House
Chaplain, Daniel Coughlin
U.S.
Capital Rotunda
Washington,
D.C.
December
30, 2006
“How
mighty is the hand that
can turn a page of history!”
Lord God,
You call
each of
us by
name and
You alone
know each
of us
through
and through.
You have
called
Gerald
R. Ford
unto Yourself
and again
he has
responded
to You
with hope
and is
confirmed
by America’s
prayers
just as
he sought
them when
called
to serve
as President
of this
great
nation.
As we welcome Mrs. Ford and President Ford’s family and friends to this Rotunda, the nation is called to surround them with their prayers, - their sympathy for their loss and their gratitude for sharing his love and his loyalty with all of us for so many years in government service.
Again, at this moment of death, we humbly ask You, Lord, to grant peace and reconciliation, healing and gentle civility to this nation, as this man so nobly tried to do in life’s singular moments by his efforts to close chapter upon chapter on America’s sadness.
May
the brightness of hope
and the promise of eternal
life reward this modest
man, The Honorable Gerald
Ford. And
may the story of the
38th President of the
United States inspire
others in this nation
and around the world,
to respond to Your Providential
call as he did. Lord,
call many to seize
their moment
to make a difference “by
serving the people’s
urgent needs” Then
empower them to
make bold steps in
searching for ways
of peace and reconciliation,
just as he did.
“For
mighty
is the
hand
that
can
turn
a page
of history.”