Dear Friends of Mount Angel,

 This is the first letter I have written for the Mount Angel Letter as abbot. Elected by my community on July 6 and blessed by Archbishop Vlazny on September 24, I find myself somewhat daunted by this new task, wondering what I might say to you, our dear

friends. As I sit pondering the question, three things keep coming to mind: our heartfelt need for prayerful support; the national tragedies of this past month; and our hope in God's providential care.

In his first letter in August of 1980, my predecessor and friend, Abbot Bonaventure Zerr, wrote: "The Holy Rule of Saint Benedict advises the would-be disciple that he begin every good work by asking the help of God." He continues: "I request that you, dear reader, would add your prayers to my own and implore our heavenly Father to give his benediction to our community here at Mount Angel and in a special way to me"

When I apply to myself the words of St. Benedict about what an abbot "ought to be," I am humbled by my weaknesses in the face of such an awesome calling. Nevertheless, I begin my work as spiritual father of the Mount Angel community relying on the words of the Psalmist: "This poor one called out and the Lord was listening" (Ps 33).

As you know, the monks of Mount Angel pray each day for you and for the welfare of the whole world. Praying is the very heart of the monastic vocation and the greatest gift we can give to one another and to the world.

I am deeply grateful for any prayers that you might say for me and I will remember you in my Masses and daily prayers.

As our nation continues to experience shock and sadness over the terrorist attacks, I find myself as abbot wanting to offer some direction, however haltingly, in how our Christina faith can help us absorb this tragedy and be a vital contribution to our fellow citizens at this time.

We may feel overwhelmed by the scale of the tragedy, but this does not mean we are powerless. The monastic tradition teaches us to put our faith in prayer as a supreme contribution to the good of the world. Sometimes, in tragedy, when we don't know what else to do, we say we will pray. But what does this mean?

Prayer is a work. We must invest our time in it, and while we are praying we must let it change our hearts. We must intercede before God with insistence for the salvation of the world and for its safety and peace. In the present situation prayer requires the Christian to confront this evil with the power of Christ's victory over sin and death. This does not happen in a flash. It is an ongoing work, a labor of love for the world.

Why should we confront this evil with prayer? During his passion the heart of Christ already absorbed the evils we are experiencing. But death did not swallow Christ up. He was completely victorious, raised up in that very body that overcame all the world's evils: past, present, and future. In prayer we enter into his heart and from there gaze upon the world, "filling up in our own flesh what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ (Col 1:24) and so participating with him in the sorrowing love and forgiveness that wins the whole world's redemption.

Contemplating what the Apostle Paul calls "the mystery of lawlessness" (2 Thes-salonians 2:7), we discover that there is no evil in the world in which we are not somehow implicated. Our own sins as individuals and as a nation have contributed to the conflagration so stunningly ignited and displayed before all the world on September 11. This display stands as an urgent call to repentance on the part of America and of the world. Such repentance happens heart by heart, each of us arriving at a personal sense of what St. Paul experienced: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and of these I am the foremost" (1 Timothy 1:1:16).

This national tragedy as well as the personal trials and limitations we experi-ence daily can threaten to diminish our hope in God's providential care. However, it is the work of Christians to possess a lively hope and a joyful expectation of God's goodness to be revealed in our lives and in our world. It is with firm faith that we monks of Mount Angel Abbey continue our planning for the future.

Mount Angel Abbey is a center of spiritual renewal and a sign of stability and hope for many people. With this in mind, we are working to renew our facilities so that the monastery, seminary, theological library, and retreat house will continue to serve the needs of an increasing number of seminarians, friends, and pilgrims. To do this we need many friends who share our vision of hope in a God-centered future for our selves and the whole world. I invite you to take part in this renewal by praying for us and with us and by supporting our work in whatever way you are able.

Mother of God, Queen of Peace and Hope of Christians, guide us to your holy Son.

           May the Lord bless and keep you!

                                           Abbot Nathan