How the head of the house is to teach members of the household
to offer blessing and thanksgiving at meals105
[The table blessing]106
The children and the members of the household are to come devoutly to the table, fold their hands, and recite:
“The eyes of all wait upon you, O Lord, and you give them their food at the proper time. You open your hand and satisfy all living things with delight.”107
Comment: “Delight” means that all animals receive enough to eat to make them joyful and of good cheer, because worry and greed prevent such delight.
Then they are to recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following prayer:
“Lord God, heavenly Father, bless us and these your gifts, which we receive from your bountiful goodness through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Thanksgiving108
Similarly, after eating they should in the same manner fold their hands and recite devoutly:
“O give thanks to the Lord, for he is gracious and his goodness endures forever. He gives food to all flesh. He gives food to the cattle and to the young ravens that cry to him. He takes no pleasure in the power of the horse, nor is he pleased with human strength. The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him and wait for his goodness.”109
Then recite the Lord’s Prayer and the following prayer:
“We give thanks to you, Lord God our Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord for all your benefits, you who live and reign forever. Amen.”
105 The material in this section was adapted from the Roman Breviary already in the 1525 Wittenberg catechism, Das Buchlin für die Leyen und Kinder (Booklet for the laity and children). Luther simply adds instructions regarding the children’s demeanor and the gloss on the word delight.
106 This title occurs only in the Latin: Benedictio mensae.
107 Psalm 145:15*, 16*. The gloss that follows matches Luther’s comments in the Luther Bible about the word pleasure (Wohlgefallen) connected with this text and Luke 2:14*.
108 Luther, following the Wittenberg catechism of 1525, uses the Latin term Gratias.
109 Psalms 106:1*; 136:1*, 26*; 147:9–11*. The text follows the translations in the Luther Bible.