Entrusting the gavel

     This evening our Christian Mothers Confraternity is holding their November meeting in our church hall.  At the meeting, I will be presenting a "new" gavel to the President as a gift.  Their gavel is nice, but small, and I happen to be in possession of a beautiful oak gavel that has a story attached, and which I am willing to part with in my efforts to slowly begin to downsize my "stuff".

 



     Here is the story:

     On Wednesday, November 14, 2007, at the invitation of my State Representative, Debra Kula and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I had the honor of leading the assembly in prayer for the opening of that day's session of the 191st Session of the General Assembly.  The House convened at 11:00 am that day.

     I was given a special guest parking pass in the Capital building and then escourted to the Speaker's Office.  After introductions with the then Speaker, Dennis M. O'Brien and his staff and guests, including that day the Hon. Dennis Hastert, the retiring Speaker of the House of the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, we waited for the Session to begin.  From the Office we formally processed into the Chambers led by the House Mace.  Speaker O'Brien called the House to order and then introduced me.  From the Legislative Journal:

"The SPEAKER.  The prayer will be offered by Father Leonard Stoviak, guest of Representative Kula.

FATHER LEONARD STOVIAK, Guest Chaplain of the House of Representatives, offered the following prayer:

Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let us pray:
     At the beginning of today's work, we pause as men and women of faith to humbly entrust ourselves and our work to the source of all that is, to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to the God that Jesus invites us to call Father, to the God that most acknowledge to be Lord.
     Unless we seek your wisdom, we stand inadequate to the tasks entrusted to us by the people of this Commonwealth.  So we ask for Your spirit to empower us with wisdom in our deliberations today.  We rejoice in Your love for us and in the trust that You and Your people have placed in us.  We embrace the trust and faith of these good people, who chose us, and pledge to do our best in serving the needs of all.  We are humbled by the responsibility, but strengthened and emboldened by their trust.
     Guide us today, and, gracious God, bless this great Commonwealth and her leaders, bless her people and their service to others, and bless, in a special way, this august legislative body and our special, honored guests today.
     In faith, hope, and love we pray.  Amen."

     What followed was the Pledge of Allegiance and the opening business, approval of the Journal, Roll Call, and introductyion of guests of the Assembly.  Among those guests, Speaker O'Brien introduced:

"The SPEAKER.  Also to the left of the Speaker we have Jane Stoviak, the sister of the guest Chaplain today, and Rhenee Kapr and her husband, Frank, sister and brother-in-law of Representative Kula.  Would you please stand and be recognized.  Welcome to the Chamber."

     It was a great morning and a wonderful experience, one that will live in my memory, and I hope that the Christian Mothers will use this new gavel well.