Catholic Conundrum #3: Grace Before Meals

Check out these other conundrums if you haven't yet already:

CC#1: Confessions
CC#2: The Eucharist


Just typing "Grace Before Meals" made me smile. It's also funny how a simple little prayer before eating can make some things so awkward.

Growing up, I had a variety of different experiences with praying before eating. My Mom's side of the family didn't really pray during our family gatherings. My Grandma Bryant's didn't really either, however we'd do this thing for Jesus at Christmastime. However, my Nannie and Papa, always prayed before meals. There was a time in my life where my Dad was living with them, so they pretty much helped raised us three girls. But even at my Nannie's house, my Aunt Karen would always be the one to pray, as she was kind of labeled the "church" one. Kind of a funny side note, my Aunt Karen was the one who gave me my first Bible, and the one that had the most concerning/legitimate questions for me when I told her I was converting. That was a good conversation. : )

So fast-forward to high school. I met Emily. Emily was one of my very best friends the last couple of years of high school and in college. She also just happens to be my RCIA sponsor. Emily always prayed before eating. In fact, it was a common occurrence for me to not to be paying attention and talking to her, turning around and seeing her making the sign of the cross with a little smile on her face. Whoopsie. I am glad Emily could share her faith in that way. Because she prayed before meals anywhere and everywhere and it didn't matter who was there.

Now fast-forward to the present year. I pray everyday but have an awful track-record for praying before meals. It's just not ingrained into my prayer life. I am like halfway through eating or I am driving down the road an hour later and remembering, whoops I forgot to do that again!
 
Here's a story for you and the real conundrum:

I had a friend from Sojourn, Frank coming down for day. I was going to take him to Nieves, a good mexican food restaurant, and then county fair it up. We are at Nieves enjoying some chips and salsa. Then the waitress brings us our orders. I am in the process of digging in and he goes "You want to say a prayer?"  Honestly, and this is terrible, I was like oh yeah this is what I do around this group of people. And then it hit me....... I didn't know the prayer!!! I knew it said bounty and amen. And all the other times we pray it, I sort of just listen. : ) Oh idiot, I am thinking in my head, "why haven't I memorized this yet?" So we/he prays for us and that is that. But it was good, I am glad somebody can remember to pray before eating. : )

I put that on my list of things to do and then forgot about it for the week. So the next weekend I am driving to Wichita to meet up with Frank again and then go to the Wine and Cheese Young Adult party at the Catholic Family Conference. I am literally on the turnpike and remember I haven't memorized that dang prayer yet!!! So what do I do? I google it and memorize it as I am driving down the turnpike. Good thing it is short and sweet. Technology was definitely my friend that day. 

So even after memorizing this and often times some of the other formal prayers as well, I am a little slower than some people. I have to think about what is coming up next, whereas most people don't have to think. They just say it. In fact, you take the big group of other people away from them, and they might have trouble saying it. However, if you take the big group of other people away for me it makes it way easier for me to remember it. Oh and the singing versus saying the prayers matters too! I am used to the Gloria being sung, and we I go somewhere where we just say it....it throws me off! :)

Here's looking forward to the next conundrum!