Saint of the Day - Peter Regulatus

{From this site}

St. Peter Regulatus (1390-1456)
Feastday: March 30

Also Peter Regalado, Franciscan reformer. Peter was born at Valladolid, Spain, to a noble family, and entered the Franciscan Order in his native city at the age of thirteen. After several years, he transferred to a far more austere monastery at Tribulos, where he became known for his severe asceticism as well as his abilities to levitate and enter into ecstasies. A success as abbot, he gave himself over to bringing needed reforms to the monastery and to promoting reforms in other Franciscan houses. For his zeal in adhering to the rules of the community he was designated Regulatus.

Peter lived at a very busy time. The Great Western Schism (1378 - 1417) was settled at the Council of Constance (1414-1418). France and England were fighting the Hundred Years’ War, and in 1453 the Byzantine Empire was completely wiped out by the loss of Constantinople to the Turks. At Peter’s death the age of printing had just begun in Germany, and Columbus's arrival in the New World was less than 40 years away.
Peter came from a wealthy and pious family in Valladolid, Spain. At the age of 13, he was allowed to enter the Conventual Franciscans. Shortly after his ordination, he was made superior of the friary in Aguilar. He became part of a group of friars who wanted to lead a life of greater poverty and penance. In 1442 he was appointed head of all the Spanish Franciscans in his reform group.

Peter led the friars by his example. A special love of the poor and the sick characterized Peter. Miraculous stories are told about his charity to the poor. For example, the bread never seemed to run out as long as Peter had hungry people to feed. Throughout most of his life, Peter went hungry; he lived only on bread and water.

Immediately after his death on March 31, 1456, his grave became a place of pilgrimage. Peter was canonized in 1746.

Comment: Peter was an effective leader of the friars because he did not become ensnared in anger over the sins of others. Peter helped sinning friars rearrange the priorities in their lives and dedicate themselves to living the gospel of Jesus Christ as they had vowed. This patient correction is an act of charity available to all Franciscans, not just to superiors.

Key Words:

Supernatural ecstasy may be defined as a state which, while it lasts, includes two elements:
[1] the one, interior and invisible, when the mind rivets its attention on a religious subject;
[2] the other, corporeal and visible, when the activity of the senses is suspended, so that not only are external sensations incapable of influencing the soul, but considerable difficulty is experienced in awakening such sensation, and this whether the ecstatic himself desires to do so, or others attempt to quicken the organs into action.

Regulatus - couldn't find an ecclesiastic definition but I did find this:

During the 1400s, speakers of Middle English began using the word "regulate" much in the way we do today. "Regulate" entered English from the Late Latin "regulatus," which traces back to another Latin word "regula," meaning "rule." You might think "regula" also played a part in the word history of our word "regular" and you'd be right. "Regula" means "straightedge, rule," but the story doesn't stop there. "Regula" traces back to "regere," which means "to keep straight, direct," and that is the ultimate Latin ancestor of "regulate."