Upon invitation of the President, the following prayer was offered by Senator Leyva, as written by the Chaplain, Sister Michelle Gorman, RSM:
Loving God, may we realize how blessed we are as we reflect on this modern-day version of the Beatitudes:
Blessed are you who are convinced of your basic dependency on The Creator; your lives are emptied of all that doesn’t matter.
Blessed are you who know that all you are is gift; you are at home on this earth.
Blessed are you who wear compassion as a garment; you shall receive comfort in your time of greatest need.
Blessed are you who are hungry for goodness; you are open to God’s mercy.
Blessed are you whose hearts are free and simple; your ego is small and your love is great.
Blessed are you who work for peace; you build roads to unite rather than walls that divide.
And blessed are you who dedicate your life to others no matter the cost; you are already within the reign of God.—AMEN.
