Introduction

Humility and Gratitude are two very distinct features found in the spiritual profile of the Venerable Servant of God Brother Meinrad Eugster (1848-1925). For our first theme of the commemorative year of 2025 celebrating the first centennial of Brother Meinrad’s death day, Frater Meinrad M. Hoetzel chose those two virtues so particular to this Brother.

Reading from Ephesian 5, 15- 21

“Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise, making the most of the opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not continue in ignorance, but try to understand what is the will of the Lord. And do not get drunk on wine, in which lies debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and playing to the Lord in your hearts. Giving thanks always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God the Father. Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ”.

Reflections

Brother Meinrad’ s letters were almost always signed off by saying “Your grateful Brother Meinrad”. To always be grateful is precisely what the “Letter to the Ephesians” exhorts us, to simply say thank you to God for all He does for us. But does this sound like something worthwhile to strive for? To be always grateful is not easy. What do we say when we receive a gift? How often do we hear parents admonishing their children thus “What do you say when someone gives you a gift?” To be grateful is something parents have to train and enforce in their children. And how about us adults? How often is it difficult for us to thank someone, for example, in a situation where somebody did us what they thought to be a favor, when in reality it had the opposite effect? Or, if having to give thanks to some complacent and self-satisfied person makes us feel humiliated and denigrated? 

We do know about Brother Meinrad that he truly gave thanks in all circumstances, even if a superior or another monk was curt or unkind towards him in the Refectory, or if he made mistakes in his daily work. Is this kind of gratitude a true form of gratitude, or is it forced and therefore artificial? Does not this kind of submissive behavior encourage situations where power will be abused by others, instead of pointing mistakes out simply for what they are, instead of forcing others to act according to someone else’s expectations? Is this not exactly why the traditionally practiced submission to the Church and her authorities, expected to be obeyed by any and all within society for centuries, is nowadays more and more put into question? What do we feel when we read “Be subordinate to one another out of reverence for Christ”? So from our current-day perspective, is it not totally outdated, and perhaps even dangerous to live Brother Meinrad’s way of gratitude, and to imitate him?
Even his Confreres were often bewildered by his quiet and passive acceptance of the frequent and lengthy tirades of Brother Refectorian, for which he even seemed to be grateful! But when it could no longer be overlooked that this particular Brother was suffering from a grave illness, Brother Meinrad was the only one who could approach this suffering Brother and understand and accompany him in his bitterness until his final release through death. Brother Meinrad showed his gratitude, his humility and his courage to truly serve by doing this. By his courage to approach another human being in his most challenging and difficult times with such devotion, he filled many a moment of deep suffering with moments of joy for this quite difficult Brother. At the same time he made it possible for himself to see even this most recalcitrant of a Confrere in a positive light, no matter how unintended on that brother’s part. It would seem that this is truly practicing what the “Letter to the Ephesians” requires of us, and how to live life where also in bad times we can still truly thank the Lord with all our hearts and show Him gratitude. This kind of attitude leads, according even to modern psychology, not only to a closer relationship with God, but also to a deeper caring for each other in various relationships, as well as maintaining a positive view of our world and a personal sense of contentment and overall better mental health. So instead of accusing Brother Meinrad of supporting undue self-denial and ignorance of potentially damaging power-structures, we observe instead his highly developed sense of caring for others within his surroundings. Being led by this attitude towards others did not only benefit his Confreres, it also benefitted his own soul. Of course Brother Meinrad is a man of a different century, and his story is a witness to power-structures intended to facilitate controlling others, which are no longer appropriate in our times. Yet it also remains true then as today, when we encounter others who are difficult to deal with not to harshly respond to them, or become defensive. Instead we should respond with humility and gratitude, and seek mutually beneficial resolutions to the issues of daily life together. 

These very attitudes and behaviors are particularly noticeable in the letters Brother Meinrad left behind. He counseled others frequently to practice the virtues of gratitude and humility. He offered this “canon” as a guiding rule for one of his nieces, who entered the Dominican Nuns in Cazis, Switzerland. It was a particular desire of his to pass on the importance of these virtues to younger people, which he felt to be the proper orientation needed for a successful life. He tied his perceptions firmly together with his views of true humility, which today are often seen as problematic terminology, instead of his description of the virtues they actually are. For example, one of his letters to his niece states “If the cloistered life should prove to be your true vocation, may you then grow into becoming a good and loving Sister, and as a spouse of the most precious Bridegroom Jesus Christ, offer yourself to be a living sacrifice by giving yourself entirely to Him with total humility, and live only to keep your vows, so that the day will come when you receive your share of the heavenly and everlasting reward”. 

This can easily be misunderstood as leading to ones total abasement and self-immolation. But when reading more of his letter, his counsel reveals the true depths and its contours when he says “May you become a worthy imitator of your Patron Saint [St. Mary Magdalene], and like her, in your mind, throw yourself down at the foot of His Holy Cross to thank Him for His love, for His mercy, and thank Him for enduring His bitter sufferings and death on that cross of shame. Thank Him, Who has redeemed us from eternal death, and Who has opened up Heaven for those who love Him, and pick up their daily crosses with patience and consecrate themselves entirely to Him. Oh St. Magdalene, may you, who so loved your Lord and God, intercede for us for an increase of our own love for God and Neighbor, and for perseverance until our own death, so that we may die in holy love and be united at the feet of our Bridegroom, where we can embrace Him and love Him in eternal bliss”. Looking at this example of St. Mary Magdalene he cites, this self-sacrificing humility no longer appears to be an outdated virtue, rather it shows itself to be the true mark of love for Jesus Christ, and that it stems from gratitude for His own sacrifice for the sake of us humans. 

For Brother Meinrad, one of the most distinct attributes defining Christ Himself, is the humility of Christ. In another letter he wrote that “At Christmas, the Love of God and the Salvation of the World return once again to replenish us with Humility and Love, and to restore Divine Peace and to prepare us for everlasting joy”. Thus he is telling us that first and foremost God took on the form of Jesus Christ to appear to us and thereby revealing His own humility. He wants to teach us to lead a life lived in faith and closeness to Him, which will lead us ultimately to eternal life with Him in Heaven. 

This means for us humans to live humbly, and adopt God’s way by living together in that same manner and continue to do so. We humans are only able to achieve this thanks to that Divine Sacrifice and by the example of Jesus Christ, Who had set that heavenly example when he lived clothed in His own human flesh. Brother Meinrad expressed this beautifully when he stated that “Our loving God left us with the most beautiful example of what humility really is. He sacrificed Himself for all of mankind, even for those who were His mortal enemies, and who crucified Him, as well as for all of us sinners. With this act of selfless and total love, he showed us how to imitate Him by living in humility and meekness”. If we follow this example, Brother Meinrad assures us that this will allow us to not just lead a life that we think is pleasing to God, but might ultimately actually damage us by only serving ourselves. But God will lead us instead to a life of fullness and joy not only after our death, but already in the here and now. 

Looking at all of this, we might understand and perceive the deeper aspects of what it means to subordinate ourselves to each other in our mutually shared fear of Christ, as we read in the above  passage of the “Letter to the Ephesians”. To recognize that Christ gave Himself up for all of mankind, including ourselves, should render in us a strong feeling of deep reverence and veneration for this overwhelming and all-encompassing Love of God for all human beings. In the light of this reality, one cannot help oneself but bursting out into praise, joy and jubilation and most of all, gratitude. But gratitude would have a poor aftertaste if this overflowing of Divine Grace was to be viewed as only applicable to one’s own self, and therefore only one’s own redemption. Instead our gratitude has to include each and every single human being we encounter and thanking God that they were all given to us by God as co-redeemed, and co-loved brothers and sisters in Christ. If we are able to detect glimpses of Eternity and Divine Love in our neighbors, we understand better why Brother Meinrad was always able to thank God for everything and everyone he met in the name of Jesus Christ, and that this gratitude did not narrow his own sense of happiness and bliss, but it was his very expression of how happy and blissful he always felt himself to be. 

Thoughts about “Humility and Gratitude” for the first Brother Meinrad Day, January 14th, 2025, by: Frater Meinrad M. Hoetzel, O.S.B.

Introduction

The second edition of Thoughts about the life of the Venerable Servant of God, Brother Meinrad Eugster is titled “Sanctification through Work and Daily Life”. Since Frater Meinrad M. Hoetzel focused on the two virtues of Humility and Gratitude in his first contribution of last month’s Thoughts, both of which were very specific to Brother Meinrad, I am now focusing in this second edition of Thoughts for the Centennial of the death of Brother Meinrad in 2025 on his approach how to work towards sanctification in his daily life. But first, let us take a look at Scripture.

Reading: Genesis 1,31- 2,3

God looked at everything He had made, and found it very good. Evening came, and morning followed- the sixth day. Thus Heaven and Earth were completed with all their array. On the seventh day, God had completed the work He had been doing. He rested on the seventh day after all the work He had been doing. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on that day God rested after all His work of creating. 

Reflections

Dear Brothers and Sisters! During his 50 years as a Lay-Brother of the Benedictine Abbey of Einsiedeln, Brother Meinrad Eugster perceived that the path leading to holiness, was choosing the path of work, prayer, and contemplation, and he followed it without compromise. Father Thomas Juengt once chose the title of one of his books accordingly by naming it “The Workday Saint”. This trait of following with no compromise spells the very definition of how Brother Meinrad lived his life. I want to follow this aspect of his personality here for a little while, and I am inviting our readers to visualize Brother Meinrad at work. 
At this point, let us start with a review of the work- life of Brother Meinrad.

Upon completion of Primary School, the young Josef Gebhard Eugster began to work in a local textile mill to contribute to the support of his family, and the studies of his brothers. He also worked at the Rist- Bakery in Altstaetten for a while. At age 16, thanks to the efforts by his good mother, he was able to start his apprenticeship as a tailor in Altstaetten, for which he took his qualification- finals in 1866. In April of 1867, he began the then customary tour as a Journeyman, which led him to Rapperswil, Rorschach, and Feldkirch. At the beginning of 1873, Josef Gebhard arrived at the Abbey of Einsiedeln, where he was employed in the tailor shop during his Candidacy for potential Admission into the Abbey as a monk. On September 5th of 1874 he was invested as a Novice, and  he chose Meinrad as his monastic name. Exactly one year later, he took his Simple Vows. At the High Feast of the second Patron of the Abbey Church of Einsiedeln, St. Mauritius, on September 22, 1878, he made his Final Profession. 

During the first few years in the monastic community, Brother Meinrad continued working in his profession in the Abbey’s tailor shop, which was to be his home for almost five decades. Next to this principal occupation, he also served in various other capacities, which is customary in religious life. He served as sub- sacristan from 1877- 1880 in the Abbey Church, and during those years he witnessed a major rise in Pilgrimage Groups arriving at the Abbey, thanks to the newly built railroad from Waedenswil to Einsiedeln. 

