By Guest Contributor Father David Altman, O.C.S.O.–
(Editor Note: this is the eulogy delivered on June 23, 2018 for Brother Nicholas (February 17, 1927 – June 18, 2018) by his fellow Utah Trappist monk and former abbot Father David Altman. It is reprinted with permission from the Prinster family, which also thanks Father David Trujillo for his assistance in the services for Brother Nick.)
Today we celebrate the life, death, and resurrection to new life, of a dearly beloved brother relative, and friend. That description sounds much like the contribution that Christ made to our lives, and it is. Like all Christians, our lives are called to be a re-living of Christ’s life of good will, redemption and sanctification. And we celebrate our Brother Nicholas’ success at this mass.
The cardinal principle of life is that it’s only through challenges that people grow, and Br. Nicholas achieved the closeness to God that he enjoyed by persevering through the many challenges of a close community life. In this respect monastic life is much like a marriage, where the primary effort is directed toward making relationships work, in love and peace.
Christ is our perfect example of how to live, and grow through life’s challenges, into the strength of character we need to live life well. And to die well. Br. Nicholas is also our example now, because the one, most important example we can learn and follow, from Christ and from Nicholas is perseverance. Everyone lives a spiritually and morally imperfect life. No one has a perfect record, but it’s how a person finishes life, that’s what determines our places in relation to God. Br. Nicholas was a tough leader in his youth and middle age. I saw and appreciated how his toughness gave way to greater understanding and kindness as he increased in age. It was Fulton Sheen who gave us the three-fold formula for winning converts to faith, or to anything else for that matter: kindness, kindness, and more kindness. It’s a good Trinitarian formula for winning God for ourselves as well, because the kindness we show toward anyone, is shown toward God in that person.
In addition to a monastic career of managing our income-producing industries, including the large ranch operation, Br. Nicholas spend the last years of his life crafting the beautiful clocks and boxes that added to the Monastery’s income and reputation.
Notably, it was through Br. Nicholas’ membership in the co-workers of Mother Teresa of Calcutta that Mother Teresa herself visited our home, the Monastery, in 1972. That was a wonderful gift, for which we can credit Br. Nicholas.
Now that Br. Nicholas has completed his journey on earth, he has earned a place of intercession for us. He has finished his work in time, only to begin the most important work in heaven, of prayer. We have now a loved one to pray for, so that we can have him to pray to.
The time of this life is, more than anything else, a preparation time for an endless reward. Br. Nicholas was gifted with over 60 years of monastic life in preparation for his eternal relationship with God. How did he merit exactly before God? We don’t know now, but one day, one eternal day, we will know, when we take our turns at completing our journeys, because we will all meet again, at an eternal family reunion, in the everlasting kingdom of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with our Creator-Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever, Amen.
