“Lord God, as citizens of this great land, we mark today the 50th anniversary of the tragic death of the 35th President of the United States, President John F. Kennedy. In commemorating such a one whose life and Presidency were cut short, we do so not to “sow in tears,” as the Psalm says, but rather to “reap with shouts of joy”, said Reverend John Robert Skeldon.
Reverend John Robert Skeldon, Diocese of Fort Worth, Fort Worth, Texas, offered the following prayer before the start of official business in the U.S. House of Representatives on November 22, 2013:
“Lord God, as citizens of this great land, we mark today the 50th anniversary of the tragic death of the 35th President of the United States, President John F. Kennedy. In commemorating such a one whose life and Presidency were cut short, we do so not to “sow in tears,” as the Psalm says, but rather to “reap with shouts of joy.”
“Help us, Lord God, to make the late President’s inaugural vision our own, so that together, as fellow Americans, we may ask not what our country can do for us, but rather what we can do for our country. And so, sacrificing ourselves for the sake of others, help us go forth to lead the land we love, asking Your blessing and Your help, and knowing that here on Earth, Your work, O God, must truly be our own. In Your name, we pray. Amen” (source: Congressional Record http://thomas.loc.gov).
See related video: JFK tapes http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-LA0ypFXig