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The Power of Saying Grace Before Meals

In today’s busy world, it can be easy to forget the small, simple practices of faith. One of these is saying grace before meals—a prayer of thanksgiving to God for the food we are about to receive. While it may seem like just a tradition, this little prayer holds great spiritual power.

1. A Biblical Tradition

Scripture shows us that giving thanks before meals is deeply rooted in faith:

Jesus blessed and broke bread before feeding the 5,000 (Matthew 14:19).

At the Last Supper, He gave thanks before instituting the Eucharist (Luke 22:19).

St. Paul wrote: “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

When we say grace, we imitate Christ Himself, who always thanked the Father before eating.

2. A Reminder That All Comes from God

Every meal is a gift. Saying grace acknowledges that we depend on God not just for spiritual blessings, but for daily bread. It reminds us that food is not to be taken for granted, but received with gratitude.

3. A Moment of Family Unity

When families pause to pray before meals, they affirm that God is at the center of their home. This simple habit strengthens bonds, teaches children gratitude, and turns an ordinary table into a place of blessing.

4. A Way to Sanctify the Ordinary

Grace transforms eating from a mere physical act into a sacred moment. Just as the Church blesses water, oil, and homes, we bless our food, asking God to make it nourishment not just for the body but also for the soul.

5. A Witness of Faith

Praying before meals, even in public, is a quiet but powerful witness to faith. It shows humility, gratitude, and courage to honor God openly. Many conversions have begun with the simple sight of someone bowing their head in prayer at a restaurant.

Conclusion

The power of saying grace before meals lies not in the words themselves, but in the heart behind them. It is thanksgiving, humility, and love—acknowledging God as the giver of all good things.

So next time you sit down to eat, pause, fold your hands, and give thanks. That simple act opens the door to grace far greater than the meal itself.

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THE NINE CHOIRS OF ANGELS - THE CATHOLIC CHURCH TEACHINGS ON THE SEVEN ARCHANGELS WITH MARY THE QUEEN OF ANGELS
Seraphim
These are the highest order or choir of angels. They are the angels who are attendants or guardians before God's throne. They praise God, calling, "Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of Hosts". the only Bible reference is Isaiah 6:1-7. One of them touched Isaiah's lips with a live coal from the altar, cleansing him from sin. Seraphim have six wings, two cover their faces, two cover their feet, and two are for flying.

Cherubim
Cherubim rank after the seraphim and are the second highest in the nine hierarchies or choirs of angels. The Old Testament does not reveal any evidence that the Jews considered them as intercessors or helpers of God. They were closely linked in God's glory. They are manlike in appearance and double-winged and were guardians of God's glory. They symbolized then, God's power and mobility. In the New Testament, they are alluded to as celestial attendants in the Apocalypse (Rv 4-6). Catholic tradition describes them as angels who have an intimate knowledge of God and continually praise Him.

Thrones
Thrones are the Angels of pure Humility, Peace and Submission. They reside in the area of the cosmos where material form begins to take shape. The lower Choir of Angels need the Thrones to access God.

Dominions
Dominions are Angels of Leadership. They regulate the duties of the angels, making known the commands of God.

Virtues
Virtues are known as the Spirits of Motion and control the elements. They are sometimes referred to as "the shining ones." They govern all nature. They have control over seasons, stars, moon; even the sun is subject to their command. They are also in charge of miracles and provide courage, grace, and valor.>

Powers
Powers are Warrior Angels against evil defending the cosmos and humans. They are known as potentates. They fight against evil spirits who attempt to wreak chaos through human beings. The chief is said to be either Samael or Camael, both angels of darkness.

Archangels
Archangels are generally taken to mean "chief or leading angel" (Jude 9; 1 Thes 4:16), they are the most frequently mentioned throughout the Bible. They may be of this or other hierarchies as St. Michael Archangel, who is a princely Seraph. The Archangels have a unique role as God's messenger to the people at critical times in history and salvation (Tb 12:6, 15; Jn 5:4; Rv 12:7-9) as in The Annunciation and Apocalypse. A feast day celebrating the Archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael is celebrated throughout the Church Sep 29. A special part of the Byzantine Liturgy invokes the "Cherubic Hymn" which celebrates these archangels and the guardian angels particularly.
Of special significance is St. Michael as he has been invoked as patron and protector by the Church from the time of the Apostles. The Eastern Rite and many others place him over all the angels, as Prince of the Seraphim. He is described as the "chief of princes" and as the leader of the forces of heaven in their triumph over Satan and his followers. The angel Gabriel first appeared in the Old Testament in the prophesies of Daniel, he announced the prophecy of 70 weeks (Dn 9:21-27). He appeared to Zechariah to announce the birth of St. John the Baptist (Lk 1:11). It was also Gabriel which proclaimed the Annunciation of Mary to be the mother of our Lord and Saviour. (Lk 1:26) The angel Raphael first appeared in the book of Tobit (Tobias)Tb 3:25, 5:5-28, 6-12). He announces "I am the Angel Raphael, one of the seven who stand before the throne of God." (Tb 12:15)

Principalities
In the New Testament Principalities refers to one type of spiritual (metaphysical) being which are now quite hostile to God and human beings. (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Col 1:16; 2:10, 15) Along with the principalities are the powers (Rom 8:38; 1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 1 Pt 3:22; 2 Thes 1:7); and cosmological powers (1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:21; 3:10; Col 2:15);Dominions (Eph 1:21; Col 1:16) and thrones (Col1:16). The clarity of the New Testament witness helps see that these beings were created through Christ and for Him (Col 1:16). Given their hostility to God and humans due to sin, Christ's ultimate rule over them (ibid) expresses the reign of the Lord over all in the cosmos. This is the Lordship of Christ, which reveals God's tremendous salvation in conquering sin and death at the cross, and now takes place in the Church. (Eph 3:10)

Guardian Angels
These angels are closest to the material world and human begins. They deliver the prayers to God and God's answers and other messages to humans. Angels have the capacity to access any and all other Angels at any time. They are the most caring and social to assist those who ask for help.