Filled with zeal, and marked with a deep devotion to the Eucharist, Brother Meinrad seemed to be a natural to serve as a sacristan, and serving in the House of God was his greatest joy and fulfilment. But the Vow of Obedience soon claimed its first sacrifice. His beloved service as sub- sacristan was halted and he was assigned to work in the Vestiarium (Vestiary) instead.

During the course of the next 40 years, Brother Meinrad served in the Vestiary of the Abbey, managing a veritable collection of all kinds of items for the daily use of the monks. There were various pieces of clothing, shoes, umbrellas, hats, suitcases and many more articles. All of these items were accessories and were to some degree ancillary to the work of a tailor, which Brother Meinrad continued during all those many years. But the tailor shop and the vestiary were not located in the same building, which presented a challenge, as did the many demands and wishes of his external Confreres, serving in parishes, Convents, or managing the properties of the Abbey, which took up a lot of his time. He would have to collect and send the items wanted to the particular locations to which those Brethren we assigned. Having to spend so much time on those extra tasks, caused the needs of the monks at the Abbey to be somewhat neglected and having to wait long periods for repairs of their own clothing and habits, which irritated them, and caused Brother Meinrad much anxiety and embarrassment. 

Brother Meinrad also served for a time as manservant in the cell of the Subprior. He was responsible for its cleaning, as well as for other services. But next to the short term as sub- sacristan for the Abbey Church, and the almost 50 years in the tailor shop, there was one more task, which was most likely also the most difficult and most painful one. He served for many years as assistant to the Brother in charge of the Refectory, where the monks gather for their meals. Brother Refectorian suffered from a chronic condition and was therefore chronically irritable and belligerent, and he took his ire out on Brother Meinrad, often for no reason at all. By how he was coping with this difficult Brother, the true virtue of Brother Meinrad revealed itself most visible in that he did not respond in kind to the mean treatment he constantly endured. Rather he understood that it was his chronic and severe sufferings which made his Confrere so unpalatable, and he served him always with courtesy and brotherly love, regardless of the cost to himself. When Brother Refectorian lay on his deathbed, he only allowed Brother Meinrad to tend to him, and only wanted him to spend time sitting at his bedside to pray and comfort him. Brother Meinrad surrounded the dying monk with all of his love and brotherly care until the end. 

His immense zeal for his work suffered a setback in 1896, when he was diagnosed with severe pneumonia. He came close to his own death and he even received The Last Sacraments. While a veritable “kill or cure” treatment, applied by the valiant Infirmarian- Brothers finally brought about the turn needed for his healing, He never fully regained the same robust and vigorous degree of health he always enjoyed prior to this bout of serious illness. But this did not dampen his zeal in the least.  Only in his last years of life, between 1921- 1925, and already marked by a steady decline, did the industrious and diligent Brother Tailor lay down his heavy workload. But even then, he continued to take on small tasks he was still able to complete.

This review of his manifold tasks shows just how strongly work, interspersed with his faithful prayer-life as a Lay-Monk of the Benedictine Abbey of Our Lady of Einsiedeln, marked the day-to-day life of Brother Meinrad. He was well acquainted with the stresses of hard work and the realization that not all expectations others placed upon him could be met. But he always remained pleasant and ready to serve. Father Juengt wrote about Brother Meinrad that “he did everything for everyone with such love and joy, that one could almost think he himself was the recipient the of services he rendered”. 

We now arrive at the second part of my observations about the different aspects between the work and its resulting sanctification as seen in the life of Brother Meinrad. His inner disposition was evident by the spirit with which he completed his tasks, so that they became a true “service to God” and a true “workshop” of sanctification. 

The stern warning by St. Benedict of Nursia “Idleness is the enemy of the soul” (RB 48,1) was the one Rule Brother Meinrad took to heart and lived by. As a monk and as a pupil of “The School of St. Benedict”, the two most important exhortations by the Saint, which he applied to each and every single moment of his daily life, are found in the perhaps most famous of the Benedictine Rule: “Ora et Labora” (pray and work). During the Beatification Process several Confreres offered the following testimony: “He was a perfect example of industriousness and diligence. He was never observed to be idle” (Pg76). But the skills necessary to the trade of a tailor did not always come easily or successfully to him, and occasionally he would humbly admit his failures to his Confreres. But his due diligence and zeal made up where his talents may have lacked, and he always understood his work to be a willing service rendered to God and to his Confreres, a disposition which put a special grace and blessing upon his work. Again and again, he could be overheard exclaiming the “quick-and-fervent-prayer” “All for Jesus!” while he was working away. Father Thomas Juengt wrote that “because he truly did all for Jesus, he preferred the lowliest and most menial of all tasks to the designing and creating of rich vestments and garments and gladly left it to the other monks. His true domain was the repairing and the stitching together of rent clothing and other items to make them useful again, which was a very unpopular task among the Brothers of the tailor shop”.

Brother Meinrad always exhibited a positive attitude towards work, which was clearly visible to the apprentices, the employees, and the Confreres working in the tailor shop. A beautiful example of this disposition can be found in a letter he wrote to his niece, Sr. Maria Magdalena Eugster, a Dominican Nun of the Convent of Cazis, Switzerland, to whom he wrote in his letter of January 15th, 1921, exhorting her to “be nothing but humble, and be cheerful and bright, as well as always show joy in your work, and be an obedient Sister. Thus you will also bring joy to your superiors, and even more so to God Himself, and to all whom you encounter”.

Though work claimed the major part of Brother Meinrad’s days, it was not everything to him. His life consisted of balancing work with attending and participating in daily Holy Mass, personal prayer and contemplation. He is truly an example in our modern times, where efficiency and success at work dominate as the principal goals to be achieved in life. In the first biography of Brother Meinrad of 1933 under the title of “Saints Never Become Extinct”, we find the following words stating that “each and every task, no matter how lowly, was to him a service rendered to God, and all who knew and observed him, noted this quality about him. There are no lists or records kept for the clothing- and tailoring needs he provided tirelessly to countless of his Confreres over the course of many years. Yet the little Brother Tailor was anything but a dark or gloomy eccentric, rather he was always friendly, kind and helpful to any and all, and during Recreation (monastic community rest period) he was happy and cheerful as well as gregarious”. “As much as dear Brother Meinrad loved his personal prayer and work, he was also ever ready to attend Recreation and contribute to the general atmosphere of cheerfulness and variety of topics”. 

Dear Fellow Believers, in conclusion I would like to encourage you to remember Brother Meinrad and to take him as your example during your own workdays and all the challenges they bring with them, and like him, to see them all as graces and as an opportunity to truly “render service to God Himself” and thereby receive His blessings. The “quick-and-fervent-prayer” of Brother Meinrad “All for Jesus!”, will allow our chores and tasks to take on the characteristics of a spiritual way to keep Heaven open and for God and Eternity to enter into our earthly lives. I will close with a quote from Pope Francis, which summarizes the profession of a tailor and the Workday Sanctity of Brother Meinrad perfectly: “The Lord has given everyone what it takes to weave holiness within our everyday life!” (Pope Francis: Angelus, Wednesday, December 8th, 2021).

Thoughts about “Sanctification through Work and Daily Life” for the second Brother Meinrad Day, February 14th, 2025, by: Father Philipp Steiner, O.S.B.

Introduction

For the third set of Reflections to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Brother Meinrad Eugster (1848- 1925), we will focus on a deeper and truly characteristic aspect of the person of Brother Meinrad, and that is the focus on how he lived his life in simplicity and modesty. To prepare ourselves, let us take a look at an episode from the Gospel according to Matthew.

Scripture: Matthew 18, 1-05

At that time the disciples approached Jesus and said, “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?” He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said, “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. And whoever receives one child such as this in My name receives Me.

Reflections

Dear Friends of Brother Meinrad! Inside of this short verse from the Gospel according to Matthew, we perceive a true and accurate description of simplicity and modesty to focus on some deeper lessons about the life of Brother Meinrad. Becoming a child before God is the true purpose and principal aim of Christian Life. Blessed Columba of Marmion (1858- 1923), a contemporary of Brother Meinrad who preceded him in death by two years, struck the nail on the head with this precise and succinct phrase “What Christ is by Nature, we are to be by Grace; Children of God”. (Bl.Columba)

When taking a closer look at the life of Brother Meinrad, we observe quickly that he had truly embraced to live his life in “simplicity and modesty”, and subsequently I want to point out the conclusion that becoming a child and be childlike before God is indeed our deepest calling in our own Christian vocation. This has nothing to do with acting “childish”, which would be just immature and unrelated behavior, but rather it is that which Jesus bade us to hear and understand in the Scripture verse here cited: “Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven”.

Brother Meinrad lived this exhortation by his own most exemplary way of life. But this did not promote him to become a “spectacular” Saint, someone to whom we look up to with awe and admiration, and whose enormous accomplishments render us into stunned silence. Brother Meinrad does not belong to those entered among the ranks of the heroes of Church History, nor is he to be listed in the pantheon of the great of this world. But perhaps that is the very reason why his life lived in true simplicity and modesty carries such an important message for our own era.

We live in a time where many people feel overwhelmed by a never-ending avalanche of media information and disinformation, and they feel helpless and weak against the machinations of the mighty and the powerful of this world. Then there are all the technical innovations, such as Artificial Intelligence, and with that comes the breaking down of human interactions and relationships, leading to increased loneliness and isolation. Do we not often wish for a return to a more simple and modest way of life, a life filled with the Love of God, providing us with a tranquil haven of peace!

In the midst of these challenges of our times, Brother Meinrad looks at us from the well-known black and white photograph with his untroubled eyes. It is clearly visible that we are looking at a man who had lived his life joyfully and completely centered in the vocation God had granted him. Of course, we also are aware that he lived as a man of the late 19th and early 20th century, which was vastly different in comparison to life in our own times. Brother Meinrad was born in 1848, which saw the founding of the modern Switzerland we know today, after the last armed conflict within Swiss territory had ended. He was also a contemporary witness to the rapid industrialization and mechanization, which was a blessing as well as a curse, and he lived through the horrors of World War I in his later years. He witnessed the fall of entire dynasties, which had ruled over Europe for centuries, and he saw the ravages of the Spanish Flu, which consumed millions of lives. It is truly amazing that there are no traces or references of these monumental upheavals to be found in any of his letters and writings. In the midst of all this turmoil, Brother Meinrad was able to maintain his inner peace, which continues to radiate to this day throughout the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln. This peace is the fruit of a life lived as a Child of God. We too can experience this same peace if we allow ourselves to be inspired by the witnessing of his life and his faith, and by adopting the creed spelled out by Dom Columba and try to live by his formula of “What Christ is by Nature, we are to be by Grace; Children of God” (Bl. Columba Marmion).

Since “Simplicity and Modesty” are such intrinsic aspects of living as Children of God, we need to take a closer look at the life of Brother Meinrad. If we browse through the writings concerning Brother Meinrad by some of the Benedictine authors among the monks of Maria Einsiedeln, we soon discover some helpful hints and clues for the subject of our reflections.

