[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 7]
[Senate]
[Page 9140]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The guest Chaplain, Catholicos Karekin the Second, offered the 
following prayer:
  Almighty God and Lord, we come together from different places, 
cultures, and traditions on a unique day You have created. We rejoice 
and are glad in it. Help us walk together in Your light.
  Thank You for our diversity and the richness this brings when we 
share our lives. Help us understand each other through our differences 
and recognize what we have in common. Thank You for democracy, which 
gives such dignity to each person and reflects Your sense of human 
worth. Please nurture our democracies--America, which has grown strong 
over two centuries, and Armenia, a new democracy with strong hopes. In 
this year, when we recognize the 1700th anniversary of Armenia's 
conversion to Christianity, may we grow stronger in faith and remember 
the importance of being true to the vision You give.
  We join the prayer of St. Nersess the Graceful and ask You for wisdom 
so we may always think, speak, and do what is good in Your sight, and 
to save us from evil thoughts, words, and deeds. Please give us wisdom 
in our decisions and dealings with each other, staff, constituents, and 
those seeking our help. Thank You for placing us in positions of 
influence. Help us make the Nation and our world better.
  Holy Father, I ask You to bless the Senators, the American Government 
and people, and Armenian people and nation. I pray for the unity of 
churches and peoples and ask You to bless the clergy of this Nation. We 
know that You alone are God. To You be glory, power, and honor, now and 
always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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