[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 15]
[House]
[Page 21498]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  The Chaplain, the Reverend Patrick J. Conroy, offered the following 
prayer:
  Loving God, we give You thanks for giving us another year.
  We give You thanks, also, for the first session of the 112th Congress 
and Your sustaining us with Your presence, wisdom, patience, and love. 
May the positive work done for the benefit of so many millions of 
Americans be an offering to You and a fulfillment of Your will that all 
Your children would be loved and cared for.
  We ask as well Your forgiveness for the smallness of actions on some 
occasions and the inability to work together when so many were 
adversely affected. We know that this is not what You wish for us, not 
what the American people wish for our Nation, and not what the Members 
of this people's House have been elected for.
  We ask Your blessing now on each Member of Congress that they might 
be their best selves in representing not only their constituents but 
also the entire American citizenry. They have taken oaths to do so. 
Give them the strength and the wisdom to succeed.
  We thank You as well for this marvelous forum where the important 
business of this Nation has been done in the past and will be done in 
the upcoming second session. May the work being done be guided by Your 
Spirit.
  May all that we do be done for Your greater honor and glory.
  Amen.

                          ____________________