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Bless Us, O Lord

A Family Treasury of Mealtime Prayers
Author: Robert M. Hamma
$17.95

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Format: Paperback

Publication date: September 11, 2020

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Description

Winner of a third-place award for prayer books from the Association of Catholic Publishers.

Bless Us, O Lord belongs on the shelf of every Catholic family that wants to pray together daily. You can introduce children to original and traditional blessings, the lives of the saints, the rhythm of the Church year, and the practice of daily prayer in a way that is both appealing to them and a means to unite your whole family.

Praying together at the table helps families recognize the presence of Jesus in their midst and make connections between their meal and the celebration of the Eucharist.  

Author Robert M. Hamma brings his warm and gentle spirit to original prayers, which he combines with traditional blessings to offer an open-and-go resource for parents and caregivers. He provides the perfect words for every occasion—from observing saint feast days and liturgical seasons to celebrating a child's birthday and remembering the life of a loved one. Bless Us, O Lord will help you with fresh ideas and tools for living the liturgy in your home and nourishing the souls of your children with stories of the saints, including prayers for

  • days of the week;
  • Advent, Christmas, Lent, Holy Week, and Easter;
  • saints’ feast days and holy days;
  • national and cultural holidays; and
  • special family celebrations to mark birthdays, anniversaries, and special achievements.
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Product Details

Pages: 224

Trim size: 6 x 9 inches

ISBN: 9781594719813

Imprint: Ave Maria Press

You'll Want to Keep This Book Close to the Dinner Table

Praying together as a family before meals is one of the greatest joys of being a parent. This daily ritual is a natural way for you to pray with your children and to model how a prayerful person lives. As you nourish your family with food and drink, nourish them also in Jesus's presence, respect for one another, and gratitude to God. Bless Us, O Lord will help you with fresh ideas and tools for living the liturgy in your home and nourishing the souls of your children with stories of the saints.

Some of the Prayers Included are:

Prayer for Sundays

God, our Creator, we thank you for this Sunday. We thank you for our church, for our home, and for the chance to rest today. As we share this meal, help us to recognize the presence of Jesus with us and fill us with the joy of your Holy Spirit. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Prayer for New Year's Day

God of all hopefulness, as we begin this new year, we ask for the presence of your Holy Spirit to guide and protect us. We pray for good health in our family and peace in our world. And we thank you for the many blessings you give us, especially for this food. Amen.

Prayer for Earth Day

God of all creation, as the life of spring grows all around us, we give you thanks for the beauty of our world, for sun and rain, for flowers and crops. As we share in the bounty of the land, help us to grow in respect for the earth and to preserve it for all people. Bless this food we share, a gift of your love and the fruit of your creation. Amen.

Prayer for Super Bowl Sunday

Almighty God, you give us this day of rest and relaxation, this time to enjoy the Super Bowl together. We thank you for all your gifts and for this good food that we share. As you have blessed these athletes with strength and agility, give us the energy and wisdom that we need to be faithful in the calling you have given to each of us. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

  • “I love this practical prayer book for families.”

    “I love this practical prayer book for families. Robert Hamma has put together a creative collection of prayers to use as any family's dinnertime devotional. Hamma has a heart for the poor and the marginalized, and the prayers he offers in Bless Us, O Lord invite us to share in that sentiment. This book will help families grow closer to God, closer to each other, and closer to the many people who go without food each day.”

    Jared Dees
    Founder of The Religion Teacher website
    Author of Christ in the Classroom 

  • “A simple invitation to gather as a family to lift our voices in prayer.”

    “Robert Hamma’s wonderful resource Bless Us, O Lord offers a simple invitation to gather as a family around the table and to lift our voices in prayer. Hamma’s simple yet insightful words provide gentle structure and context for the moments and celebrations that fill our hearts and homes. Share them with your loved ones and witness how your lives are blessed and encouraged!”

    Lisa M. Hendey
    Founder of CatholicMom.com

  • “Simply beautiful.”

    “Bless Us, O Lord is simply beautiful.  Robert Hamma’s book is so wonderful and so welcome. This book is special first for its clarity and breadth. But what is even more profound is that if families use this book well they will in time bring two important tables closer together—the table of the Eucharist and the family table—in one organic rhythm of life.”

    Rev. Joshua J. Whitfield
    Pastor
    St. Rita Catholic Community
    Dallas, Texas

  • “A superb collection of prayers.”

    “Sitting at the table to share a meal as a family is a true expression of being domestic church. Bless Us, O Lord is a superb collection of prayers that traveled to us through history, born in different communities and circumstances and offered by a great diversity of women and men who saw God in all things. These prayers are summons to pray and eat together, knowing that we are part of a larger whole and that God always journeys with us.”

    Hosffman Ospino
    Associate Professor of Theology and Religious Education
    Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

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