Dear Friends,
Christ’s peace be with you!
We continue to receive thousands of prayer requests from near and far relating to health issues. We, at the Monastery, humbly offer these petitions to the Lord, along with our own personal health petitions. The high cost of insurance, prescription drugs, and medical expenses requires special budgeting and management. Like any other household or institution, we do our best to minimize these cost by maintaining and encouraging a healthy lifestyle of a balanced diet, fasting, exercise, and prayer.
During Compline each night we always pray Psalm 90 song of trust in God. We hear the reassuring words of the psalmist: “You will not fear the terror of the night… nor the plague that prowls in the darkness, nor the scourge that lays waste at noon.” Never have these words been so more real to us than now!
At the time of the writing of this letter, here in the beautiful Chama Canyon, the members of our community remain COVID-19 free. We feel particularly blessed in this fact as many of our brothers are at high risk of contracting this disease, especially due to their advanced years. Although the monastery is currently closed to overnight guests, we still make essential trips to doctors outside of the cloister who provide excellent care to us. We are fortunate to also have our oblate brother Thomas Aquinas, who is a practicing Physician’s Assistant, regularly on hand to attend to our minor medical needs.
Since our ‘financial’ health has declined drastically as a result of the pandemic, our need for monetary assistance with our medical expenses remains acute at this time. Your donation to our medical appeal means more now than at any other previous time. Inevitably, it is part of human life that medical issues will constantly arise even while we pay attention to the state of our bodies and souls as we offer your and our prayers to God. If you are able to help us meet our medical expenses, please send a $10 gift, or more if you are able. We have set a target for this appeal to be finished this September 8th, the feast of the Birth of the Blessed Virgin Mary. You may donate at this link: www.christdesert.org/give/MD20 or by check to us at:
Monastery of Christ in Desert Development Office
P.O. Box 270,
Abiquiu, NM 87510
Many special blessings in the Lord, and thanks for your goodness to us,
Abbot Christian Leisy, OSB