SAINT ISIDORE THE FARMER
Born: Madrid Spain around 1070
Died: Madrid Spain on May 15, 1130
Beatified: May 2, 1619 in Rome by Pope Paul V
Canonized: March 12, 1622 in Rome by Pope Gregory XV
Feast Day: May 15
Patron of farmers and day laborers
Saint Isidore was born at Madrid, Spain in the latter half of the 12th century. His parents were extremely poor and Isidore had to work at an early age. It is not known how his parents lived, how many siblings he had, if any, or where he ranked in the family. Nor is it clear if he ever received any formal education.
You can imagine the poverty of his parents if they were unable to even take care of their child. That is a poverty that most of us are not familiar with or have even seen. Nevertheless, God in His goodness provided a way to care for their child when Isidore was accepted as a hired hand to a wealthy Madrid landowner, Juan de Vargas. Isidore worked faithfully on Juan Vargas’ estate outside the city of Madrid for the rest of his life.
Isidore was deeply religious. He rose early in the morning to go to Mass. Any free time, he would spend visiting the many churches in Madrid and the surrounding areas. All day long as he walked behind the plow, he prayed and listened to God. His devotion became a problem for some of his fellow workers even though it shouldn’t have bothered them.
One day however, his fellow workers complained to their boss that Isidore was always late for work in the morning because he went to Mass first. His employer decided to investigate. One morning Juan Vargas hid himself so that he could observe Isidore’s arrival. Sure enough the complaints were true. As Senor Vargas approached Isidore to speak to him about this problem, he saw a second team of snow white oxen led by unknown figures plowing beside the team driven by Isidore. Other people also reported seeing angels assisting Isidore.
On another occasion, Isidore’s master saw an angel ploughing on either side of him, so that Isidore’s work was equal to three workers. Saint Isidore is also said to have brought back to life his master’s deceased daughter and to have caused a fountain of fresh water to burst from the dry earth to quench his master’s thirst.
Once, when Isidore was invited to a dinner he remained so long in prayer at the church that the feast was almost over when he arrived accompanied by a train of beggars, poor people with whom he often shared his meals. The host feared that there would not be enough for so many. Isidore assured the man that there would be enough for himself and for Christ’s poor. And so there was.
Another example of multiplication of food is associated with Isidore’s great love of animals. One snowy day, as he carried a sack of grain to the mill to be ground, he saw a number of birds perched on the bare trees. They had nothing to eat. Isidore opened his sack while his companion made fun of him and emptied half the bag on the ground. When the two arrived at the mill, Isidore’s sack was still full and produced more than the usual amount of flour.
Saint Isidore married Maria Torribia who is also a canonized saint. She is known as Santa Maria de la Cabeza in Spain. Isidore and Maria had one son who died in his youth. On one occasion, their son fell into a deep well and at the prayers of his parents, the water of the well is said to have risen miraculously to the level of the ground, bringing the child with it, alive and well. Later after the death of their son, Maria and Isidore felt that God was leading them to live completely chaste lives. They arranged to dwell in separate houses.
Isidore, a man so favored in his earthly life and so powerful before the throne of God after his death was just a simple, humble, poor man, a hired hand, a laborer who had no hope of owning a farm and perhaps no desire to own anything either. He didn’t feel sorry for himself that he wasn’t wealthy or educated or didn’t have a fine job, the many things we often feel are what we need to succeed and be happy. He was a simple man deeply in love with God and His creation. He went to work everyday, did the best he could and left the rest to His Creator. He recognized God’s will in every second of the day and in every situation he met. He saw working as a farm hand, with animals, with the poor as a beautiful work and one which would allow the love of Christ to reach others.
Isidore died on May 15, 1120 at the age of 60. He was canonized in 1622 along with four very well-known Spanish saints often referred to in Spain as “The Five Saints”. The group included, St. Ignatius of Loyola, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Francis Xavier, St. Philip Neri and St. Isidore. The body of St. Isidore has been found incorrupt.
St. Isidore is the patron of Madrid, as well as Leon, Saragossa, and Seville. He is also considered the patron of farmers, peasants, day laborers and rural communities. Lastly, he is the patron of the United States National Rural Conference, an organization founded in 1923. Its mission is to apply the teachings of Jesus Christ for the betterment of rural America’s care of God’s creation.
In the forty years following his death, the many miracles worked through St. Isidore’s intercession led to his body being transferred to a shrine within the church of St. Andrew.
In 1211, Isidore appeared to King Alphonsus of Castile, who was fighting the Moors in the pass of Navas de Tolosa and showed him a hidden path by means of which he was able to surprise and defeat the enemy. Much of Spain was under the control of the Moors or Muslims as they were also known and the Christians were involved in the “Reconquista” or the reconquering of their land.
More than four hundred years later another king, King Phillip III, was so ill that his physicians were sure he was going to die. The shrine of St. Isidore was carried in solemn procession from Madrid to the King’s room. The hour the relics were removed from the church the fever left the King and when they were brought into his presence, the King recovered completely.
Saint Isidore, a common, ordinary person like us, who lived a humble life, loved God and all of His creation and was found to be pleasing to God as His very good servant. Please help us to serve God well by humbly and cheerfully embracing His holy will in our lives.
RESOURCES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moorish_Spain
http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/SaintOfDay/default.asp?id=1384
http://www.ncrl.com/isidore-traditionalstory.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrid_(autonomous_community)
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Isidore_the_Laborer&printable=yes
http://www.catholic.org/printer_friendly.php?id=353§ion=Saints+%26+Angels
http://www.ncrlc.com
http://www.savior.org/saints/isidore.htm