In his book “Life of the Servant of God, Brother Meinrad of the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln” Father Thomas Juengt wrote a chapter which he titled “True and Clear”. In it he stated that “There are some folks who think that in order to become supernatural, they have to act supernaturally. But in the life of Brother Meinrad, there is nothing unnatural, twisted, fabricated or artificially forced to be found.  He was simply living the “Word of the Savior”, becoming childlike and striving after that ideal of becoming a “Child of God” according to the teachings of the “School of St. Benedict”. He desired to be able to stand true and clear before God and man. Even though he spoke little, and seldom about himself, it was quickly obvious to those observing him that he had a soul which had been purified and shone with a touch of gold, a soul without guile or deceit. He had nothing to hide, and he had no desire to hide anything. The only thing he deemed worthy of hiding was his relentless striving for a life of virtue, a desire born from modesty and sincerity. The one thing the Venerable Servant of God truly feared, was that by doing a few small things well, he might be given more credit than he deserved, and that would go against his personal convictions”.

Dear Friends of Brother Meinrad! According to the testimony by Father Thomas Juengt, the Venerable Servant of God was a truly authentic human being. He was not acting out a role, but he lived his vocation fully. The mercy of God continued to build upon the simple nature which the Creator had granted to this simple “Child of the Rhine Valley of St. Gallen”.

It is impressive how Father Chrysostomos Zuercher mentioned in his book “Man of God- Brother Meinrad Eugster” the countless virtues of the Venerable Servant of God, but without hiding any of his weaknesses and or faults from the readers. In the chapter “The Strength of God in Human Weakness” we receive quite a few insights through the following excerpt: “Brother Meinrad brought a healthy dose of humanity along with his true piety into the monastic life. But he did not enter it in an already saintly state, rather he had to fight his own human imperfections continuously. Thus, he was always a bit too much in a hurry when going places, and when he was working, he could come across as being somewhat overly zealous, and the Vestiary was often not quite as well ordered as it should have been. In his later years he was even sometimes heard stuttering in his haste to speak. But with the help of the Holy Spirit his natural as well as his supernatural qualities surfaced more and more. In his later and mature years, he was a selfless man, full of kindness and generosity, and considerate of everyone. He was straight forward, simple, very humble, and courteous, without being demanding. In talking or giving orders, he was thoughtful, understanding, and insightful. Despite his gentleness, he was not given to flattery or smooth- talking, and he had the habit of expressing himself freely and openly, and when necessary, he could also be firm and decisive in his convictions. One was always quite clear where one stood with him”. 

Father Chrysostomus Zuercher painted an image filled with many nuances of Brother Meinrad. That the little Brother Tailor with the big heart was always “straight and simple”, are the two points which to me personally, best sum up his character. This inner disposition, which is an authentic expression of the vocation to being a Child of God, was also visible in the external person of Brother Meinrad. His Confreres were always amazed at how unassuming and humble he was when it came to food, clothing, or the furnishing of his cell. Brother Meinrad lived simply, but not poorly. He dressed modestly and never looked unkempt or dilapidated. When Brother Meinrad was forced in his later years to accept a specially designed diet due to his stomach ailments, he kept begging the well-meaning Brothers of the kitchen not to prepare “anything special or exceptional, unless absolutely necessary” for him. Brother Meinrad was happy and content with his lifestyle within the context and confines of life in a Benedictine Abbey at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, which was indeed spartan by today’s standards. But his sense of “simplicity and modesty” in daily life can still serve well as an example for us modern folks.

In our complex world of today, many people who are not even of a religious background or persuasion, are seeking a simpler life. But for us Christians, this is not just a question of lifestyle and of psychological wellbeing. Rather we fulfill a concrete mission as a testimony and as witnesses in our modern world. Father Martin Werlen connected this to be the Christian mission in his writing titled “Your Always Grateful Brother Meinrad”, when he wrote: “Those who live in the presence of God, will themselves become more and more transparent, and thus pointing towards God. They witness to the presence of God in this world by their lives. Brother Meinrad taught us that we need not accomplish great deeds of heroics to convince others of our beliefs. But living in the presence of God is something we can all accomplish”. 
Dear Friends of Brother Meinrad, I wish for all of us that we may continue to follow and imitate the example of the life of Brother Meinrad, especially on the path of a simple, modest and authentic witnessing of our own vocation to follow Christ and thus find ourselves led to the ultimate destination of this journey, straight into the beating Heart of God. In Jesus Christ this Heart was made manifest as a Heart wounded by Love. May Brother Meinrad help us from Heaven to live simple and modestly, and to be transparent for others to see God in us, so that the world may recognize Jesus Christ within us, the Son, beloved by God the Father. 

Reflections on “Simplicity and Modesty” for the third Brother Meinrad Day, March 14th, 2025, by: Father Philipp Steiner, OSB

Introduction

Holy Mass was the highlight of the day for Brother Meinrad and a source of strength for his tasks. In the devotion of the Lord, who gives himself to us in the Eucharist, the venerable servant of God learned to be a gift and a sacrifice that pleases God. In this impulse, Brother Meinrad M. Hoetzel reveals a little of the secret of Brother Meinrad's love for the Eucharistic Lord. In this way, the simple tailor brother can also be an inspiration for us today to rediscover the meaning of the Holy Mass and to open it up as a source of strength for us.

Scripture: Ephesians 5, 1- 2

So be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and handed himself over for us as a sacrificial offering to God for a fragrant aroma.

Reflections

Brother Meinrad received his First Communion on April 15th, 1860, on “White Sunday”, the week after Easter Sunday, also called “White Week”, referring to the white garments worn for baptism and confirmation. Today, we are taking a closer look at the relationship Brother Meinrad had with the Eucharist. 

The records of the beatification process contain testimony by various witnesses and reveal their observations of the piety and devotion of Brother Meinrad during Eucharistic Celebrations. They all noticed the same zeal and piety clearly displayed on his facial features when he participated in celebrating the Eucharist and receiving the Body of Christ. 

One thing that came to my attention while studying those documents, was how varied the perception of the actual frequency of Brother Meinrad receiving Communion appeared to be. Different people seemed to report this differently. This was possibly due to their awareness that the ever strict authorities of Rome always appoint a special “advocatus diaboli” (devil’s advocate) for all beatification proceedings, whose sole function is to bring to light any kind of reason for possible disqualification of the candidates due to a lack of all- encompassing and unquestionable proof of virtue. And who knows, perhaps displaying such zeal when receiving the Host with such visible joy, some witnesses could have been led to assuming that Brother Meinrad might have been taking Holy Communion daily even prior to the decree of “Sacra Tridentina Synodus” of 1905, issued by Pope Pius X, which instituted today’s customary “frequent and daily reception of Holy Communion by Catholics”.

Prior to this decree the daily partaking of Holy Communion was limited to ordained clerics only, and that perhaps Brother Meinrad had possibly disregarded existing Canon Law. But no such discrepancies or testimonies ever surfaced to cause concern. It is amazing that this became even a consideration, as the great love of Brother Meinrad for the Eucharist and his desire to receive it as properly permitted only was so very apparent. It is surely well worth taking a deeper look at what the Eucharist truly meant to Brother Meinrad and how he expressed this.

Brother Meinrad indeed rejoiced when in 1905 the daily receiving of Holy Communion became officially sanctioned. Now having the opportunity to participate in receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ so constantly and intimately, was to him the ultimate and greatest gift of grace of his entire consecrated life. Emoting those deepest of feelings, he wrote the following words of advice to his niece Maria Anna, who was preparing to enter the Dominican Convent of Cazis in 1919: “Always present yourself with a pure and clean heart before the Lord, and remember that you are being granted the singular grace to receive your Bridegroom “Iesum Christum” so often in Holy Communion”. He himself spent his entire life in the very presence of the Lord, and bearing this in mind, he continued his letter to his niece saying: “Think constantly about the presence of the Lord, and remember that He dwells within you with His Love and His Mercy. He will always stand beside you when temptations rise to pursue and haunt you, and give you the strength to withstand those temptations and the daily crosses and sorrows that may befall you, and bear them all with not only patience, but with joy!”. 

To him, the ability to receive the Eucharist while still living on earth was a foretaste of Heaven. Thus he wrote to his niece, now known as Sister Maria Magdalena, a year later:” Let us pray together and for each other, especially during holy Lent that when our time comes, we may die a good death, and to only love Jesus above all, particularly when we are given the grace to receive Jesus daily in the holiest of all the holy sacraments from the altar. Let us have great faith and cling with childlike love to Him, and as we receive Him in that faith while still on earth, may we then see and become His on our appointed day and behold Him in His full splendor for all eternity”.

He did not just want to entrust himself to God. He wanted to unite the whole world with God in the Eucharist, and his trust in God to lead all to Salvation, was complete. In a letter written in 1921 he stated the following to a priest friend of his:” These are still evil times, and we do not know what the New Year will bring us. But we will carry all of it to the altar and lay it at the feet our dear Savior in the most holy Sacrament, so that He may protect us and lead us to where the holy will of God wishes us to be. To Him alone be our life consecrated, so that we may find mercy and that one day all the joys of Heaven will be ours forever”.

He always wanted to share with others that he knew, and experienced through his own union with God, that he could put everything into the hands of God with complete trust. He explained in the above cited letter from 1921 to his friend, to whom he wished a long and blessed life in his priestly work:” We want to pray for you, as we are granted the great blessing of participating in so many holy Masses daily and are receiving Holy Communion. I will include you daily in my humble prayers at the altar, and leave all your needs up to God and His holy Will. Do not lose your courage and trust in Him. Take one day at a time and surrender it to His protection and His help”. 

To him, praying for others, especially during Communion, was the most important part of his day. He often promised to do so in his letters, making this effort his gift to the recipients, as he offered them up to God in his prayers. Celebrating and receiving the Eucharist meant for him complete surrender all of life’s challenges and sorrows to God. In the celebration of the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us humans, he perceived that he could fully and completely trust in God and know that He would provide all the help for those in need, as well as consolation and comfort for all who turned to Him. 

Christ made this truth visible to us by His own human life, about which Brother Meinrad had the following to say:” He gave Himself up to death, even for His mortal enemies, who had crucified Him, and for all sinners, and by doing so, He left us with His own example to become as humble and meek as He was”. For Brother Meinrad, as seen in the “Letter to the Ephesians”, this was the example of the true foundation of true virtue. It means to always live in readiness, with full trust in God, to offer ourselves up to be sacrificed, because God, in Jesus Christ, chose this path Himself for our sake. Brother Meinrad lived his life thus by following that example of love for others without hesitation and by receiving the Eucharist daily. 

These are thoughts that fit well especially into the times of Holy Week, which he himself saw as his true communion with the cross- carrying Christ and which provided him with a dawning perception of a foretaste of Heaven. As Brother Meinrad wrote to his niece: “May your daily cross, which often wears heavily upon you through your many cares and woes, hard labor and challenges, be sweetened with the hope of eternal reward, and may you already here on earth taste of that coming grace and may it lead you to always live with a calm and joyful conscience, peace in your soul and an ever increasing and deeply burning love for Jesus, until the day comes where you will melt completely and rapturously into the searing Fire of Love, and eternally dwell in Heaven with your beloved Patron Saint, Mary of Magdala”.

