[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 87 (Monday, May 6, 2013)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26483-26484]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-10878]



[[Page 26481]]

Vol. 78

Monday,

No. 87

May 6, 2013

Part III





The President





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Proclamation 8974--National Day of Prayer, 2013
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  Federal Register / Vol. 78 , No. 87 / Monday, May 6, 2013 / 
Presidential Documents  

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 Title 3--
 The President

[[Page 26483]]

                Proclamation 8974 of May 1, 2013

                
National Day of Prayer, 2013

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Americans have long turned to prayer both in times of 
                joy and times of sorrow. On their voyage to the New 
                World, the earliest settlers prayed that they would 
                ``rejoice together, mourn together, labor, and suffer 
                together, always having before our eyes our commission 
                and community in the work.'' From that day forward, 
                Americans have prayed as a means of uniting, guiding, 
                and healing. In times of hardship and tragedy, and in 
                periods of peace and prosperity, prayer has provided 
                reassurance, sustenance, and affirmation of common 
                purpose.

                Prayer brings communities together and can be a 
                wellspring of strength and support. In the aftermath of 
                senseless acts of violence, the prayers of countless 
                Americans signal to grieving families and a suffering 
                community that they are not alone. Their pain is a 
                shared pain, and their hope a shared hope. Regardless 
                of religion or creed, Americans reflect on the 
                sacredness of life and express their sympathy for the 
                wounded, offering comfort and holding up a light in an 
                hour of darkness.

                All of us have the freedom to pray and exercise our 
                faiths openly. Our laws protect these God-given 
                liberties, and rightly so. Today and every day, prayers 
                will be offered in houses of worship, at community 
                gatherings, in our homes, and in neighborhoods all 
                across our country. Let us give thanks for the freedom 
                to practice our faith as we see fit, whether 
                individually or in fellowship.

                On this day, let us remember in our thoughts and 
                prayers all those affected by recent events, such as 
                the Boston Marathon bombings, the Newtown, Connecticut 
                shootings, and the explosion in West, Texas. Let us 
                pray for the police officers, firefighters, and other 
                first responders who put themselves in harm's way to 
                protect their fellow Americans. Let us also pray for 
                the safety of our brave men and women in uniform and 
                their families who serve and sacrifice for our country. 
                Let us come together to pray for peace and goodwill 
                today and in the days ahead as we work to meet the 
                great challenges of our time.

                The Congress, by Public Law 100-307, as amended, has 
                called on the President to issue each year a 
                proclamation designating the first Thursday in May as a 
                ``National Day of Prayer.''

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the 
                United States of America, by virtue of the authority 
                vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the 
                United States, do hereby proclaim May 2, 2013, as a 
                National Day of Prayer. I join the citizens of our 
                Nation in giving thanks, in accordance with our own 
                faiths and consciences, for our many freedoms and 
                blessings, and in asking for God's continued guidance, 
                mercy, and protection.

[[Page 26484]]

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                first day of May, in the year of our Lord two thousand 
                thirteen, and of the Independence of the United States 
                of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2013-10878
Filed 5-3-13; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F3