MARY QUEEN OF ANGELS
"Rule thou over us; and thy son."--Jud. viii. 22.
Many are the titles, by which Mary is the queen of angels. She is the Mother of Christ, who created the angels, "for in Him," says St. Paul, "were all things created in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominations, or principalities or powers: all things were created by Him and in Him." (Colos. i. 16.) She is, therefore, their Queen, according to the observation of St. John of Damascus. "Mary," says he, "was made the queen of all creatures, because she was made the Mother of the Creator." She is their queen, because, as she is elevated far above them in dignity and glory, they look up to her with the reverence, which such superiority is so well calculated to excite, and had she no other title to their homage, they would, on the sole principle of her superior greatness and glory, say: "Rule thou over us; and thy son." She is, in fine, their queen, because her son Jesus Christ is the restorer not only of earth but heaven; according to the decree of God, who has willed "to re-establish all things in Christ, whether in heaven or on earth." By Christ's having redeemed man, those seats of glory, which were vacated by the disobedience of the fallen angels, are filled up; and the angels--whose charity is great in proportion as they approach God, Who is charity itself--rejoice at the elevation of every child of Adam, who, through His redeeming merits, is raised to the glory which their unfaithful companions forfeited. Mary is, then, the queen of angels.
The contemplation of Mary forms a portion of the beatitude of the angels. As they admire God's works in proportion to their excellence, so they find in Mary--the most excellent of God's creatures--more subject for admiration, than in the contemplation of the immense orbs of light with which the fiat of the Creator has studded the heavens, or all the created glory of that Paradise, which St. John describes in the Apocalypse, under such glowing imagery. They find more subject for the exercise of their sublime intelligence, in contemplating her instrumentality in the mystery of the Incarnation, and in the other mysteries of her life, than they do in considering all the other wonders of God's providence on his creatures. If the faithful servants of Mary on earth have felt their hearts inflamed by the consideration of the amiableness and beauty of the celestial queen; what must be the feelings of those blessed spirits, who see her, as she is, and whose superior nature renders them more capable of appreciating the wonders of God's grace in her than we can possibly be. It is not, then, without reason, that the church says that the angels of God rejoiced at the assumption of this heavenly queen. "Mary is assumed into heaven: the angels rejoice."
Mary's title as "Queen of angels" should remind us, that we also are destined to enjoy the society of angels, and with them admire the wonders of God's power in this heavenly queen. We should remember that God has deputed some of these heavenly spirits to be the guardians of men on earth, according to that of the Psalmist: "He has given his angels charge of thee, lest, perhaps, thou dash thy foot against a stone;" as also the words of Christ: "Their angels in heaven always see the face of my father who is in heaven." (Matt, xviii. 10.) Each one has one of these guardian spirits, to protect him in dangers and assist him in difficulties. When we invoke Mary as Queen of angels, the thought of our future companionship with them for eternity should make us endeavor to lead lives of angelic innocence. Gratitude for the care they take of us, and for the desire they have for our salvation, should produce in our souls a desire of attending to all the holy inspirations, which they communicate to our souls; that thus we may prove ourselves faithful servants of the queen of angels, and prepare for the high destiny, that awaits us, of enjoying God in their society for an endless eternity.

Litany of Our Lady of the Angels
Antiphon:
Under thy title so dear to Saint Francis,
Our Blessed Lady of Angels, we hail thee!
Give us thine aid, that our lives, more seraphic,
Never may fail thee.
V. The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary:
R. And she conceived of the Holy Ghost.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us. *
Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, *
Our Lady, to whom the Father sent His messenger, *
Our Lady, before whom knelt the Archangel Gabriel, *
Our Lady, consenting to become the Mother of God, *
Our Lady, whose Angel Michael defends the people of God, *
Our Lady, whose Angel Raphael guides us safely on our pilgrimage, *
Our Lady, whose angels serve as our Guardians, *
Our Lady, whose angels bore thy little house of Nazareth to Loreto, *
Our Lady, whose angels carried thy image to Genezzano, *
Our Lady, whose chapel of Portiuncula, the gift of holy Benedict, was the cradle of the Franciscan Order, *
Our Lady, for whose chapel of Saint Mary of the Angels thou didst obtain plenary favors from thy Son and from His Vicar, *
Our Lady, whose Little Poor Man is hailed as the Seraphic Father, *
Our Lady, who didst cause him to be given the vacated throne from which the rebellious angel Lucifer was cast down, *
Our Lady, at whose Assumption hosts of angels flew heavenward in thy company, *
Our Lady, Queen of Thrones and Dominations, Principalities and the whole angelic Court of Heaven, *
Our Lady, ever surrounded by myriad seraphs, *
Holy Mary, Our Lady of the Angels, *
Holy Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, *
V. Pray for us, Queen of the Angelic Hosts:
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
O God, Who dost permit us annually to celebrate anew the dedication day of the Little Portion of Our Lady of the Angels: graciously hear the prayers of Thy people and grant that all who enter that chapel or another as representing it, to ask mercy and graces, may rejoice in the plenary answer to their prayers. Through Christ Our Lord. R. Amen.
O God Who through Thy most Holy Mother, exalted above the angel choirs, hast called all men of good will to receive Thy mercy: grant through the same to us, who memorialize the consecration of her chapel, that now we may be freed of our sins and may obtain the fulness of grace, until at last we attain the company of her blessed angels and the joy of her heavenly mansion. Who livest and reignest world without end. R. Amen

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