He understood that his entire life was to be an uninterrupted and perpetual walk towards Easter, and the Resurrection of Christ, alongside all of mankind. As he was so often heard to say:” Always give thanks to the Lord. Thank Him for His sufferings for our sake and accept your daily cares and woes and sacrifices, and bear them in union with Jesus. And remember, everything passes, and on the appointed day, our own Easter will come, and a joyful “Alleluia” will be resounding and reverberating all around for you and me, and for all our loved ones at the end of all our earthly days”.

Reflections on “Eucharist and Devotion” for the fourth Brother Meinrad Day, April 14th, 2025, by: Frater Meinrad M. Hoetzel, OSB

Introduction

The date of the Ordination of Brother Meinrad’s sibling Johann Jakob Eugster into the priesthood on May 3rd 1868, lends itself perfectly as the subject for the fifth Reflection, where we ponder the various aspects of Ordination and Holiness.

Scripture: 1 Peter 1, 13-16

Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind! live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance. But, as He who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct. For it is written, “Be holy because I am holy!” 

Reflections

In his Rule “Tools of Good Works”, St. Benedict counsels the Brothers wisely, stating: “do not aspire to be called holy before you really are, but first be holy that you may more truly be called so”. (Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia, Chapter 4)

The Beatification Process for Brother Meinrad, which is currently in progress, serves to validate the rightful claim of having lived his life in such holy endeavors. This process will determine by questioning and evaluating countless witnesses whether the virtues of faith, hope, love of God, love of neighbor, and along with prudence, a sense of justice, temperance and steadfastness were indeed undeniably present in him. These qualities are dispositions must be evident in the conduct of life in full accordance to the way God created man. 

Living in virtue also means implementing the exhortations of 1 Peter1, 15-16: “But, as He Who called you is indeed holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct.” For it is written: “Be holy because I am holy”. The extensive research regarding the heroic degree of virtues present in the life of Brother Meinrad, led to the conclusions of May 28th, 1960, stating:” After first celebrating the Holy Eucharistic Sacrifice, Pope John XXIII declared the heroic virtues of the Venerable Servant of God to be confirmed”. 

It is well worth to take a look how someone who has been declared a “Venerable Servant of God” had actually modeled the virtues stated throughout his lifetime. In a letter to an erstwhile apprentice of the Abbey’s tailor shop he expressed the following wish he cherished for the young man, who was about to be ordained into the Deaconate in 1901.  He hoped that God would deign to sanctify him more and more in the coming years. He then added further:” May God bless all your works and all your efforts and may His love inflame you more and more to unite yourself with God, and to offer yourself wholly as a living sacrifice, and someday to be crowned gloriously, and to live in eternal union with Jesus”. Holiness therefore means to enter into eternal union with God in Heaven and with Jesus Himself. Union with Jesus requires the love of God igniting within our own hearts. 

In a letter containing his Christmas wishes for a Confrere in 1884, Brother Meinrad hopes that Jesus lights a love in him burning with desire to serve others and he said:” May the sweet Child Jesus in the poor manger grant you the gift of His mercy, inmost calm, peace with God and a clear conscience granted through God, which strengthens you and consoles you in all the sufferings and circumstances life may present you with. May you also face the many demands of daily work and be filled with devotion for your holy calling to honor God, and for the welfare of the poor around you, and for gaining the sanctity and perfection to someday obtain Heaven. May the fire of the love of God burn within you, so that you may only live for Jesus, and that you may win the lambs God entrusted to your care over to following Him. 
In another letter a few months later he wished him a foretaste of Heaven and eternal reward through a “calm and joyful conscience, peace in his soul, and an ever-stronger burning love for Jesus, and to someday be immolated into the rapture of this love, and dwell forever in Heaven with your dear Patron Saint.”.

To be immolated into the rapture of love does not mean losing one’s own identity and dignity as a person. Rather it means we can continue to be joyful and feel closer to our own Patron Saint. In his “curriculum vitae” (personal history generally required of all monastic applicants) for the Abbey of Einsiedeln, Brother Meinrad expressed his innermost longings, and what would describe his own personality best and why he felt it would be most suitable for him if he bound himself entirely to the love of Christ and to the Church and to offer himself entirely to the Lord as a sacrifice. 

A few years later he wrote to the then Abbot that he has to thank “the most loving Mother of God for the mercy to be able to sacrifice his life to Her Divine Son”. This is what he understood to be the deepest meaning of human life, and particularly for life within the Order. It means “to love Christ wholly and carry the daily crosses with patience and thus become a sacrifice to Him”, as he wrote to his niece when she entered the Convent of the Dominicans in Cazis. 

Hearing the word Ordination invariably leads one to think of priestly ordination, a sacrament which Brother Meinrad himself never received. In his younger years, he would have loved to become a priest. But letting the youngest of their children pursuing academic study was financially not feasible for his family. Instead, he was put to work from a very young age first in a factory, then for a mill, and later at a bakery to contribute to the financing of the studies for two of his brothers. One of them, Johann Jakob, was received into Holy Orders, and he celebrated his “Primiz” (first Mass of a newly ordained priest) on May 3rd, 1868. The fact that this would never be possible for him did not embitter him in the least. On the contrary, it deepened his high esteem for the special service to the Eucharistic Savior priests are called. He was always amazed and grateful for the countless and unfathomable ways of the Lord that enabled them to enter into this holy life. He proved this in particular to be true when he helped one of his apprentices, who had a deep and unceasing longing to become a priest, to enter the Gymnasium (College Prep School) of the Abbey, despite having already passed the age of 20 years and to eventually join a different Order.

Such experiences confirmed him in his faith in God, who could find the perfect solution for all kinds of circumstances life wrought upon people if they only trusted God and put themselves into his hands. He observed this not only in those consecrated to God as priests, but also in his own monastic life within the Order. But his lifelong appreciation of celibate life within the cloister did not prevent him from supporting a friend who had left the consecrated life after a few years to build a family, and to encourage him to never doubt that God would continue to lead him through all the trials and tribulations life invariably would inflict onto whatever form it was lived. This basic trust in God’ providence Brother Meinrad had for everyone around him is noted in one of his New Year’s Letters where he stated:” We still live in evil times, and we do not know what the New Year will bring us. But we will lay it all at the holy feet of our beloved Savior in the most holy Sacrament of the altar for His protection and to lead us where the all- holy will of the Father wants us to go. May all our lives be consecrated to Him, so that we will find mercy, and on that day become heirs to the joys of Heaven”. 

To consecrate his own life to God meant for him to surrender totally to the will of God, and to trust in God’s good intentions for all of mankind. Endowed with such honest and true faith, he was able to follow his own path in life, and to encounter and deal with all hardships and tragedies and illness life presents to each of us, and in spite of it, to always be happy and content, knowing that everything will ultimately be wrapped up into the loving care of God. This surety of knowing himself to be fully loved by God aroused such a burning love for God in return, that he could never encounter anyone in his daily life without exuding that selfsame love, and by that love his very holiness became visible, tangible and recognized. 

Reflections on “Consecration and Holiness” for the fifth Brother Meinrad Day, May 15th, 2025, by: Frater Meinrad Hoetzel, OSB

Introduction

The 6th monthly Reflection, scheduled for June 14th, 2025, is dedicated to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Repose of Brother Meinrad. As the Centennial of his Repose takes place within the Holy Year of 2025, which carries the motto “Pilgrims of Hope”, we chose the dual motto of “Hope and Completion” for our June Reflections. We are invited to allow ourselves to be encouraged by Brother Meinrad to pursue our own completion by entering into the merciful love of God.

Scripture: Letter of St. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians, 3,7- 14

But whatever gains I had, these I have come to consider a loss because of Christ. More than that, I even consider everything a loss because of the supreme good of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have accepted the loss of all things and I consider them so much rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having any righteousness of my own based on the law but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God, depending on faith to know Him and the power of His Resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by being conformed to His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. It is not that I have already taken hold of it or have already attained perfect maturity, but I continue my pursuit in hope that I may possess it, since I have indeed been taken possession of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I, for my part, do not consider myself to have taken possession. Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead. I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling in Jesus Christ.

Reflections

We cast our gaze for the Memorial Celebration of the 100th death anniversary of the Venerable Servant of God Brother Meinrad Eugster upon one particular piece of furniture. We look at a massively built armchair, whose upholstery is covered in green fabric. This is the very chair where Brother Meinrad surrendered his soul on June 14th, 1925. His chair carries a message of Hope, which we will attempt to capture in these Reflections.

Exactly one hundred years ago, the warm sun of June filled the High Valley of Einsiedeln with its rays. But to the 77-year-old Brother, in those days considered a rather advanced age, the air felt chilly as he suffered from a catarrh and a severe cough, which shook his weak and frail body, and within a few short days, his strength was almost entirely consumed by his illness. Brother Meinrad spent his last days in the Infirmary mostly seated in this armchair. His Brethren testified how even in his rapidly worsening and deteriorating condition, he remained calm, collected and content. Again and again he could be overheard uttering a “Stossgebet” (short intense one-phrase-plea to God) while he continued to receive all visitors with a sweet smile. He was grateful for all the services and assistance rendered to him during those weeks. And so he patiently waited for his hour of departure, which did not seem to be far off anymore. One of the greatest joys remaining to him in this time of preparation, were the frequent visits to honor him from the young Patres (priests), who had been ordained on June 6th and also the visits of the young Lay Brothers, who had taken their final vows on June 7th of 1925. The encounter with the dying Brother Meinrad remained in the memory of those monks for the rest of their own lives. Whenever his shortness of breath became too much for him, the Infirmarian on duty would put him into the armchair, so his labored breathing would become easier to bear. 

Meanwhile the Sunday of the Octave of Corpus Christi arrived on June 14th ,1925. It was also the special day of the First Mass of one of those recently ordained young priests of the Abbey, Father Anselm Knuesel, OSB. On that morning Brother Meinrad received the Holy Eucharist for one last time. It was to be his “Viaticum” for the final stage of his earthly pilgrimage, which was reaching its inevitable end. The hallways of the Abbey had been very quiet during the entire day, particularly in the sick room of Brother Meinrad, because the whole community was participating in the celebrations around the first Eucharistic Sacrifice of the newly ordained young priest. In the evening hours that joy ended abruptly when the death bell began to ring at 7:15 PM. Brother Meinrad was increasingly fighting for breath, while his heart began to fail rapidly. The concert by the students of the “Stiftsschule” (Abbey boarding school) was immediately ended, and many of his brethren came to his sick room, where they began reciting the ritual prayers of “Commendation of the Dying”. Brother Meinrad sat in the armchair with his hands folded, while his gasping for breath steadily increased. 

