The rule "not by bread alone ..." is often forgotten, especially when it comes to prayer before eating. But most of the world's religions include the need to say prayers before and after meals. Thus, respect for the higher forces for the grace bestowed is emphasized and gluttony is denied.
Why bless food before consumption?
The church teaches that a parishioner who considers himself to be a true believer is obliged to sit at the refectory table and stand up for him, having prayed twice. Thanksgiving words, pronounced before and after consuming food, are auxiliary in order to correctly accept the sacrifice of angelic love, which food symbolizes. In order to emphasize the sacredness of the moment and fill it with religious meaning, a prayer is read before the meal.
Appeal to the higher forces during the meal is divided into:
- Praying before eating - read "Our Father", you can also read "Our Lady the Virgin, rejoice ...";
- Prayer for the blessing of food on the table;
- Prayer, pronounced at the end of the meal.
Food is known to be the source of life, but it harbors a number of dangers. The easiest way to succumb to the sin of gluttony. If you take food only as a means of receiving 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 Most High for food to benefit, restoring not only the perishable shell, but also the spiritual content.
If a person is truly grateful for the food sent, he says a prayer with diligence and does not accept it as a service. Sanctified food is better absorbed and acquires a richer taste for someone who considers it God's gift.
When you make the sign of the cross with the sign of the cross, you give a signal to heaven that you need blessing. You need to be baptized onto yourself, from left to right Make the autumn should be above and below the table, as well as on the left and right side.
Some believers pray additionally before cooking. A short prayer is sufficient, such as:
"Creative and Creator of all, God, the works of our hands, to your glory, begin with Your blessing, hastily correct, and deliver us from all evil, as the One Almighty and Humanitarian Man."
If you want to protect yourself from incontinence during the cooking process, say the following prayer:
"Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of the Unceasing Father! You are the exalted with the most pure Thy lips, for I cannot do anything without Me. For the sake of adhering to Your goodness, we ask and pray Thee Your slave (name) and all for the ones who pray and pray All their good deeds, their undertakings and their intentions. For your power, kingdom and strength, all the help from you is acceptable, we trust in thee and we give glory to you, with the Father and the Holy Spirit now and ever and ever 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 promotes the inculcation of faith in children. If a child from an early age observes how his mother and father praise the Lord for the food sent, they develop a completely different attitude towards products and parental work, thanks to which the food appeared on the table.
Proper prayer before meals includes the following aspects:
- People gathered to eat together, stand in front of the icon, or remain sitting at the table and say the prayer out loud. This can be done by the eldest member of the family while the rest are in reverent silence;
- The text of the message should contain thanks to the Almighty, as well as a request to bless the meal;
- After the end of the prayer, cross over and start eating;
- After finishing the meal, do not forget to thank the Creator for it;
- If you eat in a public place (cafe, dining room, restaurant), cross yourself with the cross before and after meals, and read the prayer in your thoughts;
- The church allows the pronunciation of prayer during snacking.
We have listed the basic rules. There are also unwritten statutes, the observance of which is welcome:
- During the refectory prayer, it is desirable that all family members are at the table;
- The rule of reading prayer words is given to its 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 condemned;
- When a prayer is read, those present must plunge into silence and speak out loud, no talk is allowed;
- At the end of the prayer you need to cross your plate. It should not be empty.
Remember that for the true believer, food is the energy for the mind and body. Take it only as pleasure should not be. The prayer before the meal is read by the Orthodox in order to strengthen the willpower and eat food in due humility. Express gratitude to heaven, proceed to the food.
Bear in mind that if outsiders are gathered around the table, it is better to postpone the reading of the prayer, as guests may adhere to other religious views or profess a different faith. Ask 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 saturation - all this should not become a key point during the meal. In order not to fall into temptation, we need a prayer before eating food. It is quite simple:
"Bless this meal for our body, Lord, and let us hold You in our hearts. We pray in the name of Jesus, Amen."
The following text may also be pronounced:
"Thank you, Lord, for the daily bread and food for bright good. Forgive me the sin of gluttony and not send hunger for redemption. Let it be so now and ever and ever and ever. Amen."
It is believed that the food that received the blessing as a result of the prayer, maintains vitality and gives the body health. If the words of gratitude were sincere, you will gain enlightenment and begin to value more the gifts of life, placing its priorities correctly.
How to pray after eating food?
Eating is a special ritual, which also includes the step of reading prayer words. They are pronounced as follows:
"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God. Thank you for the bread and salt, as well as for the life-giving moisture. Let my satiety not become gluttony, and hunger does not come as a payment for sins. Amen."
Note that when the prayer after eating the food is read out completely, it is no longer possible to continue the meal after that. Leave the plate and thank the one who prepared the meal. To avoid embarrassing situations, distribute the portions in such a way that by the time the prayers are read, they will be fully consumed.
Prayer after eating 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 to ask for inexhaustible abundance in the future.
