Prayers At Mealtime

Prayers before meals

1) Main Prayer
Breakfast: “The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.”
Lunch (or main meal of the day): “Our Father, who art in the heavens, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Supper: “The poor shall eat and be satisfied, and those who seek the Lord shall praise Him; their hearts shall live forever!”

2) Common part
“Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. [bow] Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”

3.a) Without a priest
(If only lay people are present, the person who reads the prayer, usually the eldest, says without blessing of the food)
All: “Lord, bless.” [bow] 
“Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.” [bow]
All: “Amen”.

3.b) When a priest is present
(The priest reads the prayer and blesses the food)
All: “Father, bless.” [bow]
Priest: “O Christ God, bless the food and drink of Thy servants, for Thou art holy, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.”
All: “Amen.”

Prayers after meals

1) Main prayer
Breakfast and Lunch: “We thank Thee, O Christ our God, that Thou hast satisfied us with Thine earthly gifts; deprive us not of Thy heavenly Kingdom, but as Thou camest among Thy disciples, O Saviour, and gavest them peace, come to us and save us.”
Supper: “Thy womb is become an holy table, bearing Christ the heavenly bread. All that eat from it shall not die, as hath said the Nourisher of all, O Mother of God. More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify. [bow] Thou hast gladdened me, O Lord, by Thy deeds, and in the works of Thy hands will I rejoice. The light of Thy countenance, O Lord, hath been signed upon us. Thou hast given gladness to my heart. From the fruit of their wheat, wine and oil are they multiplied. In peace in the same place shall I lay me down and sleep. For Thou alone, O Lord, hast made me to dwell in hope.”

2) Common part
“Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. [bow] Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”

3.a) Without a priest
All: “Lord, bless.” [bow]
“Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ, Our God, have mercy on us.”[bow]
All: “Amen.”

3.b)When a priest is present
All: “Father, bless.” [bow]

Breakfast: Priest: “God is with us, through His Grace and love for mankind, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”
Lunch: Priest: Blessed is God, Who has had mercy on us and fed us from His rich gifts, through His Grace and love for mankind, always, now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Supper: Priest: “God is with us, through His Grace and love for mankind, always now and ever, and unto ages of ages.”

All: “Amen.”