Nicholas of Flüe (1417–1487) was a Swiss farmer, soldier, and judge who, with the consent of his wife Dorothea and their ten children, withdrew at about age fifty to live as a hermit in the Ranft gorge. For nearly twenty years he was reported to live on the Eucharist alone, and in 1481 his counsel helped the quarreling Swiss cantons avoid civil war. Canonized in 1947, he is the patron saint of Switzerland.
Brother Klaus, as his people called him, shows that a life of deep prayer can flow from an ordinary life of family, work, and duty faithfully lived. He teaches us that peace — in a family, a community, or a nation — is won by hearts that are first at peace with God. His famous prayer of total surrender is a gentle guide for anyone learning to let go.
My Lord and my God, take everything from me that keeps me from You; give me everything that brings me nearer to You; and take me from myself and give me completely to Yourself. Amen.