His biographer. Father Thomas Juengt described the death of Brother Meinrad in his book with the following words: “Suddenly Brother Meinrad raised his head and lifted his eyes upwards, and then sank into the armchair, having died after one last sigh. Without a visible struggle, he had surrendered his spirit while his brethren were praying for him. Deeply moved and affected, all those who had been present quietly left the now silent sick room. Brother Damian, an elderly grey-haired Infirmarian, could not refrain from whispering to one of the priests “I have always known that Brother Meinrad was different. And now this death! Did you see it? Normally the dying tend to lower their heads, looking down. Brother Meinrad was able to die raised up high, gazing into Heaven”. (Pg. 186-187).

Brother Meinrad was buried already two days later. One last time, the departed monk had to be as humble in death, as he had been humble in life. The funeral needed to be held before June 17th, due to an already planned excursion by the “Stiftsschule” (boarding school), resulting in very few external participants being able to attend the festive Requiem, which could not be celebrated at the High Altar, as it was already set up for the Octave of Corpus Christi. Therefore, the Requiem had to be moved to one of the side altars of the church. His remains were buried in the monk’s crypt below the “Christmas Cupola” of the Abbey Church of Einsiedeln.

When we gather today, exactly one hundred years later, to commemorate the death anniversary of Brother Meinrad, we are doing so not to mourn the death of Brother Meinrad, rather we celebrate the completion of his life. During his 50 years in the Benedictine Order, he took the words of the Apostle Paul from the Letter to the Philippians we just heard deeply to heart:” To know Him and the power of His Resurrection and the sharing of His sufferings by being conformed to His death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead”. (Phil 3,10- 11) He had to pass through the School of Suffering, so that the power of the Resurrection of Christ could unfold in his own life to its fullest. His last years were marked with hopeful trust and deeply anchored gratitude, but also with the awareness that he was losing his physical abilities, the feeling of no longer being useful and occasional fears that his imperfections might cause him not to receive his share of eternal salvation. But again and again God’s unconditional faithfulness and mercy came to his aid, and his hope in his God was always surmounting his human failings (Comp 2 Corinthian, 12,9).

This hope did not only sustain him through all the challenges the final stages of his life presented, but it was that same hope which had accompanied him throughout his entire life. Hope made it possible for Brother Meinrad to endure the hardships, and the vicissitudes and sufferings of life with total surrender to God. He kept applying the wise Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia, who admonished his monks to “Spem suam Deo committere” which means “To put one’s hope in God” (Rule of St. Benedict, 4,41). Looking at the green fabric covering the armchair of Brother Meinrad is a lovely way to remind us of the virtue of Hope, so richly figuring in the life of the Venerable Servant of God, as the color of green is traditionally considered to be the color of Hope. We might therefore view Hope to be the cushion which softens and bolsters the hard wood of the cross and all suffering, making the life of us Christians more bearable.

The chapter in the Beatification Process documents regarding the virtue of Hope being evident throughout the life of Brother Meinrad to a heroic degree states that practically none of his letters are without a reference to always putting one’s hope into Heaven. To live in the shelter of the love of God in Heaven was the ultimate of all the hopes of Brother Meinrad, and his entire life was geared to keep his gaze fastened unto Heaven. This is a perspective that is lacking in our world today. Brother Meinrad calls out to us to refocus with the words of the Apostle Paul and to make our goal in life to be: “Just one thing: forgetting what lies behind but straining forward to what lies ahead. I continue my pursuit toward the goal, the prize of God’s upward calling in Jesus Christ”. (Phil 3,13b- 14)

We may trust that Brother Meinrad obtained his hard-won reward on June 14th, 1925. He allowed himself to be chosen by Jesus Christ and he followed and imitated Him as a Lay Brother at the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln. His whole life was deeply marked by Faith, Hope, and Love, and it continues to illuminate our present times and reminds us that:” Our true home is in Heaven” (Phil 3,20). Our own life will not end with our death, as our God is not a God of the dead, but the God of the living (Comp. Luke 20,38). So when we too feel the cross and the sufferings of life crushing us, let us also remember this same cushion will soften and bolster the hardness of the wood.

I am closing the June Reflection with a word from Brother Meinrad he once wrote to Benedikt Weissenrieder in 1920 saying that: ”As our human life is filled with crosses and bitterness, we will do well indeed to accept all from the hand of God with patience. He is the surest way to Heaven, as all of this world passes, only eternity remains forever”. Amen.

Reflections on “Hope and Completion” for the sixth Brother Meinrad Day, June 14th, 2025, by: Father Philipp Steiner, OSB

Introduction

The seventh edition of “Reflections” for the Centennial of the Repose of Brother Meinrad Eugster, (1848- 2025) is dedicated to taking a deeper look at “Confirmation and Testimony”. Thus Father Meinrad Hoetzel, OSB, is pointing out that receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation leads us to a true Christian life, which was so evident in the life of the Venerable Servant of God. 

Scripture: Second Letter of the Apostle Paul to the Corinthians, 2, 18- 22

As God is faithful, our word to you is not “yes” and “no”. For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who was proclaimed by to you us, Silvanus and Timothy and me, was “yes” and “no”, but “yes” has been in him For however many are the promises of God, their Yes in Him; therefore, the Amen from us also goes through him to God for glory. But eh one who gives us security with you in Christ, Who anointed us is God. He has also put His seal upon us and given the Spirit in our hearts as a first installment.

Reflections

Joseph Gebhard Eugster, the future Brother Meinrad, was confirmed by the then  Bishop of St. Gallen, Johann Mirer, in Altstaetten. By granting him the receiving of this Sacrament, the Bishop sealed him in the name of the Catholic Church with the Holy Spirit, which he had already received in his baptism. The Latin term “Confirmation” means to be “strengthened”, and the purpose of this strengthening  was to enable him to give witness to the church as well as to the world by living his Christian Faith. In this Reflections for the Brother Meinrad Day of the month of July, 2025, we will take a look at how this manifested itself throughout his life. This is also a way for Brother Meinrad to inspire us and to remind us what Confirmation and Testimony are meant to accomplish in our own lives in Christ.

There is nothing written to be found about the faith- life of Brother Meinrad during his youth. So we do not really know how he personally perceived his Confirmation and what it meant to him. All we do know about the young Joseph Gebhard during the time of his Confirmation is that he attended the Public Primary School in Altstaetten, where he received only the barest minimum of an education, which was all that his family could afford for him. 

From the entrance- assessment about Joseph Gebhard, left by the “Brothers- Instructors” after he had been presented to the entire Chapter of Monks, and where he had formally asked to be considered for admission as a candidate,  we are able to gather that he was exceptionally gifted with reading and writing abilities, which particularly stood out when considering his humble background and low education levels. He was apparently quite willing and able to be formed and trained as much as possible within the limitations his poor education imposed upon him. After his school days officially ended, he was not able to broaden and pursue his education further due to the poverty of his family. Instead he had to start working at around 12- 14 years of age alongside his sister in a local textile mill to help financing the studies of two of his older brothers. He was a very well-disposed youth, open to bring others into the realm of God by his own example. Having grown up within a devout religious environment, it seemed only logical to him that his youthful acting out the Mass playfully together with his siblings should be followed up by actually becoming a priest. But while he supported one of his brothers in his efforts to enter the priesthood, his own call to follow that same path was barred for him due to the lack of a proper higher education. But he did not become bitter, rather he did what he could do to best assist his family willingly. His willingness to focus on tending to the needs and help of others and putting them before his own desires, was a distinct lifelong character trait of his. 

As soon as it was feasible, his father allowed him to  his quit working on the factory floor of the mill, and instead accept an assistant position with the renown and generous owners of the Rist- family-bakery, for whom he worked and lived with for a full year. He was very grateful to the family for this time spent with them, and remained in close contact. They in turn were very impressed by this young man, and he became an example of true diligence and piety, as well as meekness for the Rist- children, and having left such a deep impression, caused them to keep his former room for a long time in much the same order he had left it.

By the outward display of this great disposition, the young Joseph Gebhard modeled beautifully what the Sacrament of Confirmation had wrought within him. The seal left by the Holy Spirit at Baptism and Confirmation is meant to open Christians up to serve God  by caring for the welfare of all of mankind in daily life. Joseph Gebhard did this even after his own plans for his life seemed to have been thwarted. The Gift of the Holy Spirit gave him the strength to give witness through his own faith. Giving witness does not mean though that we need to promote God with big fanfares and by heroic deeds. Joseph Gebhard was like the rest of his family. All of them were quiet, reserved, even shy. By not having to pretend to be anything different or special, it was his simple and unassuming manner that set such a convincing example of true Christian love and Imitation of Christ. 

Young Joseph Gebhard was able to live in his simplicity because he was deeply convinced that God loved and accepted him precisely the way he was. It did not matter what he achieved, what perspectives of the world he had, what offices, goods, and dignities he achieved. God had already given him His own final “yes” at his Baptism and Confirmation, and he could trust in that and just live his monastic life as it was outlined to him within the Benedictine Order. 

Saint Paul wrote in his “Second Letter to the Corinthians” that Jesus Christ Himself is the very  “Yes” to all that God has promised. This is precisely what the Venerable Servant of God, already advanced in age and having lived for many years in the Benedictine Order, meant when he wrote to his niece in a letter prior to her entrance into the Dominican Convent of Cazis. He told her to keep the devotion and love of Christ for us humans always in front of her eyes and that we should all “thank Him for His bitter sufferings and dying on the Cross, by which He has redeemed us from eternal death and opened up Heaven instead, and by loving Him and carrying our own daily crosses with patience, we offer ourselves wholly as a sacrifice.” As no mere humans can achieve this through their own strength, Brother Meinrad  begged and pleaded with God on her behalf to strengthen her in practically each and every letter he wrote to his niece. 

We all need continuous strengthening by God. Saint Paul wrote to the Corinthians in the above mentioned quote that Christ is the “Yes” of God, that “it is God Who strengthens us in Christ, and Who anoints us and puts His seal upon us and grants us the Holy Spirit in our hearts as a first installment”. Therefore we do not have to fear that God will not provide us with the strength needed to face the challenges of our lives, but we may trust that He has given us what we need long ago, and in advance. It is a most effective sign that through the Sacrament of Confirmation and Baptism God is always present to us.

But it takes constant vigilance to remain trusting  in the omnipresence of God and in His constant providing us with the strength needed in our lives. Brother Meinrad lived this example by radiating precisely this kind of trust in God, and thereby encouraging others to also give such witness of their faith. To him this meant to be ceaselessly occupied with God and to remain ceaselessly in constant prayer with Him. He modeled this behavior to all in his environment by his frequent uttering of “Stossgebete” (fervent short prayers) they heard him offer up, bowed down almost to the ground, and by inviting countless others to the prayer of Mass, or by promising them to offer up his own Holy Communion for them. He was truly credible when he wrote for example to a friend to just “leave it all to the will of the most holy Lord and God, trust in His help and do not lose faith. Take one day at a time”. Offer it all up to the loving Lord and trust in His help and succor”. Coming from the lips of Brother Meinrad, those were not empty words and mere distractions, but he gave witness through his own life that God is faithful.

