[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 12]
[Senate]
[Page 17143]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 prayer

  The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer:
  Let us pray.
  Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and have our 
being, as we grieve the loss of life in the Newtown, CT, shooting, show 
us Your way and teach us Your path. Make us all responsible stewards of 
Your most precious gift of time by teaching us to number our days that 
we may have hearts of wisdom.
  May the incomprehensible destruction of lives still framed by 
springtime remind us of the importance of not delaying in seizing our 
opportunities to do good. Make our lawmakers willing to act promptly, 
remembering that time is fleeting and that they shall not pass this way 
again.
  Bless those who mourn, eternal God, with the comfort of Your love 
that they may face each new day with hope and with the certainty that 
nothing can destroy the good that has been given them. May their 
memories become less painful as You encircle their lives with Your 
love.
  We pray in Your merciful Name. Amen.

                          ____________________