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THE VICE1 PRESIDENT: Well, thank you all for being here today. And welcome to the White House, and a belated happy Easter -- this time of the year when we celebrate renewal2 and we reflect on the faith that brings us together.
For me, the essence of my faith is tolerance3: not being judgmental about people of different faiths. When I was in Rome a few weeks ago, Pope Francis spoke4 movingly in his homily about our commitments to each other, not just as people of faith, but, he went on to say, but as human beings.
I grew up in a tradition of Catholic social doctrine5, and I was incredibly impressed by His Holiness’s homily, his sense of social justice. But I believe his message reads something essential about all faiths, and that is ultimately we all believe that we have a responsibility to one another and we all are our brothers’ and our sisters’ keepers.
When it comes down to it, we all know that we’re connected by much more than divides us, although the focus is always on what divides us. As we move forward as a nation, I do believe we’re going to be judged on how we answer that call -- that call of moral responsibility, to whether we stand up for those who have the least among us, whether we act on their behalf.
And one of the things that I think at least the President and I believe has been the essence of this administration is the most animating6 principle of the administration has been just that: to look out for the least among us. Those are the values that I know that the President -- and I personally know -- the President holds extremely close to his heart.
So I’d like to introduce to you now, my friend, and our President, President Barack Obama. (Applause.)
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. (Applause.) Thank you so much. Everybody, please have a seat. Thank you.
THE PRESIDENT: Welcome, once again, to the White House. It is always wonderful to see so many friends from all across the country. I want to thank you for joining us today. I want to thank everybody for their prayers, but, most importantly, I want to thank everybody for their good works through your ministries7. It's making a difference in communities all across this nation, and we could not be more proud to often have a chance to work with you.
To all the pastors8 in the house, I hope you’ve enjoyed some well-deserved rest after a very busy Holy Week. I see some chuckles9, so maybe not. (Laughter.) Here at the White House, I’m pleased to say that we survived yet another Easter Egg Roll. (Laughter.)
Now, if you’ve been to this breakfast before, you know that I always try to avoid preaching in front of people who do it for a living. That's sound advice. So this morning, I'm just going to leave the sermon to others and offer maybe a few remarks as we mark this -- the end of this Easter season.
In these sacred days, those of us as Christians10 remember the tremendous sacrifice Jesus made for each of us –- how, in all His humility11 and His grace, He took on the sins of the world and extended the gift of salvation12. And we recommit ourselves to following His example –- to loving the Lord our God with all our hearts and all our souls and with all our minds, and to loving our neighbors as ourselves.
That’s the eternal spirit of Easter. And this year, I had -- I think was particularly special for me because right before Easter I had a chance to feel that spirit during my trip to the Holy Land. And I think so many of you here know there are few experiences more powerful or more humbling13 than visiting that sacred earth.
It brings Scripture14 to life. It brings us closer to Christ. It reminds us that our Savior, who suffered and died was resurrected, both fully15 God and also a man; a human being who lived, and walked, and felt joy and sorrow just like us.
And so for Christians to walk where He walked and see what He saw are blessed moments. And while I had been to Jerusalem before, where Jesus healed the sick, and cured the blind, and embraced the least of these, I also had a chance to go to the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. And those of you who have been there know that entering the church is a remarkable16 experience, although it is a useful instruction to see how managing different sections of the church and different clergy17 -- it feels familiar. (Laughter.) Let’s just put it that way. (Laughter.)
And as I approached the Altar of the Nativity, as I neared the 14-pointed Silver Star that marks the spot where Christ was born, the Patriarch of Jerusalem welcomed me to, in his words, “the place where heaven and Earth met.”
And there, I had a chance to pray and reflect on Christ’s birth, and His life, His sacrifice, His Resurrection. I thought about all the faithful pilgrims who for two thousand years have done the same thing -- giving thanks for the fact that, as the book of Romans tells us, “just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”
I thought of the poor and the sick who seek comfort, and the marginalized and the forsaken18 who seek solace19, and the grateful who merely seek to offer thanks for the simple blessings20 of this life and the awesome21 glory of the next. I thought of all who would travel to this place for centuries to come and the lives they might know.
And I was reminded that while our time on Earth is fleeting22, He is eternal. His life, His lessons live on in our hearts and, most importantly, in our actions. When we tend to the sick, when we console those in pain, when we sacrifice for those in need, wherever and whenever we are there to give comfort and to guide and to love, then Christ is with us.
So this morning, let us pray that we’re worthy23 of His many blessings, that this nation is worthy of His many blessings. Let us promise to keep in our hearts, in our souls, in our minds, on this day and on every day, the life and lessons of Christ, our Lord.
And with that, I’d like to ask Father Larry Snyder to deliver our opening prayer.
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1
vice
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| n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的 | |
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2
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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3
tolerance
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| n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差 | |
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4
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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animating
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| v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命 | |
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ministries
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| （政府的）部( ministry的名词复数 )； 神职； 牧师职位； 神职任期 | |
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pastors
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| n.（基督教的）牧师( pastor的名词复数 ) | |
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chuckles
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的名词复数 ) | |
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Christians
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| n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 ) | |
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humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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12
salvation
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| n.（尤指基督）救世，超度，拯救，解困 | |
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humbling
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| adj.令人羞辱的v.使谦恭( humble的现在分词 )；轻松打败（尤指强大的对手）；低声下气 | |
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scripture
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| n.经文，圣书，手稿；Scripture:(常用复数)《圣经》，《圣经》中的一段 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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fleeting
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| adj.短暂的，飞逝的 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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