By this testimony through his own life, Brother Meinrad was able to proclaim the Christian faith more deeply than many a learned and studied theologian or a sermon ever could. Even many of his Confreres felt like one young monk who had often witnessed this once stated, that after a while he no longer bothered to look up the Rule of St. Benedict in books. Rather he would just observe Brother Meinrad’s behavior in various situations, since he was practically a “Living Rule of Saint Benedict” in his monastic perfection. With this, we see that Brother Meinrad lived exactly the very purpose of the Sacrament of Confirmation; to be led by the Holy Spirit and through our own faith- relationship with Jesus Christ to become formed and able to live fully within our own situations, as Brother Meinrad lived within his own context of consecrated life in a Benedictine Abbey, where he embodied the very love of God for us humans. That this cannot be achieved in one day is something we surely all agree on. But Brother Meinrad can motivate us throughout our whole life to strive towards this goal and to let God fill us with the immeasurable gift of His strength. 

Reflections on “Confirmation and Testimony” for the seventh Brother Meinrad Day, July 14th, 2025, by: Father Meinrad Hoetzel, OSB

Introduction

In the 8th issue of “Reflections” during the Centennial of the 100th Anniversary of the death of Brother Meinrad Eugster, (1848- 1925), our Father Meinrad Hoetzel, OSB, explores the topics of “Baptism and Becoming a Child of God” and their importance as a the foundation of the life of the Venerable Servan of God, who by baptism became first and foremost a “Child of God”. 

Scripture: Mark, 1,9- 11

It happened in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. On coming up our of the water He saw the Heavens being torn open and the Spirit, in the form of a Dove, descended upon Him. And a Voice came from the Heavens, “You are my beloved Son; in Whom I am well pleased.”

Reflections

Dear Friends of Brother Meinrad, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Brother Meinrad was baptized under the name of Joseph Gebhard Eugster on the same day he was born on August 23rd, 1848, in the parish church of Altstaetten. Therefore, he could not have had any kind of conscious recollection of his baptism and therefore he does not mention the actual event in any of his writings. But his baptism confirmed that his parents Johann Ulrich and Anna Maria Eugster had granted him this gift and then proceeded to raise him in the Christian Faith. In his resume (Curriculum Vitae), which he attached to his application for Admission into the Abbey of Einsiedeln, he expressed his gratitude to his parents, especially to his mother, for the “proper upbringing in morals and religious education and views” and he considered this parental formation as one of the defining reasons and his motivation which ultimately led him to request  admission into the monastery. He was raised in a family where the seed sown at his baptism germinated, and grew into fruition. He experienced the “joy of a home filled with love and peace towards all” and from these happy childhood memories, he was able to perceive how God Himself becomes the Father of all of mankind. Whenever Brother Meinrad promised to anyone in his letters that he would pray for them, he would “therefore plead for you in my weak prayers to the loving God just as a child does”. 

He also liked to invite his friends with whom he exchanged letters to “always and again turn in childlike manner to the motherly heart of the Madonna of Einsiedeln and our holy Father St. Benedict”. So, it becomes quite visible that it was important to Brother Meinrad to turn to God with the simplicity of a child. But by this, he did not mean that we should approach God with sugary sweet piety, and never just casually, but instead he referred to the deep and unbreakable trust with which a child turns to its parents. Brother Meinrad was blessed to have grown up being loved by his family and he was able to depend and trust upon that. During his entire life he saw that the origin and the source of all the love he had experienced was God alone, and he labored tirelessly to respond to this recognition with the deepest trust he himself could offer in return to God. 

A few days before his death, he sent his niece, a Dominican nun in Cazis, a few lines which show clearly how deeply he had practiced this truth during his own life. “I continue to move forward with the daily things, and time passes quickly. My health is still holding up fairly well, but as one should always be prepared for death, I am so prepared in the name of God. I trust in His mercy and love, I trust in Him, the One who has so loved us and shed His very Heart- Blood for us. Let us pray with and for each other for a good death, especially now during Lent, and let us love Jesus above all, we who live with the great blessing of being able to receive Jesus daily in His most Holy Sacrament at the altar. Let us have great faith and childlike love for Him, and as we now receive Him with that blessed assurance and faith, may we someday gaze upon Him in eternal bliss and beauty”. 

During his over 70 years of life, of which he spent almost 50 years in the cloister, Brother Meinrad was allowed to live fully and entirely in the mercy and love of Jesus Christ, upon Whom he could place all his trust. Due to this trust, he did not need to fear any challenges and trials of daily life, or old age and illness, because he knew that Jesus would accompany him lovingly not only to his death, but to eternal bliss. This was the pledge he received in the daily partaking of the Eucharist, which was the closest personal encounter with Christ possible during his earthly life. It is what enabled him to cling like a child to Him and to count on His constant care for him.

It is interesting to observe that Brother Meinrad possessed the ability so clearly to ceaselessly offer his childlike love to Jesus Christ. Generally, we see ourselves more as children of God the Father, and as brothers and sisters of Jesus. This is of course theologically correct, as Jesus Christ is the “Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father”, and we are accepted through Him alone to become children of God, as St. Paul wrote in his Letter to the Galatians: “For you are all children of God through Jesus Christ. All who have been baptized into Christ, have become like Him”. It is particularly stunning to comprehend that in baptism, Jesus Christ is not only the One Who baptizes us, but is also the example of having been baptized Himself. The Gospel tells us very vividly how Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River and how God Himself spoke and said: “You are My Son, in Whom I am well pleased”. We therefore are children of God through Jesus Christ, just as Brother Meinrad wrote “because He so loved us that He poured out His very own Heart- Blood for us”. The Letter to the Romans also states that with Christ “our old self has been crucified with Jesus Christ”, and together with Him “we are buried in baptism for death, so that we too, as Christ Himself, will be resurrected through the glory of the Father from the dead to be born into our new life”. So Brother Meinrad is fully justified speaking about “childlike love” for Jesus Christ, because of His sacrifice we, the baptized, have been born into a new life.

Brother Meinrad was fully aware that this new life he had received at baptism, in which he existed since the day of his birth, would not always be sunny and pleasant, but that it would consist of having to wait until after death before its hardships would turn into endless joy. Thus, he addressed a Confrere on his name day:” May your daily cross, which will often knock and press you down hard by many cares and sorrows, heavy labor and unpleasantness, become sweetened by looking at Jesus Christ, Who bore His own Cross before us, which fills us with the hope of eternal reward. And may you already experience a foretaste of this through living with a calm conscience, a peaceful soul, and an ever increasingly burning love for Jesus, and on that day be immersed and dissolve in that fiery glow and forever rejoice in Heaven together with your holy namesake”.

We can learn from Brother Meinrad that we, as the baptized, may live in a childlike manner with Jesus Christ. We, who like Brother Meinrad, were baptized as infants and raised as Christians are perhaps sometimes a little wistful that we also have no apparent recollection of our own baptism. But we retain a deeply rooted subconscious memory that we are not merely children of our parents, but also children of God., and that we ought to be grateful for both. But this gift of being children of God as Brother Meinrad shows us, does not just mean a casual dependency on God the Father because He created us, but that He is in fact our very source of origin. Our child-to- Father relationship with God becomes thus far more apparent and concrete. Since we are children through Jesus Christ und as the baptized we know this, we can live in close kinship with God because we are Children of God as Jesus Himself was, and just like He did, take up our daily crosses in whatever situation we may find ourselves during the course of our lives. 

Christ walked this path before us, which means that we are joined to Him in childlike love, trust, and that He carries our own daily cross with us, making it thus sweet and bearable, because we have already been born into this new life.

Reflections on “Baptism and Becoming a Child of God” for the eighth Brother Meinrad Day, August 14th, 2025, by: Father Meinrad Hoetzel, OSB

Introduction

The Benedictine Monks of Maria Einsiedeln will celebrate the High Feast of the “Consecration of the Chapel of Grace”, better known by its local colloquial name of “The Angelic Consecration” (Engelweihe). According to a medieval legend, Christ Himself appeared at the site of the Chapel of Grace in the year 948, accompanied by a Host of Angels to consecrate the chapel to His Mother Mary. Our Venerable Servant of God was allowed to experience this presence of God at this holy site personally. As Brother Meinrad made both his Simple-, as well as his Final Profession, in the month of September, Father Meinrad M. Hoetzel, OSB, dedicated our 9th “Reflections” of the Brother Meinrad Commemorative Year to the subjects of “Consecration and Stability”.

Scripture: Psalm 119, 41-48

Let Your mercy come to me, Lord, and Salvation in accordance with Your promise. Let me answer my taunters with a word, for I trust in Your word. Do not take the word of truth from my mouth, for in Your judgments is my hope. I will walk freely in an open space, because I cherish Your precepts. I will speak openly of Your testimonies without fear even before kings. I delight in Your commandments, which I dearly love. I lift up my hands to Your commandments; I study Your statutes, which I love.

Reflections

Dear friends and followers of Brother Meinrad, dear brothers and sisters in Christ; On September 5th, 1875, one hundred and fifty years ago, Brother Meinrad made his Simple Profession here at the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln. In 1878, having had the opportunity to live and to prove to the community of monks after his thorough formation by his Novice Master that he was indeed suited to become a monk, he was received fully into the brotherhood by taking his Final Vows on the 22nd of September of that year. In accordance with the Rule of St. Benedict of Nursia, the monk promises to live his entire to follow that Rule by listening attentively to his Superiors and the Confreres, and thus to see the will of God for himself and the community and to live in Stability. This is the vow listed in the Documents of Profession in the 19th century, and it is what Brother Meinrad vowed to do, to live in Stability in his Abbey. This vow is to safeguard monks from meandering from one community to another on their own whims, should they no longer like their chosen House, or feel that life may be more comfortable elsewhere, or that they could achieve more in a different House. 

Brother Meinrad was a Tailor Journeyman before he entered Maria Einsiedeln, so he was used to go wherever there was work to be found, and where he could be of use. With this in mind, he declared in his application to enter the Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln that he would be happy to be sent to the new Daughter House St. Meinrad Abbey in the United States of America, should he be needed there. He repeated this willingness again when he suggested personally to the abbot he be sent to the also recently founded Priory of St. Benedict in the State of Arkansas, USA, which eventually became what we know as Subiaco Abbey today. We do not know how strongly he actually did feel about transferring to one of the new  American Abbeys but considering that he attempted several times and with many arguments in favor of such a transfer to convince his Abbot to let him travel to America, we can assume that this was indeed a deep and heartfelt longing of his. He seemed to have had a genuine desire to be helpful in supporting missions, for which he avidly collected stamps. 

Yet Brother Meinrad was also fully aware of what he had promised with his sacred Vows, and so he wrote in a letter to the Abbot that:” I do not want to act according to my own head, and I wish for and want nothing else but that which you wish for me and wherever you want me to serve in whatever capacity, which I promised when I took my Final Vows where I promised Stability to the House”. Therefore, he accepted the decision of the Abbot that he was to remain in Einsiedeln, and he never brought the subject up again.

