[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 14]
[House]
[Page 19189]
[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 creation and reconciliation, called to address the 
effects of the hurricane season upon the Nation, we must also face 
honestly the economic fractures of the present moment. Monetary 
matters, just as natural disasters, call us to be people of faith, hope 
and love.
  The biblical vision of creation, covenant and community summons 
people to stand strong and together in a time of tension between 
promise and fulfillment. Positioned here by You, we commit ourselves to 
solidarity with those suffering the most from hurricane and from 
economic situations. The ordinary laborer cannot distance himself from 
the speculative investor. All are frightened by the shaken terrain, and 
all must find new ground where they can stand together.
  As people of the covenant, Lord, we can confront those attitudes and 
ways of acting which institutionalize injustice even when they are 
discovered within our very selves. For our quest for economic and 
social justice arises from faith, is sustained by hope, and seeks to 
heal a broken world that still seeks Your lasting justice and loving 
kindness. Be with us now and forever. Amen.

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