Starting out with Prayer.

   Well I finally broke down and decided to start a blog. Now I don't know what to write about, so like everything else I do I decided to start with prayer. Now prayer can be a very personal thing to many, and some do it in private and some are very comfortable to pray in public.

   1 Thessalonians 5:17 says that we should pray unceasingly to 'pray at all times'. Prayer is part of our daily lives. No matter what we are doing - whether going off to work, in meetings, driving our kids around, sitting at a traffic light, at home doing housework, or out playing sports. Whatever we do each day, we can still pray. It should be natural conversation with God throughout our day. Yes, there are times when we need to be by ourselves, to get away from distractions to 'pray', but mostly we can pray throughout the day.
 
  As long as I can remember I would pray before meals. It didn't matter where I was, at a fancy restaurant, at McDonald's or out on a picnic. Whether I was by myself or with others it just didn't feel right if I didn't pray before I ate.

   I remember one time, when I was in my 20's, I was at the mall and decided I wanted  to grab a bite at McDonald's. It had to had been close to lunch time as the place was packed. There was only one chair left in the whole place and there was already someone sitting at the table. I asked the person if anyone was sitting there and he replied no and invited me to sit with him.

   I put my tray down, made the sign of the cross, bowed my head and proceeded to pray silently. When I was done the person was looking at me and asked, "Did you just pray before eating a Big Mac Meal?" I said yes I always pray before I eat. He replied, " I wish I could do that, do you think you could pray with me?" I said sure and we prayed together. We sat there for a while after eating and I don't remember what we even talked about,  but was was a different experience.

   One other time my wife and I were visiting our daughter and took her husband and the grandchildren out for breakfast after Sunday Mass. We went to the local restaurant, sat down and ordered our food. As the waitress was bringing our plates out, our grandson, who was maybe around 1 1/2 years old looked at me and said Aye grandpa! I looked at him puzzled and he said again Aye grandpa! Still not sure what he wanted he took his hands and put them together and again said Aye Grandpa. I said oh you want us the pray? He replied yes grandpa, Aye!

   So I guess you can say the tradition continues as for me and my house we will be always thankful for the food we partake of no matter where we are.