Prayer before the Common Council
Lord, Spirit of wisdom and peace,
We invoke your sublime beauty
Over all of us present here.
Wash across our faces with your love,
Breath your joyous spirit into our hearts,
Remind us that in the transcendent,
Is liberation.
Keep us mindful of those who have no roof,
That they may find rest and comfort.
Through them you have revealed
The responsibility we have for each other;
Teach us to resist the powers
Of envy and greed that
Always await at our door of our insecure hearts.
Open them up that we may compromise and see you in each other.
Protect those soldiers from White Plains
who are serving dutifully in our armed forces,
And protect our city servants who allow commerce
And our lives to run more smoothly.
And help us realize that at the end of the day,
It is not the size of our wallets,
But the strength of our common humanity,
That announces your presence among us.