In Catholic doctrine, there is no specific prayer to be said before or even after meals. However, it is important to thank God for the grace of having that food on our table.
The apostle Saint Paul writes in his letter to the Thessalonians:
In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God in Jesus Christ for you.” (I Thess 5:18)
During this time of walking in the Catholic faith, I have been able to witness several types of traditions put into practice through prayer before meals.
The simplest of these is perhaps the sign of the cross. Praying the Sign of the Cross before eating may seem like a small thing, but it is the gesture that makes the fact of “being Christian” concrete.
Another common prayer that can even be seen in some booklets is this:
Bless, Lord,
the food we are about to eat;
may it renew our strength
to better serve and love You.
Bless us, Lord,
and this food
that we receive from Your hands.
Through Christ Our Lord,
May the King of eternal glory
make us partakers of the table and of the heavenly food.
Amen.
Another prayer particular to the region where I live is this:
Lord, give bread to those who are hungry,
And hunger for justice to those who have bread,
We thank the Lord for the food we will have,
Through Christ Our Lord,
Amen.
And in case of doubt as to whether these prayers are right to say, it is always good to remember that the prayer that the Lord taught us (Our Father) is sufficient for all occasions.
It does not matter which prayer, but rather the desire to thank God for the graces we receive from Him.
