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Prayers Before Meals - Augustinian Hunger Campaign

We offer several models for prayer before meals to use as part of the Augustinian Campaign Against Hunger. This campaign is meant to encourage support for reaching the Millennium Development Goal (Opens new window) of reducing by half the number of people who die of hunger by 2015.

God is hungry and calling out to us in the groaning of the hungry. “For I was hungry and you gave me no food.” (Mt. 25:41ff). These words, which spring from the heart of God-made-man, enable us to understand the deep significance in the eyes of our Creator of meeting the fundamental needs of every man and woman.

Model 1

St. Augustine reminds us: All good things come to us from the supreme good. All good things come to us from the perennial fountain of goodness. Let us not be ungrateful for the things we do have. (Sermon 335 E, 6)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. May we not grow accustomed to the miracle of your daily kindness but rather grow each day to become more like you, bountiful and generous, especially with those most in need. Lord God, you are hungry and crying out in the voice of those who are hungry; help us to respond in love by sharing all we have and are with you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 2

St. Augustine reminds us: Receive and eat the body of Christ, yes, you that have become members of Christ in the body of Christ; receive and drink the blood of Christ. In order not to be scattered and separated, eat what binds you together. (Sermon 228 B, 3)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. We thank you that you have shared with us your body and your blood. Give us the joy of imitating you by sharing with our brothers and sisters all that we have and all that we are. Lord, help us to fight hunger by changing our lifestyle. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 3

St. Augustine reminds us: Someone may wonder why we should pray that we may obtain the things which are necessary for this life, such as food, - when the Lord Himself says, “Be not anxious for what you shall eat.” Can anyone not be anxious for a thing which he prays that he may obtain? He does not say, Seek first the kingdom of God, and then seek those other things; but “all these things shall be given to you,” that is to say, even though you are not seeking them. (Sermon on the Mount Chapter VII. 25)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. May the food we share give us strength to work for the reign of justice and peace for all. Lord God, you are hungry and crying out in the voice of those who are hungry; help us to respond in love by sharing all we have and are with you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 4

St. Augustine reminds us: This is what I am thirsting for: to reach him and to appear before him. I am thirsty on my pilgrimage, parched in my running, but I will be totally satisfied when I arrive. (Commentary on Psalm 41,5)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. We give you thanks because each day you satisfy our hunger and give us strength to continue searching for you. Give us hunger for righteousness and help us to fight hunger by changing our lifestyle. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 5

St. Augustine reminds us: When we begin to eat justice, to eat wisdom, to eat that immortal food, we, for our part, gain in strength and that food is not diminished. (Sermon 127,6)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share with joy. Keep us focused on that eternal banquet which you have prepared for all of us. Help us to fight hunger by changing our lifestyle. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 6

St. Augustine reminds us: Christ gives himself to his workers, he provides himself as daily bread, he saves himself up as wages. We indeed eat, but he isn't diminished; he fills the hungry, but he doesn't lose himself. (Sermon 229 E, 4)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. You have given us your very self and you ask us to be generous in giving of ourselves as well. You are hungry and crying out in the voice of those who are hungry; help us to respond in love by sharing all we have and are with you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 7

St. Augustine reminds us: One loaf, one body, is what we all are, many though we be. In this loaf of bread you are given clearly to understand how much you should love unity. (Sermon 227)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. May we grow ever more aware of the need to die to our selfish impulses, as a grain of wheat, in order to become interested and involved in the condition of those who do not have enough to eat. You yourself are hungry and crying out in the voice of those who are hungry; help us to respond in love by sharing all we have and are with you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 8

St. Augustine reminds us: He blessed the bread, broke it and they recognized him. That's how you recognize Christ, those of you who believe he is the Christ. Come to the aid of the disciples, Lord; break bread, so that you can be recognized. (Sermon 236, 2-3)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. Clear our sight so that we might recognize you present in those who are hungry. Lord, help us to fight hunger by changing our lifestyle. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 9

St. Augustine reminds us: So when we beg for our daily bread, we are requesting whatever we need for our material existence on earth. But what did the Lord Jesus say? Seek first God's kingdom and justice, and all these things shall be placed before you (Mt 6:33). (Sermon 58, 5)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. Free us from pretending to satisfy our needs by attending to what is not of the essence, while you, Lord, are hungry and crying out in the voice of those who are hungry; help us to respond in love by sharing all we have and are with you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 10

St. Augustine reminds us: The Lord went on to say, “Do you have anything here to eat?” in order to prove himself true man by also sharing food. He took it, he ate it, he gave it. (Sermon 238, 3)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. While you satisfy our daily need for food, you continue to encourage us to seek to respond to the needs of those who are hungry. Lord, help us to fight hunger by changing our lifestyle. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 11

St. Augustine reminds us: The God of gods did graciously will to be hungry for our sake. He came to be hungry himself and to fill us with rich food; he came to endure thirst and give us drink; he came to be clothed in our mortal nature and clothe us in immortality; he came poor to make us rich. (Commentary on Psalm 49,19)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. You yourself have felt what it means to be hungry and thirsty. Nourish us with your hunger for justice and help us to fight hunger by changing our lifestyle. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Model 12

St. Augustine reminds us: So the Eucharist is our daily bread; but we should receive it in such a way that our minds and not just our bellies find refreshment. You see, the special property to be understood in it is unity, so that by being digested into his body and turned into his members we may be what we receive. Then it will really be our daily bread. (Sermon 57, 7)

Moment for silent reflection

Loving Lord, bless our fellowship and the food we share. May this table fellowship, which finds its source in the Eucharist, extend to all those who have need of you, as well as those who have need of food. You, Lord, are hungry and crying out in the voice of those who are hungry; help us to respond in love by sharing all we have and are with you. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.