Thanksgiving Graces

Thanksgiving Graces

You only are the maker Of all things near and far; You paint the wayside flower, You light the evening star. The winds and waves obey you, By you the birds are fed; Much more to us your children, You give our daily bread. We thank you then, Creator, For all things bright and good, The seed time and the harvest, Our life, our health, our food. Amen. —Matthias Claudius, 1740–1815

Oh my God, for providing senses to enjoy delights, for thy royal bounty providing my daily support, for a full table and overflowing cup, for appetite, taste, sweetness, for social joys of relatives and friends for opportunities of spreading happiness around, for loved ones in the joys of heaven, I love thee above the powers of language to express, For what thou art to thy creatures. Amen. —17th–century Puritan meditation

Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest, and may our meal by you be blest. —Martin Luther, 1483–1546

For health and food For love and friends; For everything Thy goodness sends We thank Thee.—Ralph Waldo Emerson,, 1803–1882

Blessed Lord, we pray thee to be present at our table hallowing thy gifts to our use; that eating to satisfy our needs we may remember those who lack. —St. Francis of Assisi, c. 1181–1226

For when we gladly eat our daily bread, We bless The Hand that feeds us; And when we trod the road of life in cheerfulness Our very heart-beats praise the Lord that leads us. —Henry Van Dyke, 1852–1933

(Borrowed from Women of Faith)