Stability not only means simply remaining where one is sent and to work there, but it also means keeping what one has promised, and not to just throw simply everything down and leave when things do not go the way hoped for, or difficulties and challenges arise. Brother Meinrad was fully aware that monastic life was not an earthly paradise, and that it would not always be easy to accept one’s own place, tasks and role assigned to in a monastic community. Thus he wrote to his niece for her Clothing (receiving of habit) in the Dominican Convent of Cazis in 1919 that ”Also life in the Convent bring many sufferings and temptations. The Lord wants His bride to carry her daily cross with patience, forbearance, humility and love, and thereby sacrifice herself to her Bridegroom with obedience and submission, and thus one day receive her glorious crown in Heaven. So, my dear niece, endure in goodness, always be humble, and be content and happy to be a simple Sister in the Convent and do not be coveting any higher stations, but only desire to live in obedience. The good Lord is rejoicing in a simple and good Sister who fulfils her daily duties faithfully and only seeks to honor God and her salvation”.

It is quite obvious from these words just how deeply Brother Meinrad internalized the Rule of St. Benedict, which shows how from the very beginning the path  of life in a monastery seems to be narrow and difficult, but it should not lead to such discouragement that one would become tempted to flee, rather one should trust that this path will lead into a deepening wideness of the heart, as the Rule of St. Benedict states: “But as we progress in this way of life and in faith, we shall run on the path of God’s commandments, our hearts overflowing with the inexpressible delight of love”. (RB Prologue 49)

Stability is what will make a life lived entirely in communion with God possible. In another remark in the above cited letter to his niece Brother Meinrad stated that we should not: “in our love for God and in continuously striving to live in His presence forget to offer up your daily lives in union with Jesus, Mary and Joseph to the Triune God”. Especially in his letters to his niece upon her Entrance into the Order, in which he writes about monastic life, he emphasizes again and again that he is, after having spent almost 50 years of life at the Abbey, happy and content, and that he wished for his niece to experience the same. Such happiness did not depend first and foremost upon the external circumstances or comforts of life for Brother Meinrad. Rather it became possible through his faithful remaining and enduring all in an ever-growing intense closeness to God, and in his encounters with Jesus and the Saints.

From that perspective, it is fitting that the monthly Brother Meinrad Day for September about Stability and Consecration happens to fall on to September 14th, together with “The Angelic Consecration”, which is, coupled with that special celebration, the perfect location for a direct encounter with Jesus Christ, as this is where people have experienced for centuries that Jesus is truly present in their midst. Brother Meinrad also had a special devotion to the Chapel of Grace and loved it as a spot for the most intensive communion with his Lord, especially when he was able to serve at the altar during Holy Mass at the Chapel of Grace. 

For Brother Meinrad, Einsiedeln became the place where, as a monk, he could truly experience that God personally showed Himself to this humble monk in Jesus Christ, and as Psalm 119 promises to those faithfully praying to always and forever follow the precepts of God: “Let Your mercy come to, O Lord, salvation in accordance with Your promise”. (Psalm 119, 41)

Reflections on “Consecration and Stability” for the 9th Brother Meinrad Day, September 14th, 2025, by: Father Meinrad Hoetzel, OSB

Introduction

The parents of Brother Meinrad were married on September 30th, 1833, whereby the sacramental foundation for the family in which Josef Gebhard Eugster grew up with his six siblings with the surety of being truly loved was laid. This is the reason for Father Philipp Steiner, OSB, to dedicate the October Reflections about Brother Meinrad to the subject of Love and Family and how we might reflect on realizing   the importance of love and family in our own lives.

Scripture: Colossians 3,12- 16

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, as in all wisdom you teach and admonish one another, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

Reflections

Dear Friends of Brother Meinrad, dear brothers and sisters! When the young  Journeyman- tailor Josef Gebhard Eugster applied to be received into the Benedictine Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln, he wrote a Curriculum Vitae in which he credits his family to be one of the reasons that led him to life in a monastery and he stated that “First of all I owe this to the awareness of having good parents, a pious mother, and an upbringing filled with good morals and religious practices, and to the many strong and steady exhortations by my parents and my siblings who lived either at home or abroad, and to the happy home, where we lived in peace and mutual love, and where we were content, in spite of being rather poor” (Werlen: “Your Always Grateful Brother Meinrad Eugster”, Pg. 15).

Those are indeed touching words the 25-year-old wrote about his family. He described a harmonious family life, very simple and rather modest, but rich in love for one another, and an essential ingredient contributing to his growth and maturing into a man. Brother Meinrad could look back onto his earlier family-life above Altstaetten with nothing but deep gratitude for what it taught him! Anyone living in a family or community understands the challenges and restrictions that living together inevitably brings. 

The special atmosphere ruling in the home of the Eugster family did not remain unnoticed by their contemporaries. As one neighbor would state about the family: “The house of Teacher Eugster was always filled with people. But there were never any sounds of disharmony or anger to be heard. All lived in peace with each other” (Juengt, “Life of The Servant of God Brother Meinrad Eugster”, Pg. 23). Thus the exhortation from Colossians could be observed as a living reality within the Eugster Family: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must also do. And over all these put on love, that is, the bond of perfection. And let the peace of Christ control your hearts, the peace into which you were also called in one body. And be thankful” (Col 3,12,14-15).

During the course of these reflections, we will briefly introduce the family members, as well as draw a sketch of Josef Gebhard during his childhood- and teenage years and talk about the people who in his younger life contributed to form him into the mature personality of the future Brother Meinrad. The Venerable Servant of God surely confirms the famous theological Maxime attributed to Thomas of Aquinas “Gratia supponit naturam et perficit eam” (Grace presupposes Nature and perfects it).

The already in the Curriculum Vitae mentioned “pious mother” was Anna Maria Eugster, nee Rechsteiner. Her family was originally from the Swiss Canton of Appenzell, although her parents already lived in the small town of Altstaetten in the Rhine Valley of the Canton St. Gallen. She was born in 1810 and passed away in 1871. She is described as a “deeply pious and introverted, woman who accepted each of her twelve children as gifts from Heaven, whom she raised for God” (Juengt, Pg. 14). Twelve children? Did we not learn that Josef Gebhard, the later Brother Meinrad, was the seventh and youngest child of his family? Actually, Anna Maria Eugster had to mourn the loss of five of her children, all of whom were less than five years old. Thus, our Brother Meinrad became the youngest of the seven children who reached adulthood. The loss of five such young children was only bearable for this mother through her unshakable faith. Nothing further is known about her than this brief information and no mention of her is to be found in any literature about her youngest and most famous son. There are no pictures of her available, as by the time the Eugsters posed as a family, she was already reunited with her five previously deceased children in Heaven. 

Johann Ulrich Eugster was the father of Brother Meinrad, born in 1809, and he died in 1879. He came from a family who had settled a long time ago in Altstaetten, and he served as a teacher at the “Bergschule am Gaetziberg” (Rural Mountain School Gaetziberg). None of his children, including Josef Gebhard, his youngest, attended his school, as their homestead was located just barely within the school district of Altstaetten, which caused the children to have to walk a very long distance to school. But his teaching position did not bring in enough of a salary to feed such a large family. So, he took knitting work home for a local textile mill and he grew a large garden, plus he kept a dairy cow, all of which helped to supplement the meager family income by becoming a self-sufficient crofter. In his hometown, he was known for his kindness and generosity towards the poor and needy, in spite of his own humble financial circumstances. He married his wife Anna Maria on September 30th, 1833, and together they set the example of living a true Christian life for their children. By doing so, the home of the Eugsters on top of the Gaetziberg above Altstaetten, the words of Christ from Colossians 3,16, to live in outward poverty but inner wealth, became the example and pattern of life for their children.

The older siblings of Josef Gebhard were described as follows: The highly intelligent Josef Anton (1834- 1907) first worked as a teacher at the town- school of Altstaetten, and later as the “Gemeindeschreiber” (Municipal Superintendent) of Altstaetten. Then there was the humble Johann Ulrich Niklaus (1836- 1908), who worked his entire life as machinist- knitter, followed by “restless Carl Heinrich” (1837- 1876), who was a businessman roaming back and forth between Paris, New York and England. He was followed by the more pious Johann Jakob (1844- 1914), who became known as a highly compassionate priest for several parishes of the Diocese of St. Gallen. There was only one girl among the children, their daughter Maria Anna, (1846- 1921) who served as the faithful cook and housekeeper for her brother, the priest. Johann Florian (1847- 1896) who was a very lively and outgoing man, did not succeed as a Capuchin, but was better suited to become a teacher and family man.

Josef Gebhard was the youngest of this bevy of children, but he was noticeable for another singular attribute observed by his priest- brother Johann who said about him the he was “the most obedient and pious one of all of us” (Juengt, Pg. 16). Even after school, which Josef Gebhard attended eagerly and diligently, as well as helping out in house, garden and byre, he still had enough time for carefree play time with his siblings. Their favorite spot was a tiny chapel he and his siblings had erected in the nearby woods, where they reenacted their own childlike version of “celebrating mass”.

In their home, located about 500ft above the town of Altstaetten, the Eugsters created a truly harmonious family life, in which each of their seven children could flourish according to their unique characteristics as far as it was possibly within the very limited means. In fact, it was only possible to consider sending two of their seven children to college. Thus, after only six years of basic education, Josef Gebhard had to be sent to the local textile mill to work from age 12 to 14, together with his sister Maria Anna, to earn money to help paying for the schooling of their two brothers Johann Jakob and Johann Florian. Father Thomas Juengt wrote about that time in his Brother-Meinrad-Biography that: “It was anything but fun for a boy of 12- 14 years of age, having grown up, so to speak, in “the freedom of God’s own nature” to be suddenly harnessed into the soulless and grinding life of a factory day after day. But both he and his sister Maria Anna knew that their sacrifice would help to make college possible for their two brothers, and their joy in trading the factory- hall for the cozy and happy family- den at home at the end of the day was always outweighing the hardships they had to endure” (Juengt, Pg.  24).

Two years later Josef Gebhard was able to start working for the local tradesman and flour mill owner Johann Baptist Rist as a delivery boy and assisting also with stocking merchandise. Plus, he was allowed to lodge with the Rist family. That time also turned into a precious memory for the Rist family, to which he remained grateful for the rest of his life. Then at age 16, his mother managed to secure him an apprenticeship as a tailor, which he concluded in April 1866 after taking his exams, permitting him to begin his Journeyman- Year with the then customary wanderings to gain experience, and with that, his childhood and his youth in Altstaetten ended.
Even though the children of the Eugster family all took different paths in life, they remained closely connected with each other, which continued to leave a mark on the life of Brother Meinrad, even though with his Final Profession he became a member of a new and very different family, the monastic family of the Benedictine Abbey of Maria Einsiedeln on September 5th, 1875. 

