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Post by Marya Dabrowski on Jul 24, 2016 11:27:00 GMT -5
Do you or your family say Grace After Meals? I remember doing this for a short period as a child, but then never continued. My children need to memorize the Grace After Meals prayer for their catechism and I was wondering how many Catholics still do this. If you do say the prayer, do you say it individually or together at the table? Thanks.
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Post by mundacormeum on Jul 24, 2016 17:33:55 GMT -5
We have tried off and on over the years to do this prayer as a family after meals, but we can never seem to make it stick! My kids had it memorized in no time, though.
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Post by Clotilde on Jul 24, 2016 18:12:18 GMT -5
We tried it off and on but really it was the chaos that made it difficult to do. I think it is much easier to do with a formal meal or if you are a regimented person for whom nothing ever goes wrong.
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Post by mundacormeum on Jul 24, 2016 23:10:49 GMT -5
I think you are on to something there, Clotilde. We always start our meals together, with Grace, but we rarely finish at the same time. There's usually spills, diaper changes, bathroom breaks, and whatever else to interrupt. By the time numbers 1, 4, and 6 ask for seconds, I have barely even fixed my first plate of food. Or, before I take my third bite, number 2 has already scarfed down his food, asked to be excused, cleared his spot, and is off playing Legos again. It's like a tornado, and I can't see what's going on to even think about damage assessment. We might have a good 10 minutes of polite dinner conversation practice. Maybe I should just get in the habit of quietly saying it by myself when I'm done. Or, with my husband....we will keep each other company at the table until we both finish eating, if we can. It might be a better solution if we just lead by example, as opposed to force, anyway. If the kids see us do that with each other after meals, eventually they may like to join us and pick up the habit.
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Post by michaelwilson on Jul 25, 2016 20:29:47 GMT -5
Our family does and we have done it as far back as I can remember; which at this point, isn't that far.
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Post by Clotilde on Jul 25, 2016 20:56:31 GMT -5
I think you are on to something there, Clotilde. We always start our meals together, with Grace, but we rarely finish at the same time. There's usually spills, diaper changes, bathroom breaks, and whatever else to interrupt. By the time numbers 1, 4, and 6 ask for seconds, I have barely even fixed my first plate of food. Or, before I take my third bite, number 2 has already scarfed down his food, asked to be excused, cleared his spot, and is off playing Legos again. It's like a tornado, and I can't see what's going on to even think about damage assessment. We might have a good 10 minutes of polite dinner conversation practice. Maybe I should just get in the habit of quietly saying it by myself when I'm done. Or, with my husband....we will keep each other company at the table until we both finish eating, if we can. It might be a better solution if we just lead by example, as opposed to force, anyway. If the kids see us do that with each other after meals, eventually they may like to join us and pick up the habit. Tornado is pretty much correct. I think that today's schedules make it much harder. Imagine a husband with a crazy work schedule, a family trying to homeschool and eat in one room, and then dinner gets started late and takes longer than expected to cook. On top of that the disorder and chaos that goes along with eating with young children. We usually clean up and do a few chores after dinner and then on to the rosary. I don't worry too much about it. There is always room to improve and I know that there may be time and less chaos in another season of life. I figure I'm giving God my service by homeschooling and living a life contrary to the world. It is quite a task and if I were to try to include every action or devotion others recommend to me, I would either be overwhelmed or neglect my duties. I just do what I can as best as I can. |
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Post by Marya Dabrowski on Jul 25, 2016 21:52:16 GMT -5
To be honest it seems a little redundant to pray before and after. BUT, I think maybe we'll try to do it somewhat together for a couple weeks. Then I am going to gently suggest that the kids say it privately, quietly if they can remember when each is done with his/her meal. I can see how when you have no more little ones in the house it would be easier. If I keep reminding them perhaps they can form a habit (and me, too.)
When I was young I thought the prayer was something like this, "We give Thee thanks Almighty God for all Thy blessings..." I can't remember the rest. The children's missal we have says, "We thank You, O God, for these gifts and for all the gifts we have received from Your goodness, through Christ our Lord, Amen."
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Post by chestertonian on Jul 25, 2016 22:53:56 GMT -5
My 6 year old has it memorized along with grace before meals and says it by himself without any prompting in fact often he reminds my wife to say grace
we don't have family meals the way many do... It's just my wife and my son I can't digest any foods
sometomes when my wife or one of my nurses sets up my j_tube feeding he wants to help he pours the formula and presses start and says "hey dad aren't you going to say grace!!!"
He gets frustrated when people come over who don't say grace.. sometimes my wife will say "thanks for reminding me" but lots of people on my mom's side sunny say grace intentionally so they are uncomfortable
also it bothers him that none of his friends from all his various homeschool activuties say it. He tries to convince them to
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Post by Marya Dabrowski on Jul 27, 2016 7:09:50 GMT -5
My 6 year old has it memorized along with grace before meals and says it by himself without any prompting in fact often he reminds my wife to say grace we don't have family meals the way many do... It's just my wife and my son I can't digest any foods sometomes when my wife or one of my nurses sets up my j_tube feeding he wants to help he pours the formula and presses start and says "hey dad aren't you going to say grace!!!" He gets frustrated when people come over who don't say grace.. sometimes my wife will say "thanks for reminding me" but lots of people on my mom's side sunny say grace intentionally so they are uncomfortable also it bothers him that none of his friends from all his various homeschool activuties say it. He tries to convince them to One of the little boy saints would leave the table if visitors didn't say grace before eating. Your son is a little missionary already! |
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