[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 16]
[House]
[Page 21626]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered the following 
prayer:
  Lord God, may this fall session of the 111th Congress be shaped in 
timely fashion by divine providence so that You are glorified in Your 
creatures.
  Make the Members of the House of Representatives ready to receive 
Your holy inspiration and open to colleagues who have a mutual and 
accountable vision for this country.
  This is the season for the seeding of a strong annual growth not to 
be seen until the cloak of winter is lifted. The bright colors of this 
fermentation will soon splash against our mountains and touch roadsides 
with the natural resemblance of dying.
  Yet, Lord, we pray that autumn's full splendor may so captivate 
national attention that daily photos of what is happening will trace 
only Your steady cycle at work, and we hardly notice personal gain and 
partisan advantage fall to the ground like falling leaves.
  We place all our trust in You, Lord of the harvest and the ages.
  Amen.

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