Dominican Blessing Over Meals
  • Ishmael Alighieri
    Posts: 2
    Pardon my imposition, hoping you all can help me out:

    Years ago, I lived for a few years with some Dominican priests in New Mexico. We sang a blessing that went something like this (I know effectively no Latin, sadly, and am remembering from 30 years ago – this is little more than a poor transcription of the sounds that flew by):

    ‘Largitur omnium meorum, benedicat potum et chivam sevorum suorum. Amen.’ At least, that’s what it sounded like to me. I understood it to mean something like: ‘Giver of all, bless the food and drink of thy servants.’ Sound familiar? Anyone have the text? Sung to a simple chant tone. Any help here would be appreciated.

    Background: My children and I travel to Mexico with a group from the local parishes over Easter Week to build houses for needy families. Since this activity is geared toward teenagers, the prayer life is strongly of the folk hootenanny variety. My two bits of subversion: singing a Latin blessing over the meals, possibly the only Latin or chant these kids ever get to hear. I just want to get it right.

    Thanks,

    Joseph
  • Kathy
    Posts: 5,507
    I'm not sure about the music, but is the prayer on p. 148 of this book what you are looking for? http://www.musicasacra.com/dominican/libellus-precum.pdf

    May the giver of all good things...
  • Ishmael Alighieri
    Posts: 2
    Kathy, thanks - that's roughly it - the version I remember included 'potum et chivum', thus:

    Largitor omnium bonorum
    benedicat potum et cibum servorum suorum.

    Anyone know if that's good/acceptable Latin? I think that's pretty much exactly it, but am in no way fit to judge Latin.

    Thanks,

    Jospeh
  • Wally_R
    Posts: 1
    Dear Joseph,

    This is a belated answer to your query. We novices used to say this blessing before breakfast in the Dominican novitiate in Winona, MN., back in the 50s: "Largitor omnium bonorum benedicat cibum et potum servorum suorum" ("may the giver of all goods bless the food and drink of his servants")-- If I'm recalling it aright. One of us would chant (recto tono) "benedicite!" (bless!-- plural of respect I guess). Then a priest (or one of us if there was no priest present) would then sing the above prayer on the same tone of the "benedicite", recto tono except for the last syllable ("-rum") of "bonorum" and "suorum", sung down a minor third.

    This may be a bit scandalous-- Often the only priest present for breakfast was a dear old man, Fr. Lawler, (whom we called "Daddy Lawler") who would hobble in the refectory while we would all be standing waiting. The guy who was supposed to sing "benedicite!" would wait until Daddy Lawler was half seated before he'd sing "benedicite!"-- catching him in mid act so to speak. Daddy Lawler would freak out, straighten up and sing the blessing. We thought this was great fun (he probably did, too).

    All my best to you.

    Wally
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