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Radical Muddling
Oh ravishing melon!
POSTED 02/25/10, 05:17 PM EST BY LIZ RICHARDS
I am doing rather poorly at my Lenten practice to pray before I eat. I forget pretty much all the time.In fact, I ate a bowl of sweet potatoes as I planned to write this blog and I forgot to pray before I ate them. This does not bode well for my overarching goal of adopting the saying of grace as an everyday practice.
Part of my prayer-problem, honestly, is that I have too much to be grateful for. When I do remember that I want to pray before I eat (or that I want to retroactively pray after I ate), I find myself thanking the farmer and the earth and the sky and the wind and the water and the organization that plans the farmer's market, and the electricity that powered the microwave and God... it's overwhelming to be that grateful and to eat one's lunch before it gets cold. So, I halfass the praying part, and then feel guilty.
To that end, I've been looking at other people's graces, to see if there isn't something that I can draw inspiration from. It will be easier, I figure, to recite a familiar prayer while I'm getting in the habit, an once I'm in the habit, to ammend it.
I started with the play You Can't Take It With You by George S. Kaufmann and Moss Hart, one of my favorites. The lead character, Grandpa, says a glorious, grateful, and slightly irreverent grace a few times during the play. The first one pretty much sums up the sentiment:
"Well, Sir, we've been getting along pretty good for quite a while now, and we're certainly much obliged. Remember, all we ask is just to go along and be happy in our own sort of way. Of course we want to keep our health, but as far as anything else is concerned, we'll leave it to you. Thank you."
I also found a powerful one that's attributed to Mother Thereasa, which reflects a humility that I admire but doubt that I can emulate:
"Make us worthy, Lord, to serve those people throughout the world who live and die in poverty and hunger. Give them through our hands, this day, their daily bread, and by our understanding love, give them peace and joy."
And, a generic web-search for "Saying Grace" came up with this, which is generic, but I rather like it:
"Sustainer, Creator, Giver-of-Life: Bless this food to our use and us to your service. Make us grateful for all your mercies and mindful of the needs of others."
I'm working on my own hybrid still, something that captures Grandpa's sentiment of "We'll leave it to you, Sir," Thereasa's sentiment of giving the poor our daily bread, and grabs something from the generic prayer about how food powers us to be in better service to God.
What that's missing, of course, is a simple thank you for the glory that is good food. I have to say, no one has captured it quite like 16th century French poet Marc-Antoine Girard
Oh precious food, delight of the mouth!
Oh, much better than gold, masterpiece of Apollo!
Oh flower of all fruits!
Oh ravishing melon!
Oh ravishing melon, indeed.
Comments
giffen.maupin February 27, 2010 | 03:21 PM
"Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub, yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay, God" is a Maupin family favorite, which I revert to often, because, you know, I think God has a sense of humor. I also find that I recite e.e. cummings's "i thank you god for most this amazing day" to myself fairly often (this will be even better when I memorize the whole poem, but for now, I figure that the first line captures what I feel--or try to will myself into feeling--just fine).
Stephanie Ortolano February 26, 2010 | 01:35 PM
Of course, there is Sabina's favorite standby which she has learned to improvise on:
I see the [moon] and the [moon] see me.
God bless the [moon] and God bless me.
In the last week, we've asked blessings for birds, flowers, snow, and stars.
Giffen, interesting--I hadn't heard that one. I associate 'rub a dub dub' with bathing, for some reason. Is that just part of the idiolect of the Chignell household? Or is the idea that you're washing your hands before thanking God and then eating?