The Office of the Chaplain United States House of Representatives

Message from the Chaplain
The Reverend Daniel P. Coughlin

Photograph of The Reverend Daniel P. CoughlinTo serve as Chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives is truly an honor and a privilege. To be both a minister of the Lord and an officer serving the United States government responds to a twofold call to serve others and offer prayer that unites Heaven and Earth.

With 435 Members in the House and their staffs, plus all the other wonderful people who serve here with committee work or in the Chamber, including teenage Pages, my pastoral duties are many and varied. My goal is to meet the needs of this working community on a personal level. The problems that weigh on hearts and the confusion that at times blocks clarity of thinking become my concerns.

The formal prayer before each legislative session of Congress, and even before days of pro forma sessions, casts a light on the day that awakens faith and calls forth a nation to stand with its leaders and affirm: “In God We Trust.” But daily prayer for the Members of the House cannot end there.

I ask people across this great country to join me in praying for the Members of the House of Representatives. Know the Member of your congressional district by name and raise his or her name before God each day with us here in the nation’s capital.

Pray for me, also, that I may be always rooted in prayer and a good instrument for accomplishing God’s holy will here. Only by being free in the Spirit can I serve all the people here, regardless of their faith persuasion or denomination. Only by listening attentively to each person can I offer good counsel, encouragement, and gentle correction.

Thank you for your interest in and support of the Members of the House.

Opening Prayer

12/03/2010
Reverend Doug Tanner

Almighty God, we ask your blessing this day on the work of this House, and on the hearts and minds of its Members. At this time of year when nights grow long and temperatures fall, guard us, we pray, against seeing those with whom we agree as bearers of light and warmth and those with whom we disagree as harbingers of darkness and cold. Awaken instead an awareness that dark places of ego and arrogance reside in each of us, as do light places of compassion and camaraderie. Save us from shallowness... guide us toward depth of soul and strength of spirit... remind us there are better angels in our nature to carry us toward the land of liberty and justice for all, if we will but open ourselves to their wisdom. Amen.

Thought of the Day

“Yes, dear brothers and sisters, God's promises are always greater than our hopes. If we entrust to God, to his immense love, the most pure and most profound desires of our heart, we will never be disappointed. "And all will be well," "everything will be for the good":
”

—Pope Benedict XVI
December 1, 2010

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