Generally, an invocation comes at the beginning and a benediction at the end of something, such as a service. The word invocation has Latin ancestors in invocare, meaning "to invoke." An invocation is a petition for support or help or a supplication. When capitalized, the way it was Inauguration Day, an Invocation often is a call for the divine presence. A benediction expresses good wishes, a blessing. It has ancestors in the Latin phrase bene dicere, meaning "to speak well or to praise." It is often, but not necessarily, associated with prayer.