[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 137 (Saturday, September 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Page S11611]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain, Father Paul E. Lavin, pastor of St. Joseph Church 
on Capitol Hill, Washington, DC, offered the following prayer.
  Let us listen to the Word of the Lord in the Book of Ecclesiastes:
``There is an appointed time for everything,
  and a time for every affair under the heavens.
``A time to be born, and a time to die;
  a time to plant, and a time to uproot the plant.
``A time to kill, and a time to heal;
  a time to tear down, and a time to build.
``A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
  a time to mourn, and a time to dance,
``A time to scatter stones; and a time to gather them;
  a time to embrace, and a time to be far from embraces.
``A time to seek, and a time to lose;
  a time to keep, and a time to cast away.
``A time to rend, and a time to sew;
  a time to be silent, and a time to speak.
``A time to love, and a time to hate;
  a time of war, and a time of peace.

  ``What advantage has the worker from his toil? I have considered the 
task which God has appointed for men to be busied about. He has made 
everything appropriate to its time, and has put the timeless into their 
hearts, without men's ever discovering, from beginning to end, the work 
which God has done.''
  Let us pray:
  We stand before You, O Lord conscious of our sinfulness but aware of 
Your love for us.
  Come to us, remain with us, and enlighten our hearts.
  Give us light and strength to know Your will be make it our own and 
to live it in our lives.
  Guide us by Your wisdom, support us by Your power, Keep us faithful 
to all that is true.
  You desire justice for all: Enable us to uphold the rights of others; 
do not allow us to be misled by ignorance or corrupted by fear or 
favor.
  Glory and praise to You for ever and ever. Amen.

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