Church/Portugal: National Liturgy Secretariat published “daily prayers for the blessing of the table”

Fátima, May 7, 2024 (Ecclesia) – The National Liturgy Secretariat (SNL), of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference, published the book ‘Stay with us, Lord – II: Daily prayers for the blessing of the table (Ordinary Time)’, authored by the monks from the Singeverga Monastery.

“The table evokes the common meal, the sharing of bread and the joy of family and community gathering”, highlights the president of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and Spirituality, in the presentation of the new publication, sent to the ECCLESIA Agency, by SNL.

D. José Cordeiro, archbishop of Braga, explains that the blessing of the table “is an important sacramental”, that is, a sacred sign of the Church that “aims to prepare men to receive the fruits of the sacraments and sanctify the different circumstances of life”.

“Blessings are liturgical actions of the Church and constitute a peculiar exercise of the priesthood of Christ, continuing his paschal mystery through signs aimed at the sanctification of man and the glorification of God. In practice, blessings are prayers of invocation over people and things, carried out by the Church”, explains the president of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and Spirituality.

The book ‘Stay with us, Lord – II: Daily prayers for the blessing of the table (Ordinary Time)’ contains proposals for the blessing of the family and community table “in time with the Liturgical Year”, written by the Benedictine monks of the Singeverga Monastery, in Roriz, Santo Tirso, in the Diocese of Porto.

This publication, the first edition is this month of May, is part of the ‘Praise of the Creatures’ collection, of the National Secretariat of Liturgy, executive body of the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and Spirituality of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference.

D. José Cordeiro thanks and congratulates the Episcopal Commission for Liturgy and Spirituality and the National Liturgy Secretariat, the abbot and the monastic community of the Monastery of São Bento de Singeverga, for the “gift of this good spiritual contribution of proposals for the blessing of the table family and community within the framework of the Liturgical Year”.

CB