His uncle, the bishop of Astorga in Castile, Spain, appointed Blessed Peter as a cathedral canon, even though he was under age. Swollen with pride, Peter rode jauntily through the city until his horse dumped him. The crowd’s jeers prompted him to reconsider his situation. And later he joined the Dominicans. Impressed by Peter’s strong preaching gift, Ferdinand III of Castile retained him as chaplain. When the king warred against the Moors, Peter accompanied the army and worked to restrain their pillaging and violence. Then he retired from the court to spend the rest of his life preaching the good news in the rural areas of northwest Spain. When our pride dumps us down, we will do well to imitate Blessed Peter’s humility.
