Dear Friends of Mount Angel Abbey:

As I write, the great solemnity of Pentecost is approaching and following it, Trinity Sunday. Pentecost celebrates the birth of the Church when the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles gathered in the upper room. Not only did each person gathered in Jerusalem that weekend hear the apostles speak in his or her own language, the Holy Spirit called into being the great diversity of ministries and gifts we so appreciate in the Church today.

We learn from the feast of Pentecost that the Church did not come into existence simply because the faithful gathered together; rather, the Church came into existence and is sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit. The ministries and the individual gifts people offer as service to others are those the Holy Spirit has given us. They are not our doing. Each of us contributes an open mind and a heart and a willingness to be of service to the community of the Church in the way the Holy Spirit calls us. Mother Teresa reminded us that it was not "success" that the Lord required but "faithfulness".

One of the realities modern Americans grapple with regarding the call to serve in the Church and one that even touches the very the meaning of the Church, is that of community. Why is the ecclesial community essential? It is sometimes hard to believe that something bigger than ourselves or our individual lives can be worth devoting time and attention to. Yet we learn from the celebration of Trinity Sunday that our very nature is fulfilled only in community, in communion with the Triune God and with one another. We were created to spend eternity sharing the life of the Holy Trinity together. This life is perfect communion. One might conclude that it is only when we are drawn out of our self-focused world that we can achieve the kind of happiness and spiritual joy we so ardently desire.

Secondly, today, when there is so much attention placed on the sins of a few priests and other Church officials, it is important to remember that the Church has always been made up of sinners. We only have to think of St. Peter and Judas.

Nothing can ever excuse the appalling sins of child abuse and sexual misconduct throughout our society, but these instances of sin do not mean that the Church is less "full of grace". The Holiness of the Church depends first of all on the Holy Spirit. The Church will endure and continue to do good things despite &endash; or maybe because of &endash; the demand for greater accountability and holiness in our time.

All of us, whether priest, religious, monk, layman or laywoman must strive to live our Christian lives with integrity. God's grace makes that possible. I am reminded of the word of St. Francis to his followers when he sent them to evangelize: "Go and preach the Gospel, and use words if you must." May the Good Lord lead us all to greater holiness of life.

                                           Abbot Nathan