[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15930-15931]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  The Reverend Dr. Kurt Gerhard, St. Patrick's Episcopal Church, 
Washington, DC, offered the following prayer:
  Sovereign Lord, who binds all people of every nation together as one 
people, in this era of our country when we are defined by our 
differences and these differences cause a great chasm, filled with 
distrust, to exist between Members of this House and between the 
branches of this Republic, provide the wisdom to approach this session 
of the 113th United States Congress with a hermeneutic of generosity 
toward the motives of those with a differing philosophy of government.
  Open the hearts of the men and women elected to represent the 
American people so that fruitful conversations and compromises will 
allow this august body to serve the common good.
  Help us be mindful of our unity, and bless this country and all 
nations and

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people now and forever. This we ask in Your Holy Name.
  Amen.

                          ____________________