1. Pray for the mothers of America. Pray that they will teach their children to do right. Pray that they will look to the Bible for wisdom to do a good job. And be sure to thank your mother for all that she does for you.
2. Pray for President Bush and his family. He is traveling to Europe to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II. He will be meeting with the leaders of some of the countries that the United States helped make free again. Pray that God will give him safety and wisdom.
3. Pray for the men and women in our military who defend our country. Pray that God will keep them safe and bring them home soon to their own families. Pray for their families here in America that they will know God's peace.

Chaplain of the U.S. Senate— Rev. Barry Black

Chaplain Black portrait courtesy of the United States Senate.

Rev. Barry Black serves our nation as Chaplain of the United States Senate. Appointed in June 2003, Rear Admiral Barry C. Black (Ret.) served in the United States Navy for more than 27 years, ending his distinguished career as the Chief of Navy Chaplains.

Rev. Black opens each Senate session with prayer and makes himself available to the members of the Senate, their families and their staffs—that's a "congregation" of over 6,000 people. He works to assist them with their spiritual needs, providing counseling, Bible study and spiritual advice. On occasion Chaplain Black will be called on to advise senators on moral issues, researching from the Scriptures.

Barry Black was raised by a single mother in inner-city Baltimore, Maryland, and attended two historically black schools, Pine Forge Academy in Pennsylvania and Oakwood College in Alabama, on his way to becoming a preacher. As a pastor in North Carolina, he met a group of sailors who had driven miles to attend his church because there were no black chaplains on their naval base. This prompted Black to help with that need. Seeking to pursue military chaplaincy, he rose to the rank of Rear Admiral, commanding all the chaplains of the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard. After retiring from military service, he was called to ministry in the Senate.

Rev. Black is the first African-American, the first Seventh-day Adventist, and the first military chaplain to hold the office of chaplain to the United States Senate. He is the 62nd chaplain of the Senate, the first having been appointed in 1789. He is married and has three sons.

Chaplain of the House of Representatives— Rev. Daniel Coughlin

Rev. Daniel Coughlin is a Chicago born and bred priest, serving in the Catholic Church since he was ordained on May 3, 1960. He served a variety of parishes in the Chicago suburbs and in the city, including the magnificent Holy Name Cathedral. In 1984 Fr. Coughlin took a one-year sabbatical.

For five months he lived with the Trappist monks of Gethsemani Abbey in Kentucky and then worked with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta, India. (Can you think of another PPT leader we pray for who spent time with the Missionaries of Charity in Calcutta? Hover here to read.

After his sabbatical, Fr. Coughlin was a scholar-in-residence at North American College, Vatican City in Rome, Italy. Following those studies, he returned to Chicago and served in a parish, a retreat house and in the Archdiocese offices.

When it was time for Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert to find a new chaplain for his fellow congressmen and women, he asked Cardinal George of Chicago for help. Father Coughlin's name came up and he was approved. He was sworn in as the fifty-sixth Chaplain for the 106th Congress on March 23, 2000.

As Chaplain of the House, Father Coughlin has huge responsibilities to the many members of that body. He must exercise great sensitivity to the many diverse religious backgrounds represented in Congress. He also presides at many functions, offering prayer and counsel when needed.

Click HERE to see a photo of the inside of Holy Name Cathedral, Chicago, where Father Coughlin served in the 1960's.

Blessed be the name of the LORD forever and ever. Everywhere--from east to west--praise the name of the LORD. He gives the barren woman a home, so that she becomes a happy mother. Praise the LORD!
—Psalm 113:2-3, 9

Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline. Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don't neglect your mother's teaching. What you learn from them will crown you with grace and clothe you with honor.
—Proverbs 1:7-9

This photo of President Bush comes courtesy of the White House.

"No matter what direction life takes us, a mother's love and guidance are a tremendous blessing that help us to grow up as stable, responsible, and caring individuals. As nurturers, teachers, and protectors, mothers' unconditional affection helps their children to blossom into mature adults. In partnership with fathers, mothers play a critical role in building healthy families…Mothers who teach us right from wrong and to love our neighbors merit our deepest gratitude and appreciation."
--George W. Bush

Julia Ward Howe was one of the first people to work toward having Mother's Day become an official holiday. Photo courtesy of Library of Congress.

Aren't you glad that someone thought of having a day that lets moms know how special they are to us? Maybe you have been celebrating Mother's Day for years, but you never thought about how the holiday got started.

Like most holidays, it started with one person who had a great idea. Have you ever heard of Julia Ward Howe? She wrote the Battle Hymn of the Republic in 1861. She was a godly woman who wanted to be sure that our nation's mothers received recognition for the really great job they do! Ms. Howe held organized Mother's Day meetings in Boston, Massachusetts every year, just to get people thinking about how important mothers are to America.

In 1905 Anna Jarvis, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania began a campaign to establish Mother's Day on a national level. Anna had grown up hearing her own mother speak often about how much she wanted America to have a day set aside to honor mothers. Anna especially remembered one day in Sunday School class when she was 12 years old. Anna's mother had just finished a lesson on "Mothers of the Bible." She closed the lesson with a prayer that mothers would have a day honoring their hard work and contributions to our country. Anna never forgot that prayer.

It took her many years of work, but she accomplished her goal. She spoke with anyone who would listen to her idea for Mother's Day. She wrote hundreds of letters to legislators, executives, and businessmen on both state and national levels. She spoke to any groups who would have her, but mostly her words fell on deaf ears. Then one day, a famous businessman learned of her concern and agreed with her. Great merchant and philanthropist, John Wanamaker of Philadelphia gave her his influence and support, and Anna was finally on the way to seeing Mother's Day become a reality.

Anna Jarvis had to work very hard for many years to get people to understand the need for a holiday honoring mothers, but all her hard work paid off, and she was successful in seeing the holiday become an important part of American life. Photo courtesy of rootsweb.com.

Ms. Jarvis' movement grew and grew as more and more people came to understand that there should, indeed, be a day when children show their respect and love for their mothers. Anna's efforts bore success and by 1911, Mother's Day observances were happening across our country. On May 8, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution of the Congress making the second Sunday in May "Mother's Day" and requesting the president to call for its appropriate observance.