The rule "Not by bread alone ..." is often forgotten, especially when it comes to prayer before eating. But most religions in the world include the necessity of reciting prayers before and after eating. This emphasizes respect for higher powers for the sent grace and denies gluttony.
Why consecrate food before eating?
The church teaches that a parishioner, who considers himself a true believer, is obliged to sit at the refectory table and get up from it, having prayed twice. Thanksgiving pronounced before and after eating the foods are auxiliary to correctly accept the sacrifice of angelic love that food symbolizes. In order to emphasize the sacredness of the moment and fill it with religious meaning, a prayer is read before a meal.
The appeal to higher forces during a meal is divided into:
- Prayer before meal - “Our Father” is read out, you can also read “Virgin Mary, rejoice ...”;
- Prayer for the blessing of products on the table;
- Prayer at the end of the meal.
As you know, food is the source of life, but it carries a number of dangers. It is easiest to succumb to the sin of gluttony. If you perceive food only as a means of pleasure, it will not bring maximum benefit. Spoiled or unhealthy foods also harm the body and depress the spirit. That is why it is important to pray before eating, asking the Almighty that the food is good, restoring not only the mortal shell, but also the spiritual contents.
If a person is truly grateful for the food sent, he says the prayer with zeal and does not perceive it as a duty. Sanctified food is better absorbed and takes on a richer taste for someone who considers it a gift from God.
When you overshadow a meal with the sign of the Cross, you signal to heaven that you need a blessing. You need to be baptized on yourself, from left to right. It should be overshadowed above and below the table, as well as on the left and right sides.
Some believers pray additionally before cooking. A short prayer is enough, such as:
“To the Creator and Creator of all kinds of God, the work of our hands, beginning to Your glory, by Your blessing, hastily correct, and deliver us from all evil, as One is Almighty and Humane.”
If during the cooking process you want to protect yourself from incontinence, say the following prayer:
“Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of the Fatherless Father! Thou art thou wilt thine pure lips, for without Men you cannot do anything else. For this reason, in the fall of Your goodness, we ask and pray to Your servant (name) and to all who stand and pray to You, help in all their good deeds, their undertaking and their intention. Because Your power, kingdom and power, all help is acceptable from You, we trust in You and we glorify you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and forever and ever. Amen!"
How to pray before meals?
The Christian religion teaches that turning to God before a meal is not just a given, but a kind of educational element that helps instill faith in children. If a child from an early age watches how his mother and father praise the Lord for the food sent, they develop a completely different attitude to the products and parental work, due to which the food appeared on the table.
Proper prayer before eating includes the following aspects:
- People gathered to eat together either stand in front of the icon or stay at the table and say a prayer out loud. This can be done by a senior member of the family while the rest are in awed silence;
- The text of the appeal should contain thanks to the Almighty, as well as a request to bless the meal;
- After the end of the prayer, cross yourself and start eating;
- When you finish eating, do not forget to thank the Creator for it;
- If you eat in a public place (cafe, dining room, restaurant), overshadow yourself with the cross banner before and after meals, and read the prayer in thoughts;
- The church allows for the recitation of prayers during snacking.
We have listed the basic rules. There are also unwritten charters, compliance with which is encouraged:
- During the refectory prayer, it is desirable that all family members are at the table;
- The rule of reading prayer words is given to her head or most respected relative;
- Hands can be folded in a prayer gesture - a boat or fingers crossed. Bring them to your forehead and turn into your thoughts;
- Holding hands with the rest is optional, but not blamed;
- When a prayer is being read, those present should fall silent and speak out loud; conversations are not allowed;
- At the end of the prayer, you need to cross your plate. It should not be empty.
Remember that for a true believer, food serves as energy for the mind and body. Perceive it only as a pleasure should not. The Orthodox prayer before food is read in order to strengthen willpower and eat food in due humility. Expressing gratitude to heaven, proceed to food.
Please note that if outsiders gather at the table, it is better to postpone reading the prayer, as guests may hold different religious views or practice a different faith. Ask for their opinion and act according to the situation. You should also behave if you are visiting.
The text of the Orthodox prayer before eating
Hunger, the need for replenishment of forces, the thirst for satiation - all this should not become a key moment during a meal. In order not to fall into temptation, we need prayer before eating food. It is pretty simple:
“Bless this meal for our body, Lord, and let us keep You in our hearts. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen. "
The following text is also allowed:
“Thank you, Lord, for daily bread and food for the good. Forgive me the sin of gluttony and do not send hunger for atonement. May it be so now, and forever, and forever and ever. Amen".
It is believed that food that has been blessed by prayer maintains vitality and gives the body health. If the words of gratitude were sincere, you will gain enlightenment and begin to value the gifts of being more, setting its priorities correctly.
How to pray after eating?
Finishing meals is a special ritual that also includes the stage of reading prayer words. They are pronounced like this:
“Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I thank you for the bread and salt, as well as for the life-giving moisture. May my satiety not become gluttony, and hunger not come as a retribution for sins. Amen".
Please note that when the prayer after eating the food has been fully read out, you can’t continue the meal after that. Set the plate aside and thank the person who prepared the meal. Distribute the portions in such a way that awkward situations do not arise, so that by the time you read the prayer they are fully consumed.
Prayer after food is the best way to remind the audience once again about who should be praised for this moment. It is pronounced in order to glorify the food on the table and ask for inexhaustible abundance in the future.
