Bodily Blessings

Like many, I was taught to say a blessing before meals. Granted, sometimes that blessing would only be on Thanksgiving, Easter and Christmas dinners. But the words were the same:

Bless us, O Lord,

And these thy gifts

That we are about to receive

From thy bounty

Through Christ, our Lord

Amen.

My husband and I now pray every meal together in ANY location, even sitting in Burger King. We use the same words as above, but then add additional things we are thankful for at that given moment (safe travel, good weather, friends, family, etc.).

Since getting married, I've incorporated this into when I dine alone, regardless if it's a very early breakfast or working through lunch at my desk. I stop and pray silently, even at a meeting with clients.

While learning how to heal -- and accept healing -- a few changes have been asked. When I "say grace," I am to continue to express my gratitude for all the blessings I've received. But I also need to learn to bless that which I consume - the food and drink. Thus:

Bless, O Lord,

These thy gifts

That we are about to receive

From thy bounty

Through Christ, our Lord

Amen.

To help change my perspective, I was also given this to add: "Please bless this food so that it is worthy to enter and help support this vessel in which Your Spirit dwells."

In addition to food and drink, there is another vital element that our bodies need in this world: air.

 

I have never thought about blessing the air. Often I just take it for granted, as I consume it 24/7/365.

In asking for some direction of how to bless the air, I was given: "Please bless this air, so that it may help heal this body and all that breathe it." This is to be done every morning as I wake up, each time I enter a room, and each time I go outside.

I may forget to change the meal blessings, and I almost always forget to bless the air. Yet it is essential to my body's maintenance. I can go without food for days, and without drink for hours. I can only go without air for a string of seconds...

When I forgot, I have pain and illness. Yet when I remember... the air feels cleaner, the food tastes richer, and my body feels whole.

Food for thought...

and prayer. 

***Images: From the Internet, sources unknown.