Grace (meals)

Not to be confused with The Grace Prayer.
Grace before the Meal, by Fritz von Uhde, 1885.

A grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating.[1] The term most commonly refers to Christian traditions. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving imparts a blessing which sanctifies the meal. In English, reciting such a prayer is sometimes referred to as "saying grace". The term comes from the Ecclesiastical Latin phrase gratiarum actio, "act of thanks." Theologically, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible, in which Jesus and Saint Paul pray before meals (cf. Luke 24:30, Acts 27:35).[2] The practice reflects the belief that humans should thank God who is believed to be the origin of everything.[2]

  1. ^ "grace, n." Oxford English Dictionary. 2013. Archived from the original on 8 October 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2014. 11. [....] A short prayer or blessing offered in thanks before or after eating.
  2. ^ a b Noble, Kathy (2016). "To Be United Methodist: Why do we call it 'grace?'". Interpreter Magazine. Archived from the original on 30 September 2018. Retrieved 30 September 2018.