Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Louis Stern on 10 June 1914

Contributor(s):

Aharon N. Varady (transcription), Louis Stern and the Congressional Record of the United States of America

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14 June 2026 under the Creative Commons Zero (CC 0) Universal license a Public Domain dedication

Categories:

🇺🇸 United States of America, Opening Prayers for Legislative Bodies

Tags:

20th century C.E., 57th century A.M., 63rd Congress, English vernacular prayer, U.S. House of Representatives, Prayers of Guest Chaplains, תחינות teḥinot

Guest Chaplain: Rabbi Louis Stern, Eighth Street Temple, Washington, D.C.
Sponsor: n/a
Date of Prayer: 10 June 1914

Contribute a translation	Source (English)
	We earnestly and reverently invoke Thy blessing, O Heavenly Father, upon this representative body, its Members and officers;
	and we ask Thy special blessing upon the Chaplain of this House,^[1] The Universalist minister, Reverend Henry N. Couden (1842–1922) who served as Chaplain to the House of Representatives from December 2, 1895, to February 21, 1921. absent to-day, who for years, day after day, has so faithfully performed the sacred office here.
	We thank Thee for his fervent words of prayer, for the sanctifying impressions they have created, and the ennobling influences they have wrought.
	We thank Thee for the lessons they have taught— lessons of lofty patriotism, of personal liberty, of civic righteousness, of true humanity.
	We thank Thee that out of the physical darkness enshrouding his vision^[2] Reverend Couden was blind. there has shone forth continually the resplendent light of an undying faith, a cheerful, contented disposition, and a superb optimism.
	O God, bless Thy servant with health and long life, as a constant example and inspiration to the world around him, and more especially to the Members or this House in their daily lives and deliberations. We ask it for our common good and for the glory of Thy name. Amen.

This prayer of the guest chaplain was offered in the fourth month of the first session of the 63rd US House of Representatives, and published in the Congressional Record, vol. 51 part 10 (10 June 1914), page 10175.

Source(s)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain – Louis Stern (10 June 1914, House of Representatives), p. 10175

Notes

Notes
1	The Universalist minister, Reverend Henry N. Couden (1842–1922) who served as Chaplain to the House of Representatives from December 2, 1895, to February 21, 1921.
2	Reverend Couden was blind.

Aharon N. Varady (transcription)

Aharon Varady (M.A.J.Ed./JTSA Davidson) is a volunteer transcriber for the Open Siddur Project. If you find any mistakes in his transcriptions, please let him know. Shgiyot mi yavin; Ministarot naqeni שְׁגִיאוֹת מִי־יָבִין; מִנִּסְתָּרוֹת נַקֵּנִי "Who can know all one's flaws? From hidden errors, correct me" (Psalms 19:13). If you'd like to directly support his work, please consider donating via his Patreon account. (Varady also translates prayers and contributes his own original work besides serving as the primary shammes of the Open Siddur Project and its website, opensiddur.org.)

Louis Stern

Rabbi Louis Stern (1847-1920 from Landkreis Kassel, Hessen, Germany served as the first rabbi of Washington Hebrew Congregation in D.C. He came to Washington Hebrew in 1872 as “Chazen and Leader in Hebrew and Jewish Religion.” He guided the Congregation through the construction of its first building in 1897, the acquisition of a cemetery, and the development of Reform liturgy and rituals.

the Congressional Record of the United States of America

The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress, published by the United States Government Printing Office and issued when Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks. At the end of a session of Congress, the daily editions are compiled in bound volumes constituting the permanent edition. Statutory authorization for the Congressional Record is found in Chapter 9 of Title 44 of the United States Code. (wikipedia)

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." (Psalms 90:17)

Prayer of the Guest Chaplain of the U.S. House of Representatives: Rabbi Louis Stern on 10 June 1914

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