59th National Prayer Breakfast – May 7, 2024

Blogger Note: see Transcript below.  I was taken aback when the PM got political ..usually in my experience they just read the passage they came to proclaim. But a majestic rebuttal from the leader of the opposition nail the issue.

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The National Prayer Breakfast is an annual event held in Ottawa under the authority of the speakers of the Senate and the House of Commons on behalf of the Parliamentary Prayer Breakfast Group. Speaking at the event are Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre,

 

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Transcript 

at the 35th minutes Intro Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

at the 48th minute the Leader of His Majesty's Loyal  opposition Pierre Poilivre 

 The PM 

35:29

so without further Ado we call upon the prime minister to come and bring greetings at this time

35:37

[Applause]

35:59

National Chief Cindy thank you so much uh for being here for speaking us starting us off with a land

36:05

acknowledgement uh but also with a beautiful beautiful rendition of the Lord's Prayer by uh by Elders by your

36:12

parents uh in annab um thank you to the Musicians um

36:18

Richard Paul for getting us on our feet early in the morning uh but also looking

36:23

forward to Natalie and Bernie and all the other performances we're going to have here but mostly thank you all for

36:31

gathering in faith but also in optimism in these challenging times when we need

36:37

to pull together build a better world it's been important to me to join you

36:46

here since as you said back when Elizabeth May and I were the only party leaders regularly coming to this uh

36:54

breakfast it's a moment of thoughtful reflection prayer for me um I don't talk

37:01

an awful lot about my faith as you all know but um my father raised me to read the Bible

37:10

every week as a family um saying our prayers almost every night together uh

37:16

my faith grounds me in a way that is um real but quiet for me and it is always a

37:25

nice moment to be able to share in this place of service that Ottawa

37:33

is with others who are reflecting on the same same sorts of things this year's

37:39

theme is Bridge Over Troubled Waters and as all of you know there is a lot of uncertainty in the world right now we

37:46

see conflicts and division young people are worried about their future whether

37:51

it's due to the rising costs of living or the impacts of climate change in the face of ad iversity our Christian faith

37:59

can serve as a strong bridge that carries us over the troubled waters of

38:04

uncertainty our Bridge through these challenging times must be paved with

38:10

optimism and built with the resilience that comes from hard work

38:33

[Music]

38:55

we're working hard to make sure everyone has a a fair chance at success knowing that when we Elevate each other and

39:01

support each other it provides an opportunity for God's gifts to shine

39:06

within each and every one of us in our quest to navigate through these tumultuous times the Beatitudes

39:14

from Matthew serve as a moral compass providing us with a path forward in good

39:19

times as well as in challenging

39:25

times when Jesus saw the crowd s he went up the mountain and after he sat down

39:31

his disciples came to him then he began to speak and taught them

39:38

saying blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of

39:45

Heaven blessed are those who mourn for they will be

39:51

comforted blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth

39:57

blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be

40:04

filled blessed are the merciful so they will receive

40:10

Mercy blessed are the pure of heart for they will see

40:15

God blessed are the peacemakers for they are called children of God blessed are

40:22

those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven blessed are you when

40:30

people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you

40:36

falsely on my account rejoice and be glad for your

40:43

reward is great in heaven for in the same way they persecuted the prophets

40:49

who were before you the gospel of the Lord

40:54

merci thank you 

41:04 

 

The LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION 

 

  I want to say that I'm so thankful that as soon as I ask and since he's become the leader of

48:46

the official opposition every time that I have asked and said leader would you

48:52

be willing to be part of the National Prayer Breakfast there's not a hesitation in immediately he says yes I

48:58

want to be there put me down and we are so honored that the leader of his Majesty's L opposition The Honorable

49:05

Pierre PV is coming at this time to share brief remarks as well would you welcome The Honorable Pierre

49:12

[Applause]

49:21

PV when I first came to the National Prayer Breakfast it was about 400

49:28

people that was 20 years ago and then Richard bragon came

49:34

along and he took the words from the scriptures go forth and multiply

49:40

literally and here we are with 1300 people a testament to his incredible

49:46

ability to bring people together from all backgrounds to Worship the Lord thank you Peter thank you

