tua dona
quae de tua largitate sumus sumpturi.
Per Christum Dominum nostrum. Amen.
Scripture: Matthew 14:19; 1 Timothy 4:4–5
When to pray: Before every meal.
History & Background
Blessing food before eating is rooted in the practice of Jesus himself, who gave thanks (Greek: eucharistesas) before distributing the loaves and fishes (Mt 14:19) and at the Last Supper (Lk 22:19). The practice of saying grace before meals is universal in the early Church; Tertullian (c. 200) mentions it in De Corona, and St. John Chrysostom commends it in his homilies. The short Latin form «Benedic, Domine» developed in the Western monastic tradition and was codified in the Benedictine Rule's instructions for the refectory. This brief blessing is among the most universally known Catholic prayers, taught in Catholic households and schools for centuries. The Book of Blessings (Rituale Romanum, 1984) provides an expanded form for household use.
Related Prayers
Source
https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/archive_2005_compendium-ccc_en.html verbatim