02 Sep 2005 Congressional Action: Prayer of the House

On September 2, the Chaplain of the House of Representatives, Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin, offered the following prayer:

The Nation, Lord God, is overwhelmed today by the mournful sound that comes from the Deep South.Like a familiar songstress who knows the fragile pain of us all, her prayer, if set to music, would hold us as an audience on suspended notes that would lift us beyond present expectations.

From New Orleans and cities, towns, and rural areas of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, there rises a soulful lament born of the blues now turned black.

The dreadful hurricane has swept over the South as a violent baptism. As witnesses, all of us turn to You, O Lord. You alone can renew faith and bring these people to new and promising life.

The cries of the poor over their families, their homes, their past and their future can sway any indifferent heart in America to be moved to prayer, solidarity, and generosity.

Until the South can sing again Your praises in her churches, on front porches, in the fields and the shipyards once again, we will hold onto the words of Your Song of Songs: “Deep waters cannot quench love; nor floods sweep it away.”

Help us, Lord, to trust in Your faithful love and deepen our love for one another, especially those most in need of the kindness of strangers.

Amen.

Note: “Congressional Action” is a blog feature highlighting an official activity undertaken by or in Congress, very often chosen at random, to provide an educational snapshot of our Congress at work. Opinions and facts represented in this feature do not necessarily represent the views of Amy Ridenour or The National Center for Public Policy Research, nor is this feature intended to express an opinion on any measure under consideration by the Congress.