The earliest book editions of the Small Catechism included what Luther called the Benedicite and Gratias, the prayers of asking a blessing before and giving thanks after a meal. While not included in all editions over the course of the Small Catechism's convoluted publication history, the two prayers were for much of history staples of Lutheran home devotion. Full credit cannot be given to Luther for these prayers as they were essentially the prayers found in the school books employed in the territory of Luther's childhood and had broad use in Latin education throughout Europe.

Always observant of copyright laws, we include a turn of the century translation that is in the public domain. You can access for your own use a modern translation online at https://catechism.augsburgfortress.org/blessings-at-meals.

Asking a Blessing (Benedicite)

The children and servants shall go to the table with folded hands and reverently, and say:

The eyes of all wait upon Thee, O Lord;
    and Thou givest them their meat in due season;
Thou openest Thine hand,
    and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

Lord God, Heavenly Father,
bless us and these Thy gifts,
which we take from Thy bountiful goodness,
through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

* The scholion was a gloss (an equivalent of a marginal note today) that Luther inserted to explain the immediately preceding text.

Returning Thanks (Gratias)

Likewise also after the meal they shall reverently and with folded hands say

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good;
    for His mercy endureth forever.
He giveth food to all flesh;
He giveth to the beast his food,
    and to the young ravens which cry.
He delighteth not in the strength of the horse;
He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him,
    in those that hope in His mercy.

We thank Thee, Lord God, Father,
    through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
for all Thy benefits,
    who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen.

Other Table Graces

Of course, there are numerous table prayers. "Come, Lord Jesus," is probably better known among Protestants than Luther's prayer which is shared with the Roman Catholic tradition. Long attributed to Zinzendorf, more recent scholarship has found the prayer in a 1698 SchulBuch (school book), a publication predating Zinzendorf's birth by two years. For more on the history of this prayer, click here.

A truly lovely sung table blessing is Johann Heermann's "Speis uns, o Gott, deine Kinder," which loses nothing in the English translation "Feed thy children, God most holy." Unfortunately, the composite English translation is still under copyright. If you have Facebook, you can check out this performance of it. On Youtube, you can at least here the instrumental music and follow along with the score.

The Doxology ("Praise God from whom all blessings flow") always works and can be sung as a round to the Tallis Canon.

Anyone who has been to church camp (or lived with a child who has been to church camp) knows many others from Johnny Appleseed to "Superman."