Thanksgiving is a civic holiday, but for Catholics it is also deeply Eucharistic: the word Eucharist comes from the Greek for “thanksgiving.” This year Thanksgiving Day falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. Below are Catholic prayers for the day: the traditional grace before and after meals, a longer blessing for the Thanksgiving table, prayers for family, for those who have died, for children and for people in need, and a note on going to Mass on Thanksgiving morning.
Grace before the Thanksgiving meal
The traditional Catholic grace
Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts,
which we are about to receive from thy bounty,
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A Thanksgiving table blessing
I wrote this longer blessing for the person who leads grace at a Thanksgiving dinner. Pause where indicated so that each person can name one thing they are grateful for.
Lord God, every good thing comes from you.
Thank you for this food and for the hands that prepared it,
for the farmers, workers and cooks whose labor fills this table,
and for the gift of being together.
(Each person may name one blessing.)
Bless the empty places at our table: those who could not come, those who are working today, and those who have gone before us.
Make us generous to those who have less, and keep us grateful all year long.
Through Christ our Lord. Amen.
A short grace for children
Thank you, God, for the food we eat,
for our family and the friends we meet,
for all the love you give each day.
Help us to share it on our way. Amen.
Grace after the meal
The traditional Catholic grace after meals, often followed by a prayer for the dead:
We give thee thanks, almighty God, for all thy benefits,
who livest and reignest for ever and ever. Amen.
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
Prayers for Thanksgiving Day
For family
Heavenly Father, on this Thanksgiving we thank you for the family you have given us:
for parents and grandparents who handed on the faith, for children who fill our home with life,
and for the friends who have become family.
Heal what is wounded between us, forgive what is unkind, and bind us together in your love. Amen.
For loved ones who have died
Thanksgiving can be hard for those who are grieving, especially in the first year.
Lord Jesus, we miss N. at our table today.
Thank you for the years we shared and for the love that has not ended.
Grant N. eternal rest, and seat us all one day at the banquet of your kingdom. Amen.
More prayers for those who have died are on Catholic prayers for the dead.
For those in need
Lord, you fed the hungry crowds and blessed the loaves and fish.
Remember all who have no Thanksgiving table this year: the hungry, the homeless, refugees and the lonely.
Open our hands and our hearts to share what we have received. Amen.
For our country
God of all nations, we thank you for the gifts of this land and its people.
Give our leaders wisdom and integrity, protect the weak and the unborn,
and make our nation a place of justice, peace and welcome. Amen.
For those who serve
Lord, bless the soldiers, police officers, firefighters, doctors, nurses and all who work on Thanksgiving Day so that others may be safe and cared for. Bring them home safely to those they love. Amen.
A Psalm of thanksgiving
Psalm 136 (Psalm 135 in the Douay-Rheims) is the Bible’s great litany of gratitude. Read a few verses aloud and let everyone answer “for his mercy endureth for ever”:
Praise ye the Lord, for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Praise ye the God of gods: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Praise ye the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who alone doth great wonders: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Give glory to the God of heaven: for his mercy endureth for ever.
Thanksgiving Day Mass
Thanksgiving is not a holy day of obligation, but many parishes celebrate a Mass on Thanksgiving morning, and the Roman Missal for the United States includes a proper Mass for Thanksgiving Day. Going to Mass before the meal is a beautiful way to give thanks, since the Mass is the Church’s great thanksgiving.
If you are preparing the intercessions for that Mass, see Prayers of the Faithful for a Thanksgiving Mass. The weekday intercessions for November 26 are on Prayers of the Faithful Today.
Ideas for a more prayerful Thanksgiving
- Go to Mass in the morning as a family.
- Keep a gratitude jar through November and read the notes aloud at dinner.
- Invite someone who would otherwise be alone.
- Give a “first portion” of your Thanksgiving budget to a food pantry.
- Pray for the dead at the end of grace, especially those who sat at your table in past years.
- Look ahead to Advent, which begins three days later, on November 29. See Advent 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is Thanksgiving a Catholic holiday?
It is a national holiday in the United States, not a feast of the Church’s universal calendar. But the U.S. Church provides a proper Mass for the day, and gratitude is at the heart of Catholic life.
Do Catholics have to go to Mass on Thanksgiving?
No. Thanksgiving is not a holy day of obligation, but attending Mass is encouraged.
What is the Catholic prayer before meals?
“Bless us, O Lord, and these thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty, through Christ our Lord. Amen.”
Who should lead grace at Thanksgiving?
Anyone: a parent, a grandparent, a guest or a child. Many families invite the oldest or the youngest person at the table.
More prayers
- Psalm 65 (the harvest psalm)
- Psalms of thanksgiving
- Catholic prayers of gratitude
- Mass of Thanksgiving
Sources
- Roman Missal (United States), Thanksgiving Day
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1328 and 2637–2638
- Psalm 135 (136), Douay-Rheims