Grace After Meals: Catholic Prayer Text and When to Say It
Catholics thank God before meals — and also after. Grace after meals completes the meal with gratitude and praise.
Grace after meals thanks God — "We give thee thanks, Almighty God, for all thy benefits" or the simpler traditional form with Sign of the Cross. It completes the meal blessing and teaches children gratitude.
Common Grace After Meals (English)
Many Catholic families use a traditional prayer based on Psalm 145 (sometimes called the "We Give Thee Thanks" prayer):
We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest forever; and may the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Some families pray a shorter thanksgiving or add a Hail Mary. The important part is habit: meals are a natural place to remember that every good gift comes from God.
Latin Form (Traditional)
Agimus tibi gratias, omnipotens Deus, pro universis beneficiis tuis, qui vivis et regnas in saecula saeculorum. Amen.
Et animae fidelium defunctorum per misericordiam Dei requiescant in pace. Amen.
When to Pray Grace After Meals
- After breakfast, lunch, and dinner as a family.
- After hospitality when someone has cooked for you.
- After parish meals or retreats.
- Any time you want to end a meal with explicit thanks to God.
Grace Before and After: Why Both?
Grace before meals asks God's blessing on the food and the time together. Grace after meals looks back in thanksgiving — and, in the traditional text, remembers the faithful departed, linking table fellowship with charity and hope beyond this life.