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| St. Peter Gonzalez |
History
Peter
Gonzalez grew up thinking everybody would always love him. He became a priest,
but only because it was a way to get into the government. One Christmas, he
rode into Castille, Spain on a horse with a parade, all dressed up in his finest
clothes. All the people cheered for him. Either the horse got spooked or Peter
spurred him to make him prance – either way, Peter went flying off the saddle
and into a big pile of manure. He wasn’t hurt, but the people stopped cheering
and started laughing at him. At that moment, Peter realized how quickly he
could lose the respect of others. He withdrew to a monastery, and there he had
a profound encounter with Jesus. After that, Peter never wanted to be famous.
He turned down a job in King Ferdinand III’s court and preached to sailors and
shepherds instead.
Activity
In
our culture, there is a great deal of emphasis placed on appearances. If we
listen to what we hear on television, read on the Internet, or see in
magazines, we have to have a certain body shape, a certain kind of hair, a
certain way of speaking in order to be rich and popular. Saint Peter Gonzalez
learned the hard way that none of this matters. Today, ignore what the world
says you “should” be. Keep the television off. Put away the magazines. Cover
your mirrors with a piece of cloth or some waxed paper. Spend your day
listening to what God created you to be.
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