# For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2019, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751 "2019-02-18T04:53:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/1 "2019-02-18T04:53:39Z")
‘For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful’ is a prayer said before meals. I’m not sure I quite get it. Is the pray-er not thankful for the food, and praying to God to _make_ him thankful? Since the food is there, shouldn’t he be thankful already, and pray something like ‘For what we are about to receive, we are truly thankful’? As traditionally recited, it sounds a bit like, ‘Dear God, please make us worship you.’ Can someone explain to this heathen, the reason why the prayer is worded that way? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/2 "2019-02-18T05:00:29Z")
“For Those About To Rock, We Salute You” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/3 "2019-02-18T05:28:33Z")
Moved to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/4 "2019-02-18T05:34:20Z")
I’ve heard various forms of pre-meal “grace” over the years, but never that particular wording. The prayer I learned, growing up Catholic, was: “Bless us, o Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, amen.” Looking at [the Wikipedia entry on the Grace prayer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_(prayer)), it looks like the wording you quote is the Anglican prayer. So, hopefully one of our Anglican Dopers will weigh in. ---
**Author:** ![Littleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ccd318/32.png) [@Littleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Littleman)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/5 "2019-02-18T05:39:34Z")
It’s supposed to be a general statement of what is about to come, not necessarily directly applying to the food per se. Sort of a tongue in cheek way of saying , God I hope it’s good but help me be thankful regardless of what i think it is. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/6 "2019-02-18T05:43:47Z")
It’s ritual and practice. “Lord, help me to…” is a standard construct, a supplication, an attempt to humble oneself. Coming to a deity as a humble servant is considered the correct form. You really didn’t expect religious phrases to be logical, did you? ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/7 "2019-02-18T07:51:48Z")
I think the intent of the prayer is to remind those praying it to recognize that God provided for them and to help them recognize and appreciate that. (I’m assuming those praying this believe God is the provider of food, etc., or they wouldn’t be saying the prayer.) We humans are pretty good at taking things for granted. As anyone who’s the only family member to put a new roll of toilet paper in the holder how often that little task has been recognized, let alone appreciated. (People who believe God provides the TP are Holy Rollers.) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/8 "2019-02-18T09:20:50Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I think the intent of the prayer is to remind those praying it to recognize that God provided for them and to help them recognize and appreciate that. (I’m assuming those praying this believe God is the provider of food, etc., or they wouldn’t be saying the prayer.) Pretty much this. When I was a child, we said this every Sunday dinner, as well as Christmas, Easter, and so on. The idea was that God provided the food. “God helps those who help themselves,” and so if we worked hard, we could buy fine food and He would help us enjoy a feast that we otherwise might not have. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/9 "2019-02-18T09:41:35Z")
“2,4,6,8. Dig in, don’t wait.” ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 10:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/10 "2019-02-18T10:55:55Z")
I’ve encountered a highly ironic and “upside-down” use of “For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful”: in historical-military fiction set centuries ago (most likely, Bernard Cornwell and _Sharpe_). Said sometimes by soldiers about to be on the receiving end of a devastating volley of enemy fire. ---
**Author:** ![CharmaChameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@CharmaChameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CharmaChameleon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/11 "2019-02-18T11:09:49Z")
A former senior pastor in my Church recommended (and practiced) the saying of Grace to be said **after** the meal was concluded. That made perfect sense to me, and still does. (Not that I find many to agree with my practice. Too bad.) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/12 "2019-02-18T13:12:28Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Looking at [the Wikipedia entry on the Grace prayer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_(prayer)), it looks like the wording you quote is the Anglican prayer. So, hopefully one of our Anglican Dopers will weigh in. Furthermore, it says that it’s “Common in British and Australian religious schools.” So presumably this is often said by those who are being taught to pray, rather than those who are saying it of their own volition. Pre-meal grace can become a mere formalism, a thoughtless going through the motions, so it makes a certain sense to pray to be made truly thankful. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/13 "2019-02-18T13:58:58Z")
Good bread, good meat, Good God, let’s eat. Praise the Lord and pass the sauce. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/14 "2019-02-18T14:30:28Z")
Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub, Yay God. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/15 "2019-02-18T14:35:45Z")
Dear God: We paid for all of this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/16 "2019-02-18T14:37:46Z")
> [@Sangahyando](#): > > I’ve encountered a highly ironic and “upside-down” use of “For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful”: in historical-military fiction set centuries ago (most likely, Bernard Cornwell and _Sharpe_). Said sometimes by soldiers about to be on the receiving end of a devastating volley of enemy fire. I believe Lieutenant Bush says that phrase when shot at in the Hornblower novels. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/17 "2019-02-18T14:42:14Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Dear God: We paid for all of this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing. Heh. Most of the rest of my wife’s family is very religious, and my son’s mom decided she wanted to be a well. One day not too long ago, one of our boys asked why we don’t say grace before meals. They were told they’re welcome to thank us for everything that gets put on the table. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/18 "2019-02-18T14:47:20Z")
I was certainly brought up on “For what we are about to receive…” I have no idea where it came from, but it is certainly redolent of a certain having-it-both-ways aspect to the Protestant approach to life: it might be disgusting, or it might not, but let’s try to be grateful for what we’ve got. (As in my parents’ response to “I don’t like [whatever]…”: “You’ll eat what you’re given _and you’ll like it_”) One well-known Scottish grace is \*Some hae meat and cannae eat, some nae meat but want it. But we hae meat and we can eat, sae the Lord be thankit. \* My brother the priest once caused a bit of a stir at a church social by saying “Lord, bless this bunch as they munch their lunch”. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/19 "2019-02-18T14:53:38Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > It’s ritual and practice. “Lord, help me to…” is a standard construct, a supplication, an attempt to humble oneself. Coming to a deity as a humble servant is considered the correct form. > > You really didn’t expect religious phrases to be logical, did you? Yes. Why does someone pray to God to make him (the supplicant) grateful to God? If someone is praying to God, then he’s probably grateful in general. ‘For what we are about to receive, we are truly thankful’, which I’ve never heard, makes more sense than the way the prayer is usually worded. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751/20 "2019-02-18T15:12:43Z")
> [@PatrickLondon](#): > > \ My brother the priest once caused a bit of a stir at a church social by saying “Lord, bless this bunch as they munch their lunch”. That’s GOLD! I’m stealing that! Oops! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-what-we-are-about-to-receive-may-the-lord-make-us-truly-thankful/829751.md?page=2)