Merciful God, we gather again after rest and relaxation to continue the ongoing work of government. In the words of the poet Brendan Kennelly, let us:
Begin again to the summoning birds
to the sight of the light at the window,
begin to the roar of morning traffic
all along N Street.
Every beginning is a promise
born in light and dying in dark
determination and exaltation of the seasons
flowering the way to work.
Begin to the pageant of queuing constituents
the arrogant loneliness of crows downtown
bridges linking the past and future
old friends passing, though with us still….
Though we live in a world that dreams of ending
that always seems about to give in,
something that will not acknowledge conclusion
insists that we forever begin.
And so may we continue to trust in the presence and guidance of our God.—AMEN.
(The Essential by Brendan Kennelly)