Martha Knight, age 14, of Jackson, miss., for her question:

WHY DO WE SAY GRACE AT MEALTIME?

Grace is a prayer or blessing said at a meal. Grace is an ancient custom practiced by many religious groups. Many of us now say grace at mealtimes as a way to give thanks to the Lord for the food.

The word grace comes from the Latin word gratiae, which means "thanks."

Jesus said grace when he distributed the loaves and fishes near Bethseda, according to the Bible (Mark 6:41). He also said it at the Last Supper (Mark 14:22).

Many Protestant families now recite the blessing "O Lord, bless this food to our use and us to Thy service" or "For what we are about to receive, 0 Lord, make us truly grateful.

Children often say this grace: "God is great, God is good, And we thank Him for our food."

The Roman Catholic blessing goes like this: "Bless us 0 Lord, and these Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord. Amen." After a meal they often say: "We give Thee thanks, Almighty God, for these and ail Thy gifts which we have received from Thy bounty, through Christ Our Lord. Amen."

In some Jewish homes, this blessing is said at mealtimes: "Blessed be Thou, O Lord Our God, King of the Universe, Who bringeth forth bread from the earth." After meals, many Jewish families chant long graces.