[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 836]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

                                 PRAYER

  Most Reverend Richard Pates, Bishop of the Diocese of Des Moines, Des 
Moines, Iowa, offered the following prayer:
  Blessed are You, Lord God of all creation. You bless us with life. 
You fill each lengthening day with more light, a generous light which 
shines on all people.
  We seek Your light, O God, in our midst this day, for each woman and 
man of this House, each entrusted to cooperate in the making of just 
laws which promote the flourishing of human freedom.
  Let Your light break forth among these, our public servants. Give us 
faith that as each new day is bright with promise, so too is Your 
spirit's power to transform blame and bitterness into concord and 
unity, for the sake of the common good.
  To You, therefore, generous Spirit of God, we commend our work this 
day, that we might walk freely in Your light, one people whose future 
is filled with hope.
  Amen.

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