Said after eating, to give thanks and pray for the faithful departed.

Grace After Meals is a brief Catholic prayer of thanksgiving said after eating. It gives thanks to God for His gifts and includes a prayer for the souls of the faithful departed — linking the family meal to the wider communion of saints.

The Prayer

We give Thee thanks, Almighty God,
for all Thy benefits,
who livest and reignest world without end.
Amen.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

About This Prayer

The inclusion of prayer for the dead in Grace After Meals reflects the Catholic conviction that the living and the dead are united in Christ’s Body. It is a small but profound act of charity toward the souls in Purgatory, performed at the most ordinary moment of family life.