Family Picnic
Just like the crowds reclined in a grassy place in today’s Gospel, do the same by planning a picnic in a park or in your backyard. Pack your favorite food and some bread to recall today’s Gospel story. Bring plenty of water, fresh fruit, and vegetables to keep everyone hydrated. Bring along at least one large blanket. The blanket can be used as a tablecloth for the picnic table or on the ground, providing a comfortable spot to sit and eat. Pack a few damp wash cloths inside a resealable bag, which can be used to clean a picnic table and little ones’ hands before (and after) eating. Be sure to bring along a few simple toys and games for your kids too (sports balls, jump rope, sidewalk chalk, etc.). If the weather does not cooperate, move the picnic indoors. Just set-up a blanket on the floor and enjoy!
Grace Before and After A Meal
Today, say grace before and after your meal. You can use your own words to say grace or the commonly used prayers below. Think about the words of the prayer and discuss what they mean to you as you share your meal.
Grace Before Meals
Bless us, O Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Grace After Meals
We give Thee thanks for all Thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest world without end. Amen. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
The priest says a prayer called a collect (pronounced: call-eckt) after the Gloria that varies week to week. Before he starts speaking, there is time for silence and for us to pray in our hearts. He then “collects” those prayers and lifts them up in prayer. What prayer intentions do you bring to Mass today?
Feed the hungry in your area by donating
non-perishable food items to a local food bank.
© Copyright 2026 Archdiocese of Detroit. All rights reserved. Excerpts from the Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition © 1970, 1986, 1997, 1998, 2001 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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