Is there a Catholic grace we should use at the Thanksgiving meal?

The two most popular Catholic prayers that surround food traditions are the simple “Grace Before Meals” and “Grace After Meals.”

One need not pray these prayers on Thanksgiving if you are Catholic, prayers from your own words are, of course, fine.

However, if you are looking for more structure in your prayer these two simple ones work well.

Grace Before Meals

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

Grace After Meals

We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits, Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

While Grace After Meals is seldom ever prayed it indeed does express Thanksgiving.  The Eucharistic prayer at mass is the church’s big prayer of Thanksgiving (which is what Eucharist means).  So as it is prayed at mass think about what you are thankful for each week and that might help you put together what you’d like to share around the table on Thanksgiving Day.

Deacon Mike Hayes was ordained for the diocese of Cleveland in 2024 and is assigned to St. Christopher’s Parish in Rocky River, OH. He serves the diocese in multiple roles as Director of Chaplaincy Services, the Bishop’s Delegate for Interfaith and Ecumenical Relations and as the Delegate for Active Deacons. He’s also the host of 5 Questions with the Paulists and a frequent host on the Deacon’s Pod as a Paulist Deacon Affiliate. Deacon Mike is one of the founders of Busted Halo and worked with young adults for 25 years in retreat, spiritual direction, and campus Ministry. He’s the author of "Googling God" (Paulist, 2007) and "Loving Work" (Orbis, 2012). Deacon Mike and his wife Marion live in Lakewood, OH with their dog, Vito.