49:55

Richard and u i was just talking with the Grand Chief as we looked out at the

50:00

audience during the incredible music and we looked at the various degrees of

50:07

enthusiasm and were able to determine which in the room were catholic

50:13

Presbyterian and Anglican and which are Evangelical and Pentecostal it's very

50:19

evident wouldn't you agree now you might be wondering why all the politicians are at

50:26

the front being recognized in name and uh some might be confused into

50:34

thinking that's because we're the most important in reality it's because we're the ones in the room most in need of

50:40

redemption um and um leadership does

50:47

indeed require humility as Proverbs said Pride goes

50:55

Before Destruction a hot spirit before the fall and Faith requires humility

51:03

especially from leaders and Faith requires humility in that it is a

51:10

universally powerful concept that is bigger than any

51:16

one of us I think of the grand Chief's mother

51:22

Loretta reading the Lord's Prayer in an ancient language Anish naabi of course

51:30

first it was spoken in Aramaic by Jesus and then it was translated into the

51:37

scriptural classical Greek and then it has been spoken in

51:42

languages all around the world but always with one universal message bigger

51:48

than any one language any one people and certainly any one

51:54

person for me my my faith intersects with my political values in

52:00

one particular area and that is the value of free will God gave adam free will you can see

52:10

this on the ceiling of the sine Chaple in the creation of Adam where God's hand

52:16

literally reaches out in attempt to touch the hand of man and behind it is

52:21

what is the shape of a human brain and inside that brain are a number of car

52:27

and in that moment God handed free will to man and said now you are free to do

52:34

as you wish he will judge later on but in the meantime man is free to do good or evil

52:42

man is free to decide for himself and surely if God can give free will to the

52:48

people we political leaders must give the same we must have the humility to

52:55

give up control

53:02

the word minister in the church is actually the same meaning root meaning

53:08

as minister in politics the root meaning of it is

53:14

servant prime minister therefore is not first Master it is first

53:21

servant the people of course in a democratic system are the Masters

53:26

they choose the commoners who Grant and withdraw hopefully withdraw at some

53:33

point in the not too distant future the confidence uh that allows the ministers

53:39

to serve and that service is always rendered with the people on top and the

53:46

servants in leadership on the bottom and then the relationship is between people

53:52

and their God free from any coercion that princip principle requires

53:58

us as Leaders to have humility and humility is what takes us over the

54:03

troubled waters because just as in politics one has to give up

54:10

control if one wants to be relieved of the anxiety and the tumultuous stresses of

54:19

life one again has to give up control and accept that God is in charge

54:26

and that he will chart your path and the

54:32

the way will be made straight for you and nowhere was this message more

54:38

beautifully passed on during the life of Jesus then in

54:45

Mark 4:35 Jesus calms

54:51

storm it says on that day when evening had come

54:58

he said to them let us go out across to the other side and leaving the crowd

55:05

they took him with them in the boat just as he was and other Boats were with him

55:12

and a great Windstorm arose and the and the waves were breaking into the boat so

55:18

that the boat was already filling but he was in the stern asleep on the

55:25

cushion and they woke they woke him and said to him teacher do you not care that

55:31

we are perishing and he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the

55:37

Sea peace be still and the wind ceased and there was

55:44

a great calm and he said to them why are you so afraid have you no faith and they

55:52

were filled with great fear and said to one another who is this that even the wind and the

56:01

Sea obey him in other translations it's the wind and the

56:07

waves the wind the cause the waves the

56:14

effect God is able to calm the cause and the effect of the

56:22

troubled waters in our lives it reminds us [Applause]

56:31

yes it was not a new message those on the boat who would have

56:37

been schooled in the earlier scriptures of the Psalms would have

56:44

remembered when Jesus when God said before the time of Jesus be still and

56:51

know that I am God this is now a refrain

56:57

used in meditations all around the world be still and know that he is God Be

57:05

Still the winds and the waves and calm the waters bring Tranquility to each

57:12

soul and peace to The World God bless thank

57:24