Beautiful Easter Dinner Prayers for Holiday Blessings

May All Be Fed

May all be fed.

May all be healed.

May all be loved.

- John Robbins

An Invocation

Loving God, bless all those gathered here today as we come together in friendship and fellowship.

Thank you for the blessings of our individual and collective God-given gifts.

Place in our hearts the desire to make a difference to our families, to our community, to our country, and to the many cultures and peoples worldwide.

Give us balance in times of distraction and uncertainty.

Help us move towards our goals with determination and always with an abundant sense of humor.

Thank you for food in a world where many know only hunger;

For our faith in a world where many know fear;

For friends in a world where many know only loneliness.

Please bless this food we are about to share, those who prepared it, those who serve it, and those who have worked to make today the special occasion that it is.

For all of this we give you thanks.

- Izola White

Bless This Food

Blessed are you, Lord our God, maker of heaven and earth and Father of all your people: we give you glory for your goodness and for your loving care for us.

Bless this food [this bread] and grant that all who eat it may be strong in body and grow in your love.

Blessed are you, Lord our God, for ever and ever.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

May We Eat Well

Blessed are you, Lord God, king of the universe: you raised your beloved son from the dead, and made him Lord of all.

We turn to you in prayer and ask you to bless us and this food you have given us.

Help us to be generous toward others, and to work with them so that they too may eat well.

Loving Father, may we all celebrate together around your table in heaven.

We praise you and give you glory through Christ our Lord.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Praise Be To You

Loving Father, we thank you for bringing us together for this meal: may we continue to live in your friendship and in harmony with one another.

Bless this food, a sign of your loving care for us, and bless us in our daily lives.

Bless your church throughout the world, and all those who seek to do your will today.

Father of mercy, all praise be to you through Jesus Christ our savior, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

We Are Grateful

Lord God and giver of all good gifts, we are grateful as we pause before this meal, for all the blessings of life that you give to us.

Daily, we are fed with good things, nourished by friendship and care, feasted with forgiveness and understanding.

And so, mindful of your continuous care, we pause to be grateful for the blessings of this table.

May your presence be the extra taste to this meal which we eat in the name of your son, Jesus.

- Edward Hays

Food as a Symbol

Earth maker and Lord of all creation, we are mindful that this food before us has already been blessed by the sun, earth and rain.

We pause to be grateful for the hidden gifts of life in this food.

Bless our eyes and taste so that we may eat this food in a holy and mindful manner.

We lift up this bread; may it be food and symbol for all of us who shall eat it.

- Edward Hays

Picnic or Barbecue

Lord Jesus, our brother, be with us today.

Bless our happy gathering, and bless this meal that we share. Protect us all, and help us to grow in your love.

Lord Jesus, we praise your holy name for ever.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Banquet Prayer

Lord Jesus, we are your brothers and sisters, and we gather here in your name.

In your love, give us your blessing, and bless this food for us.

Help us to grow in your love, and work with you to build up the kingdom of God.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

For the Good of All

May we be strong in virtue, firm in time of trouble, and always ready to help others in time of need.

May we be blessed by God as we share this food and as we work and live together for the good of all.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

For Wonderful Gifts

Father of mercy, we praise you and give you glory for the wonderful gifts you have given us: for life and health, for faith and love, and for this meal we have shared together.

Father, we thank you through Christ our Lord.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Thanks for Family and Friends

Blessed are you, loving Father, for all your gifts to us.

Blessed are you for giving us family and friends to be with us in times of joy and sorrow, to help us in days of need, and to rejoice with us in moments for celebration.

Father, we praise you for your son Jesus, who knew the happiness of family and friends, and in the love of your Holy Spirit.

Blessed are you forever and ever.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Grace After Meals

Father, for our food we thank you, and for our joys: help us love you more.

- Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops

Evening Meal

We have come to the last meal of this day, to our supper meal.

Let us be mindful of how our Lord, at such a meal as this, washed his friends' feet in an act of holy service.

As this food is about to serve us as nourishment, may we also serve one another.

May the seal of God's love rest upon this food and upon this day now drawing to a close.

May we and our gifts of food be under the tent of God's peace.

- Edward Hays

Blessings of God

The day is coming to a close, and, like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we pause to break bread together.

May our eyes be opened, and, in this act of common sharing, may we see the risen Lord in one another.

May we see the Lord of Life in our food, our conversation and lives shared in common.

May the blessing of God, his peace and love, rest upon our table.

- Edward Hays

Beloved Stranger

Dear and beloved stranger,

Please eat this food with us that we may all be nourished.

Please share this walk with us that we may all know nature's peace.

Please rest in this warm house that we may come to know each other.

Please sleep under these soft blankets that we may all know safety.

Please pray this prayer that all our names of God may guide us on.

- Christina Baldwin

Make Us Worthy, Lord

Make us worthy, Lord, to serve our fellow men throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger.

Give them through our hands this day their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give peace and joy.

- Mother Teresa

Sufi Meal Prayer

O Thou, the Sustainer of our bodies, hearts, and souls, bless all that we thankfully receive.

- Inayat Kahn

Easter Table Prayer

Creator God and Lord of Life,

You who call forth from the darkness of death all those who love You, we rejoice, on this Easter Sunday, in the resurrection from the dead of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Visit our home and this table with Your bright blessing of peace and life.

We pause in the midst of this prayer to remember all the holy dead of our family who live now in You and who await the final and glorious resurrection of the dead.

May they and we, because of our faith in You, our God, taste in the victory of life over death.

May the Risen Christ, our Lord and Savior, be our guest as we celebrate His resurrection with this Easter Sunday dinner.

Bless those whose work to prepare this meal has truly been a work of prayer, and bless all of us who shall share it with Easter love and joy.

May You, then, bless this table and this food, and each of us in Your holy name.

Amen.

- Edward Hays

A Grace Before Meals

Be present at our table, Lord,

Be here and everywhere adored.

Thy people bless, and grant that we may feast in paradise with thee.

Amen.

- John Wesley