- Well, thank you very much.

On this Good Friday, Christiansfrom all around the world

remember the sufferingand death upon the cross

of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ,

and Easter Sunday, we will celebrate

his glorious resurrection.

At this holy time, our nation is engaged

in a battle like neverbefore, the invisible enemy.

Our brave doctors, nurses, and responders,

first responders, responders of all,

are fighting to save lives.

Our workers are racing to delivercritical medical supplies.

Our best scientists areworking around the clock

to develop lifesaving therapeutics,

and I think they're doingreally well in doing so.

Our people are makingtremendous sacrifices

to end this pandemic.

Though we will not beable to gather together

with one another as wenormally would on Easter,

we can use this sacred time to focus

on prayer, reflection, and growing

in our personal relationship with God.

So important.

I ask all Americans to praythat God will heal our nation,

to bring comfort tothose who are grieving,

to give strength to the doctors, nurses,

and healthcare workers, torestore health to the sick,

and to renew the hope inevery person who is suffering.

Our nation will comethrough like never before.

I thank the many familieswho have prayed for me

and for my family, andyour prayers are felt,

and I am forever grateful.

I'd like to thank our great Vice President

and his wonderful wife,

who we all know very well, Karen,

for the incredible job theydo and for their service,

not only to the country,

but for their service to God.

Almost 3000 years ago, the Prophet Isaiah

wrote these words,"Darkness covers the Earth,

"but the Lord rises upon you,

"and His glory appears over you,

"for the Lord will beyour everlasting light."

As our nation battles the invisible enemy,

we reaffirm that Americansbelieve in the power of prayer.

We give thanks for the majesty of creation

and for the gift of eternal life,

and we place our trust inthe hands of Almighty God.

I'd like to just wisheverybody a very Happy Easter.

We're going to be celebrating

that very, very special day,

and it's going to be,hopefully, a very good weekend

and a very productive weekend.

And I want to thank everybodyin our country and beyond

for all they've had to put up with.

184 countries, as of this morning,

are fighting this enemy

and we pray for them all.

With that, I'd like to introduce

Bishop Harry Jackson from Maryland,

a highly respected gentleman

who is a member of our faith

and a person that we havetremendous respect for.

Bishop, please.

- Thank you, Mr. President.

First of all, let me say thankyou for the job you're doing,

you and the Vice President,to protect our nation.

And you've included thechurches in the relief efforts.

Many churches would have had to close down

had it not been for yourinsightful leadership.

So thank you both very much.

- Thank you, Bishop.- Good Friday,

as we prepare to pray,

is one of the darkest daysin the Christian faith

in that Christ stood

in substitution for our sin.

But the resurrection is our victory.

But it parallels with the Passover.

I'm gonna read two versesand pray out of them

about what we want to have happen.

We want this plague to pass over.

We want everyone in America to be safe.

Psalm 105 says, "Hebrought them out without--

"with gold, silver and gold,

"and there was nonefeeble among His tribes."

Verse 39 goes on to say, "Hespread a cloud for covering,

"and fire to give light in the night."

Let us pray.

Lord, let the death angel pass over.

Let there be a mitigation ofthis plague, this disease.

Let medical science come forth.

Lord, let us come outwith a thriving economy,

that silver and goldspoken of in that passage,

let it be our portion.

And then, God, as we faceother challenges in the future,

Lord cover us with a cloud by day

and a fire by night.

But in this great land that wasset up to glorify your name,

we want to break, we comeagainst the spirit of division.

Lord, let e pluribusunum be a reality in us.

Let there be a uniting of America.

Heal the divide between race,

class, and gender.

Once again, give thisgreat man, our President,

and give the Vice President wisdom

beyond their natural limitations.

Give them insights so they can cover us,

lead us, and bless us.

We bless them and America in Jesus' name.

Be encouraged.

Hope is on the way.

Amen.

- Thank you, Bishop. That's beautiful.

- Thank you, my friend.- Thank you very much.

That was a great honor.