[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 20619]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered the following 
prayer:
  Lord God of this Nation and the universe:
  In 1787 the United States Constitution was written. The text itself 
was completed on September 17 of that year. As the law of this land, it 
still serves as the foundation upon which the three branches of 
government stand. It remains the measurement of all laws of the courts 
and the embodiment of the principles which all government officials and 
citizens promise to uphold and defend. By Divine Providence may this 
document be preserved always.
  May Your omnipresent Spirit bring to light and freshness in our day 
all the Constitution contains and directs. Its first three words--``We 
the people''--affirm that the government of the United States exists to 
serve its citizens. As the world's longest surviving written charter of 
government, may it be a guiding signal to other nations and peoples. As 
the solemn expression of this country's identity, may it be brought to 
fruition by the people of this Nation who live law-abiding lives and 
foster a more perfect Union, work to establish justice, and ensure 
domestic tranquility every day of their lives.
  We beg for Your grace, Almighty God, to do this for our good, the 
common good shared with others, and to give You glory now and forever. 
Amen.

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