Prior to this period of history, the traditional words of blessing before a meal were «Blessed be thou, O Lord God, King of the Universe»; in this era the focus shifted ever so subtly and the
food itself became the object of blessing — «Bless, O Lord, this
food» — for
food was considered mundane or profane, and only when touched by the holy words of a Christian could it be brought
into the realm of the
sacred.