Rev. Tom Koys, pastor of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Chicago, offered the following opening prayer this morning for the Illinois House of Representatives:

I call upon the Divine Being, and I ask all here present to turn your minds and hearts to the God who guides you as a public servant of this great State of Illinois. 

God, creator of the universe, Oh God, who set your angels at the gates of paradise with their fiery swords, Oh God, who loved your disobedient children enough to become one of us, showing us how to live…  be with the men and women who, through their office become the voice of conscience for the people of Illinois. 

Bless each and every member here, and their constituents back home.  Be with them in their moments of anxiety and be their peace in the loneliness of leadership.  Help us all to see that monies, voluntarily given by the people are more suitable for building our hospitals, schools and bridges than monies obtained through involuntarily imposed heavier and heavier taxation.  Help us all to see that the very systems government creates to free people from poverty can also bankrupt our State, leaving the government with little resources to help anyone.   Help us all to see that even death itself is part of your plan for your children and help us to see that only in heaven will “risk factors” be reduced to absolute zero. 

God, I ask that you strengthen especially those citizens who will suddenly become criminally liable for the simple act of standing up for the sacredness of the conjugal union of matrimony, if certain laws are passed.  Not because we are trying to force anyone to something against their wills, but because the state would be forcing us to do something against our wills.  Lord, I pray for my fellow priests and all other clergy persons, may we have the courage to obey God rather than humans if necessary and accept our newly created status as law breakers in this nation we love so dearly and endure whatever persecutions that will result. 

I offer this prayer in humility, with due respect and with hope in your Divine Providence,  AMEN.