Bless us, our family, and these, thy gifts of the earth, which we are about to share, through the grace and hard work of many, in peace. Thank you, Lord, for the richness of thy bounty, and for your sustenance of our body and soul. Bless those who are about to partake this meal, and hear our prayers for those who are in our thoughts tonight. Amen. From forest and stream; From mountain and field; From the fertile Earth's Nourishing yield; We now partake of Divine energy; May it lend health, Strength and love to us. Blessed Be. Goddess of the verdant plain; God of sun-ripe grain; Goddess of the cooling rain; God of fruit and cane; Bless this meal we've prepared; Nourish us with love; Bless this meal we now share With You both above. Blessed Be. O Goddess within, O God within, I now partake of the Fertility of the Earth. Bless this food with Your love. Blessed Be. A Blessing is a graceful method to begin a meal..... Call it grace, a moment of thanks, a contemplation, a blessing - the quiet word before eating is common to most faiths and cultures. Faiths as otherwise diverse as Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism all have formal or informal customs of thanks. -- The Amish of this country, the farming people who came here from Germany, say a silent blessing. -- Zoroastrians, whose pre-Christian faith evolved in ancient Persia, "offer thanks to our Creator, Ahura Mazda, by praising Him and His various attributes and manifestations - both visible and invisible." -- In Zen Buddhist monasteries the monks pause and consider the source of their meal. -- In Buddhism, you have what are called the five mealtime reflections. The idea is that you reflect on how you have done nothing on your own to deserve this food, that it's given to you by other people to support your religious practice . . . and you make vows to work for the good of all beings in gratitude for having received it." The common Christian grace, "God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food. Amen.", reminds the family of the presence of God at all times and in all the things they do together. Gratitude is behind it all Gratitude is what grace is all about. "Grateful" is, in fact, the 12th- century Middle English root of the word "grace." And the primary thing to be grateful for is food. But in this century, in this country, some don't routinely say grace before a meal. And when they do, perhaps at Thanksgiving with guests at the table, they can feel embarrassed or self-conscious. It's a public display of religion,faith or simple reverence. Some people are comfortable about it and some are not. I think a mealtime grace really should contain sincere expressions of gratitude and love. Gratitude for the blessings of life and love for others." I personnally am not very consistent, nor parochial when it comes to saying a mealtime blessing. I find myself moved to say grace over hot dogs in the park, a quiet dinner at home, or at large family gatherings ... as the mood strikes. At those times, it is always heartfelt.