[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 9921]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  The Reverend Edward J. Burns, Executive Director, Secretariat for 
Vocations and Priestly Formation at the United States Conference of 
Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. offered the following prayer:
  Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation, the God of Abraham, Isaac, 
and Jacob, the father of Jesus and God of us all. We thank You for the 
many gifts You have given us out of love. We praise You for the wonders 
of Your works. We now ask that You bless us.
  As the Members of the United States House of Representatives 
reconvene after their holiday recess, we are mindful of Your many gifts 
of salvation and redemption. We ask now that You bless these men and 
women. Grant them the strength, grace, perseverance, and wisdom to 
carry out the task that lies ahead of them. Bless their endeavors and 
give success to the work of their hands.
  Bless our troops who are serving our country; in particular, those 
men and women who are serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Guide them, 
protect them, and grant peace and consolation to their families.
  We recognize that we do not work alone; but rather, we rely on our 
brothers and sisters. Bless our constituents and colleagues, our 
friends and loved ones. May we serve faithfully in bringing forth a 
Nation that is just, one that keeps faith and hope alive.
  We ask this in Your name. Amen.

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