The Washington times., 1921-07-03
No Time to Say Grace
In This Sensual Age,
Says Father Hannar,
Devotion at Meals Crowded Out
OF American Homes by
Pursuit of Pleasure.

saying grace before meals, once a
beautiful custom In almost every
Christian home. is Almost entirely
forgotten now.
Everybody is too busy thinkin' bout
where they are going in their 'tin
lizzie" after dinner or what show Is
the best In town. BLESS us. % Lord.
and these Thy gifts" is replaced by
Where do We go tonightT' They
haven't got time. or course. when
the preacher drops In for dinner that's
different
Remember when you were little how
your mother called you off the back
lot and told you dinner was ready.
and how hungry you were. and just
az you washed your hands and wet
your hair and were all ready to eat
everybody had to wait for father TO
SAY grace7'
II you ~srs a bad little boy you
pinched the cake next to you when
eyeryone's eyes were closed and bowed
ana had to swallow II whole some
times or take just teeny pinch.
And when the preacher came to
dinner you thought that was the worst
day In the week. although mother
didn't because she baked pies all day
and Killed the chicken" The trouble
was. he said IL so long and what could
you do but squirm in your seat7 And
you made up your mind when you
got big you'd never have any such
thing when you were the father
Isn't that sor
PRIEST REGRETrUL.
II is. most certainly. according 70
the Row Eugene A. Hannah. pastor Of
st. Martins Catholic Church. North
Capitol and N streets northwest, who
deplores the neglect OF this once beau
tiful custom
Il have gone into many homes"
says Father Hannah. "and I have OBJ
served a certain embarrassment when
] have started to say grace. And in
some homes, even the best Christian
ones, the members of the family sit
down to their meals without saying
grace.
The trouble IL. they have their
minds on pleasures too much. or thsir
clothes. or how they shall dispose of
thanks TO God for the bounty placed
before them.
This is an age of ssnsuality and II
10 no wonder that the very founda~
tions of the Christian home should
become infected. There 10 q mad
whiri Of pleasure that 10 gripping the
young and the old. who at least could
perpctuate this custom
II say people think too much about
tn cir pleasures. Well. the real trouble
10 peopls do not think at all They
do not think about anything, and
thsy DO not think much about God
I mean that in the sense that they do
not think much of Him. You have
often heard that expression.
GIVE GOD LITTLE THOUGHT.
That 10 the reason they do not
say grace at meals. because they do
not THINK much of God. They do not
Him and many of them do
not love Him. II they did they would
not fail TO stop q few minutes be-
fore each meal and thank Him for
the bounty placed before than
People think they do everything
and without Gods assist
anoe. Nothing could be further from
the truth. Even economics teach us
better than that. and we could not
get q box OF matches without per
haps o hundred persons assistance.
''The bounty placed before MS on the
festive board, the apples. beautifully
husd fruits, grapes and cantsloupes,
and even the bread. are given to US,
through God, and we should at least
thank Him for His goodness"
One of the pronouncements of grace