Why Do We Bless Our Food?

[The Folk Prophet]

4 hours ago, clbent04 said:

My issue largely rests on the vain repetition of the phrase "please bless this food" without internalizing what it really means.

This is an issue with pretty much all ordinances, prayers, scriptures, etc. If we don't internalize what they really mean then what good are any of them?

4 hours ago, clbent04 said:

He certainly didn't teach us to recite it mindlessly. 

Then don't. Right?

Once again, this is a problem with all prayer. I find myself often saying things by rote because it's just what I say when prayer. I have to constantly remind myself to not do this, as I'm sure many other do as well.

Considering what one is praying about and meaning it is an important part of prayer.

4 hours ago, clbent04 said:

Follow up question: Do you think Jesus' example to us of blessing food could also be for the purpose of giving thanks for the life that passed on that we are consuming be it animal or plant?

I've never thought of it that way before. Thinking on it now I don't believe so. It feels a bit too...hippy-dippy to me.... But I wouldn't necessarily think it super problematic if someone wanted to view it that way as part of the equation.

[The Folk Prophet]

3 hours ago, askandanswer said:

On a side note, I knew someone who, for several years, while blessing food, would. instead of saying something like "and we ask thee to bless this food" would say " I bless this food." WHen I asked him why, he said that he had the Priesthood, so he could bless the food, and that there was no need to ask Heavenly Father to bless the food when he could do it himself. Apparently this was part of the reason why God gave His children the Priesthood - so that they could act do the Father's work.

I'd like to see him source exactly where he has been authorized to bless food himself.

[Vort]

3 hours ago, askandanswer said:

On a side note, I knew someone who, for several years, while blessing food, would. instead of saying something like "and we ask thee to bless this food" would say " I bless this food." WHen I asked him why, he said that he had the Priesthood, so he could bless the food, and that there was no need to ask Heavenly Father to bless the food when he could do it himself. Apparently this was part of the reason why God gave His children the Priesthood - so that they could act do the Father's work.

I don't buy his reasoning. When we bless the sacrament, we don't actually bless it ourselves through the authority of the Priesthood. Rather, we ask God to bless and sanctify it.

I ask a blessing on the food, and sometimes request my wife or a son or daughter to do so. At this time, I believe that "blessing food" and "asking a blessing on food" are the same thing.