11 Catholic Prayers for Thanksgiving (2026): Grace, Family & Thanks to God

The most common Catholic prayer for Thanksgiving is the traditional grace before meals, “Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts,” and after the meal, “We give thee thanks, almighty God, for all thy benefits.” Around those two familiar prayers you can add a blessing for your family, thanks for the year, and a prayer for those who are absent or in need. Below are 11 prayers for Thanksgiving Day, from the traditional graces to short ones children can say.

For Catholics, giving thanks is not just a once-a-year holiday custom. The word Eucharist comes from the Greek for “thanksgiving,” and the Catechism calls the Mass “an action of thanksgiving to God” (CCC 1328, 1360). Every Sunday we gather to give thanks. Thanksgiving Day simply carries that same spirit to the family table.

How to Pray at the Thanksgiving Table

A Thanksgiving grace does not need to be long. A simple pattern works for most families:

1. Begin with the Sign of the Cross, so everyone knows the prayer has started.
2. Thank God for the food and for the blessings of the year.
3. Bless the people present, by name if the group is small.
4. Remember those who are absent: family far away, the sick, and loved ones who have died.
5. Ask God’s help for those in need: the hungry, the lonely, those who are grieving.
6. End with the traditional grace and the Sign of the Cross.

If you are the host, choose one person to lead, perhaps the oldest member of the family or a child who has practiced. Print the prayers or keep this page open on a phone so everyone can follow along.

Traditional Catholic Grace Before and After Meals

These are the prayers most Catholics learned as children. They are short, familiar, and easy for a whole table to say together.

1. Grace Before Meals (Traditional)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts,
which we are about to receive from thy bounty,
through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

2. Grace After Meals (Traditional)

We give thee thanks, almighty God,
for all thy benefits,
who livest and reignest, world without end.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.

Many families forget the prayer after meals, but it is a lovely way to end Thanksgiving dinner before the dishes and the pie, and it gently remembers those who have gone before us.

A Catholic Prayer for Thanksgiving Dinner

3. Blessing of the Thanksgiving Meal (Original Prayer)

Heavenly Father, giver of every good gift,
we gather at this table with grateful hearts.
Bless this food and the hands that prepared it.
Bless the farmers who grew it, the workers who carried it,
and all who made this day possible.
As you fed your people in the desert,
nourish us in body and in spirit,
and make us generous to those who are hungry tonight.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving to God for the Year

4. Thanks for the Blessings of This Year (Original Prayer)

Lord God, you have been faithful to us through every season of this year.
We thank you for the gift of life and health,
for the work of our hands, for the roof over our heads,
for our faith, and for the love that holds this family together.
We thank you, too, for the hard days,
when you carried us and taught us to trust you.
For every blessing we noticed, and the many we did not,
we give you thanks and praise.
Amen.

Scripture invites this kind of prayer again and again: “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever” (Psalm 136:1). St. Paul goes further, asking us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thanksgiving is a good day to look back over the whole year, the joys and the trials, and see God’s hand in it.

If you would like more prayers of gratitude to use throughout the year, see our prayers of gratitude and thanks to God.

A Thanksgiving Prayer for Family

5. Blessing for the Family at the Table (Original Prayer)

Lord Jesus, you blessed the home of Mary and Joseph in Nazareth.
Bless this family gathered here today.
Bless the grandparents with health and peace,
the parents with patience and wisdom,
the children with faith and joy.
Heal what is wounded among us,
forgive what needs forgiving,
and keep us close to you and to one another.
Amen.

6. Prayer for Loved Ones Who Are Absent or Have Died (Original Prayer)

Lord, we remember those who are not at this table today:
family and friends far away, those who are sick,
those who are working, and those who are alone.
Be close to each of them.
We remember, too, our loved ones who have died,
especially [say their names].
Grant them eternal rest, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May they rest in peace.
Amen.

The first Thanksgiving after the death of a parent or spouse can be very hard. Saying their names aloud at the table, and pausing for a moment of silence, is a simple, Catholic way to include them. Our prayer for the souls in purgatory is a good companion during November, the month the Church dedicates to praying for the dead.

For more prayers you can say over your family year-round, see our prayers for family and friends.

Prayers for Those in Need on Thanksgiving

7. Prayer for the Hungry and the Lonely (Original Prayer)

Merciful Father, as we enjoy this abundance,
we remember those who have little or nothing to eat,
those who are homeless, those who are in hospital,
those who are in prison, and those spending this day alone.
Open our hearts and our hands to share what we have been given,
so that our thanks may become love in action.
Amen.

Gratitude naturally leads to generosity. Many Catholic families make Thanksgiving a day to donate to a food pantry, invite someone who would otherwise be alone, or volunteer at a parish dinner. These are practical ways of living the corporal works of mercy: feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger.

8. A Prayer of Thanks for Answered Prayers (Original Prayer)

Lord, this year we asked, and you heard us.
Thank you for the healing, the new job, the safe arrival,
the reconciliation, and every answered prayer.
And for the prayers you answered in ways we did not expect,
give us the faith to trust that you know best.
Amen.

Short Thanksgiving Prayers for Children

Children remember prayers they can say themselves. These are short enough to memorize, and you can invite each child to add one thing they are thankful for.

9. A Child’s Thanksgiving Grace (Original Prayer)

Thank you, God, for our food,
for our family and our friends.
Help us share with those who have less.
Amen.

10. A Child’s “Thank You, Jesus” Prayer (Original Prayer)

Thank you, Jesus, for this day,
for the people I love and the food we eat.
Thank you for loving me always.
Amen.

A fun idea for families with young children is a “gratitude round”: before grace, each person names one thing they are thankful for this year. Write the answers on slips of paper and keep them in a jar to read next Thanksgiving.

A Psalm of Thanksgiving to Pray Together

11. Psalm 136 (Responsive Prayer)

The leader reads each line, and everyone answers, “For his steadfast love endures for ever.”

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
He alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
He gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures for ever.
Amen.

(Psalm 136:1, 4, 25–26)

Begin Thanksgiving Day at Mass

The Roman Missal used in the United States includes special prayers for Thanksgiving Day, and many parishes offer a morning Mass, often with a blessing of food that families bring along. Thanksgiving is not a holy day of obligation, but there is no better way to give thanks than the Eucharist, the Church’s own great prayer of thanksgiving.

If you cannot get to Mass, you might pray a decade of the rosary together after dinner, or the Thank You Jesus Rosary, a simple devotion of gratitude that children can join.

Tips for a Prayerful Thanksgiving

• Keep it short at the table. Two or three minutes is plenty, especially with hungry children and guests.
• Include guests of other faiths gently. Thank God for the food and the people present; invite everyone to share the Amen.
• Light a candle for loved ones who have died, and say their names during grace.
• Pray grace after the meal, too. It is a peaceful way to close dinner before dessert.
• Look ahead to Advent. Thanksgiving falls just days before Advent begins, a natural moment to plan how your family will prepare for Christmas. Our Christmas prayers for family blessings are ready when you are.

However you pray this Thanksgiving, the heart of it is simple: everything we have is a gift from God, and the right response to a gift is to say thank you.