When it is said
It is said standing, after meals, at home and in monasteries. Russian prayer books give it after every meal. Greek ones give it after the midday meal, and words from Psalm 4 after supper.
In monasteries it ends the daily meal. On Sundays and feasts the monks first say an older grace. Then they lift up a bread offered in honour of the Mother of God.
Where it comes from
No author known
The monks’ thanks after their meal
Fr Mikhail Zheltov, a scholar of Orthodox worship, calls it a troparion, a short church hymn. He writes that on most days monks end their meal with it and with “It is truly meet”, a hymn to the Mother of God.
The Church Slavonic book of hours (Chasoslov), the rite of the Panagia; Fr Mikhail Zheltov, “Panagia”, Orthodox Encyclopedia (in Russian)
From the monastery to the family table
Russian and Greek prayer books give it to families as the thanks after a meal. The Russian prayer book names where it comes from: the book of hours, in its prayers for the meal. The short blessing after it, “Blessed is God”, is the priest’s in a monastery.
Azbyka.ru prayer book, Prayers before and after eating (in Russian); AgionLogoi.org, Prayer before and after the meal (in Greek)
What the words mean
A short form and a long one
Some Russian prayer books stop after “Your heavenly kingdom”. So does an English translation of 1897, made from a Russian prayer book for village schools. The Church’s book of hours goes on: “as You came among Your disciples, giving them peace, come to us also and save us.”
N. Orloff, Horologion: A Primer for Elementary Village Schools (1897); Azbyka.ru, Explanatory prayer book (in Russian); The Church Slavonic book of hours (Chasoslov), the rite of the Panagia
The Scripture in it
It was the first day of the week, and that very evening, while the disciples were together with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them. “Peace be with you!” He said to them.
When you eat and are satisfied, you are to bless the LORD your God for the good land that He has given you.
Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.
In Church Slavonic
Благодарим Тя, Христе Боже наш, яко насытил еси нас земных Твоих благ,
не лиши нас и небеснаго Твоего Царствия:
но яко посреде учеников Твоих пришел еси, Спасе, мир дая им, прииди и к нам, и спаси нас.
Благословен Бог, милуяй и питаяй нас от Своих богатых даров, Своею благодатию и человеколюбием, всегда, ныне и присно, и во веки веков, аминь.