Opening Prayer of Senator-Judge Ralph G. Recto
at the Impeachment Trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona

We seek your blessing O Lord so today we will only hear:

The facts not the fable;
The truth not the trickery;
The authentic, not the alibis.

We ask you Heavenly Father to enlighten those who will speak here today, so they will:

Impress us with their honesty, and not indulge us with their evasion;
Gain our respect with their candor, and not lose it through their excuses;
Clarify our doubts, instead of adding to our confusion.

We beseech you Dear God to guide those who sit in judgement today, so we will :

Be curious without being caustic; Be inquisitive without being insulting; Be probing without being hurtful.

We plead to you Our Master to grant the bigger jury out there with the wisdom so they will be able:

To witness the proceedings with kindness in their hearts, and fairness on their minds;
To erase their biases and embrace the thought that judgement should be put on hold until the accused has been heard;
To know the important from the immaterial;
To discern the substantial from the subterfuge.

Guide us as we search for the truth. And when, with your grace, we find it, then be assured:

The truth shall not make us mad.
The truth shall not make us miserable.
The truth shall set us free.