Father Thomas Juengt summarizes the life of the young Brother Meinrad with the following words: “In spite of all the deprivations and poverty, the home of the “Bergschullehrer” (Mountain School Teacher) was filled with a spirit of peace, piety, and joyfulness, which entered deeply into the soul of the young child Josef Gebhard, and remained in that soul as a precious heritage for life (Juengt, Pg. 23). This special loving and pious atmosphere in which he grew up enabled him in his later years in the Abbey to master whatever difficulties he might have encountered. He knew himself to be a much-loved child of his parents and a highly esteemed sibling to his brothers and sister, which proved to be of great value in his later monastic life, where he encountered his fair share of challenging characters, and yet he remained loving and accepting of them through his healthy and deep relationship with God. He once gave a Confrere who was struggling with anger the following advice: “Accept people for who they are, rather than what you would want them to be” (Juengt, Pg. 148).

When we in our own various situations of living together run into the limitations presented by our emotions and character flaws, Brother Meinrad can remind us to follow his secret recipe for a successful life with others by taking up the words of the Letter to the Colossians: “Bear one another and forgive one another; as the Lord has forgiven you” (Col. 3,12).

Reflections on “Love and Family” for the Tenth Brother Meinrad Day, October 14th, 2025, by: Father Philipp Steiner, OSB

Introduction

Faith and reconciliation are the subjects of the 11th Brother Meinrad Day. Father Philipp Steiner, OSB, takes this as an opportunity to draw a picture of the context in which Brother Meinrad received the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Both his expressions of faith through prayer as well as his understanding of the Sacrament of Reconciliation are strongly marked by the times in which he lived. Yet even within the imposed restrictions of his times, God formed an image of a mature, believing, and reconciled man through His mercy. 

Scripture: Second Letter to the Corinthians, 5, 17-21

So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come. And all this is from God, Who has reconciled us to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely, God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, He made the One to be sin Who did not know sin, so that we might become justified through Him in God.

Reflections

Dear Friends of Brother Meinrad, dear brothers and sisters! The 11th Brother Meinrad Day is dedicated to the themes of Faith and Reconciliation. By the term Faith, we refer to the first of the three theological virtues, which are the foundation of a Christian life. When we think about “Reconciliation”, we primarily think about Confession and the Sacrament of Reconciliation, but also about the principles of living a reconciled life. Thus we want to look deeper at the value of Confession and Reconciliation in Brother Meinrad’s life. 

However, this is no small undertaking! Father Thomas Juengt presented the following in his book about Brother Meinrad: “Even though he spoke rarely, and least of all about himself, it was immediately clear that one was confronted with a genuine, authentic and purified soul, free of guile or deceit. He had nothing to hide or about disguise himself. He just wanted to keep his internal life of virtue private, but even that desire was only due to his genuine  humility. The Servant of God feared that the few accomplishments he may achieved could lead others to ascribe greater virtues to him than he possessed, which in his personal convictions would be wrong”. (Juengt, Life of the Servant of God, Brother Meinrad Eugster, pg 105)

Thus we know very little about his own beliefs and can only glean a few glimpses of the internal light of his faith from observations by his Confreres. In the Treatise by the Postulators of the Beatification Process we can read the following excerpt about the heroic faith of the Servant of God: “His faith and its resulting external deeds were not simply caused by standard monastic formation and professional habits, but they were an external expression of his internal consent to the acceptance of the truths of his faith”. (Treatise, Beatification). This complete accord of internal and external consent is expressed in a very elementary and central aspect of his faith, which is the Eucharist. The same document proceeds to state that: “His external as well as his internal disposition spoke of an unfathomable sense of awe and adoration filling his very soul. When he served at Holy Mass, he did so with a devotion and visible depth that each move, and even the tiniest gesture was alive with his complete faith in the Holy Mysteries and so illuminating that even the presiding priest would be moved by it”. (Treatise, Beatification). 

The particular meaning of the Eucharist and how it manifested itself in him during the Mass and Adoration, has already been described and discussed previously in the Reflections of April 14th “Eucharist and Devotion”. So in this current Reflection, I want to focus more on other elements about the prayer life of Brother Meinrad and his internal convictions.

Just as his devotion to the Holy Eucharist in the presence of Bread and Wine confirmed the beliefs of the Venerable Servant of God, his deep love for the Mother of God and the Passion of Christ are further evidence of his true depth of his Christ- centered faith. Brother Meinrad would often immerse himself into the contemplation of the sufferings of Christ. A further testimony of this fact is the representation of the Crucified Christ he hung in his cell, which is covered with wounds. By today’s standards, this depiction of Jesus on the Cross, would be considered rather too graphic, but it moved Brother Meinrad to an ever-increasing sense of compassion. He also spent additional time of contemplation in the cloister- walk each day, and when he felt himself to be unobserved, he would lovingly kiss the wounds on the feet of the Crucified when passing Him. 

He honored the Blessed Virgin Mary, who had borne the Redeemer of the World particularly when Mass was celebrated at the Grace Chapel of the Abbey of Einsiedeln, and during his personal prayer, often spent in that Chapel dedicated to Her. On his free days, he also loved to go for hikes to seek quiet prayer in the Sanctuaries of Euthal or Rickental. As in the times of Brother Meinrad, the Lay Brothers were not permitted to attend the Sunday- or Feast Day prayers of the Choir Monks, he kept himself spiritually nourished by praying the Marian- Offices daily, and whenever possible in the company of a Confrere. One of them, Brother Norbert Loessner (1860- 1943) left us with a particularly beautiful insight about praying with his “Gebetsfreund” (Prayer Friend, with whom he prayed countless Rosaries, and Father Juengt included this in his book as follows: “We spent much time together, always praying together, but we rarely ever talked ”. (Juengt, pg 66). Another Confrere mentioned: “What exactly he prayed for, I do not know. But that he always did pray, of that I was certain”. (Juengt, pg 66). Next to uttering many “Stossgebete” (Fervently Uttered Prayers), something Brother Meinrad wove into his daily life, he liked using his own simple prayerbooks which remain in his little personal library in his cell to this day.

There are many pages of Praise and Thanksgiving smudged and marked and quite worn in those precious books. Father Martin Werlen, OSB, summarized the prayer life of Brother Meinrad in his book as follows: “He was always striving to remain in constant dialogue with God, and he considered the only reason for his existence was to perpetually praising God, which was his single mojos- and his fulfilment”. (Werlen, Your Ever Grateful Brother Meinrad Eugster, pg 36) He wanted to share this joy with others, either in praying with Confreres or with members of the “Prayer Apostolate”, a network he was responsible to coordinate at the Abbey of Einsiedeln.
There is still so much more to share about the intense prayer life of Brother Meinrad. Yet even these short Reflections show clearly that his daily life was permeated by constant internal prayer, but which was visible externally, and that this constant prayer was a true and indispensable personal need for his relationship with God.

Though his lively faith shone also in many other aspects. He wanted to share his happiness of being a Christian with others and make that possible for them. This imbued him with a particular zeal for the spreading of the faith and the missionary works of the Catholic Church. Even though only being a Lay Brother of the Abbey of Einsiedeln to whom a missionary deployment in North America had been denied in 1886 by the then Abbot Basilius Oberholzer, he still supported the needs for the Missions by collecting stamps with great personal enthusiasm. 

Although the external forms of piety from the bygone era of Brother Meinrad are no longer practiced in our own times, where all believers are encouraged to find their own personal expressions of prayer, Brother Meinrad remains an example for us when seeking to form an authentic relationship with God in our daily lives. Thus, the words of the Apostle Paul came true for himself: “So whoever is in Christ is a new creation: the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come”. (2 Cor, 5,17).

We are now approaching the second part of our Reflections about the role of the Sacrament of Confession and Reconciliation in the life of the Venerable Servant of God. But before we do so, we again have to remember that Brother Meinrad was a child of times where sin and the evaluation of its consequences was quite different, as was the receiving of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, and therefore in that respect, we can only look to him as an example in a limited way. This is not due to any fault on his part, the then practices of the Catholic Church regarding sin and penance was much different from today. In those days it was prevalent to perceive God mostly as a punitive judge, and rarely as God the Merciful Father. Due to this harsh and oppressive image of God, Confession was practiced weekly or more. Brother Meinrad, who never saw himself as exceptional, followed that requirement, and developed a corresponding negative self- image of being an incurable sinner.

Two examples from different phases of his life might illustrate this for our better understanding of his perceptions about sin and its effects in his life, one of which is found in a letter to his last Confessor in his old age, and another earlier one he wrote to his Spiritual Mother, Anna Maria Rist, dated December 31, 1882, where he asked her to “pray for me, a poor sinner, that my miserable soul will not be lost, and thank our Lord for me that He has granted me so many undeserved graces, among them the call away from the world into the monastic life”. This shows clearly that he perceived himself to be a constant and self- endangering sinner. But it also presents some insights as to why in all of his preserved letters he referred to himself only twice as a sinner and used the word sin only once. Given the context of his times, he used these terms extremely sparingly, which shows that he was clearly filled with an awareness of a deeply personal relationship of trust and confidence in a forgiving and merciful God. Yet at the same time, the oppression laid upon him from the still existing weekly requirement of confession continued to linger and to haunt  him until the end of his life, when his final Confessor stated after the death of the aged Brother Meinrad that “Only God knows how bitter it was for this good Brother each time, when he failed even with the best of will to come up weekly with some sort of sin to confess, but in his utter humility, that dear monk was deeply unhappy about being such a terrible sinner that he was not even able to recognize his own faults any longer”. (Juengt, pg. 106)

It is indeed so much more realistic and helpful in our own times to live a good and reconciled life with each other if we make the effort to use Confession as a healing way towards this end in whatever station of life we are placed and it will  reflect that same result within monastic communities as well. Brother Meinrad always begged for indulgence and acceptance of the weaknesses of his Brethren and was always ready to do penance on behalf of others, and to intervene and help removing misunderstandings and disagreements among the monks. But he also could, especially in his older years, become rather forceful when he felt injustices doled out to others should be dealt with fairly and compassionately.

Saints are not born ready made in some sterile laboratory tubes. They live in a very real world and real environment in which only the mercy of God forms them into mature personalities, that bear the likeness of Christ by their traits. Yes, Brother Meinrad was indeed a child of his times when practicing faith was rather rigid and oppressive, resulting in a negative self- image of being a constant heavy and hopeless sinner. But even having grown up within that restrictive frame, he matured in a calm and centered man and monk, who became more reconciled to his own limitations and those of others, because he knew them all to be gathered ultimately into the fullness of the mercy of God. The testimony of the life and faith of Brother Meinrad Eugster echo the words of the Apostle Paul in the Second Letter to the Corinthians perfectly. “So we are ambassadors for Christ, as if God were appealing through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He made Him to be sin, Him who did not know sin, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”. (2 Cor 5, 20-21)

Reflections on “Faith and Reconciliation” for the eleventh Brother Meinrad Day, November 14th, 2025, by: Father Philipp Steiner, OSB

Inspiration for Sunday, December 14th, 2025