Today April 15

Today, the ides of April, infamous Tax Day for Americans, is the feast of St. Peter Gonzales, confessor, (1190 - 1246). This man is better known as St. Elmo, and I don't know about you, but that always makes me think of St. Elmo's fire, a mediocre 80's movie and even more importantly a real phenomenon seen at sea when weird electrical discharges are seen as different-colored lights just off the prow or the mast of a ship and typically taken as a good omen by sailors. Sailors indeed love St. Elmo and take him as their patron. An unlikely one, considering his start: as a noble and arrogant young man who became a worldly and arrogant priest. But one day a horse threw him and the fall shook him up so much he regretted his former life and became a humble Dominican. A series of old friends and relatives went to him in the friary and tried to get him to return to his former dignity but he would have none of it.

He was ordered by his superiors to preach, and preach he did, all over the kingdoms of Leon and Castile, in humble abodes, on ships (the rough crews were his special concern, in court and castles, on battlefields and camps (he was even present at the bloody -- and successful -- battle of Cordova), even in the brothels. But never was any scandal attached to him (though he had his detractors), so much was his conduct above reproach. Indeed, he converted a prostitute who had tried to seduce him. He took the improbable -- and probably miraculous -- course of crawling into a burning fireplace and asking her to join him if she was so determined to sin! He emerged unhurt and she repented and reformed her life.

He died on the road to Compostela, chief of the shrines in Spain. Turning back to Tuy, he died in the arms of his friend the bishop there and in the company of several of his sailor friends. Good St. Elmo, pray for us.