Image: Joseph von Führich, through Wikimedia Commons
May 15: Saint Isidore—Memorial wey No Be Obligatory for USA
c. 1070–c. 1130
Patron Saint of Madrid, farm dem, farmer dem, bricklayer dem, and community dem for village area
People dey ask for im intercession against di death of pikin
Pope Gregory XV declare am Saint, March 12, 1622
Liturgical Colour: White
Version: Full – Short
Podcast channel dem:
Apple – Spotify – iHeart – Audible
Quote:
But first seek di kingdom of God and His righteousness, and dem go give una all these things join. ~Matthew 6:33
Reflection: Saint Isidore, wey we dey honour today, na person wey people often dey call Isidore di Labourer, or Isidore di Farmer. E be ordinary man, husband, and papa wey live humble and simple life as e dey work for one landowner farm. Im extraordinary faith, wey make am always seek di Kingdom of God first, give us excellent example of how person fit reach extraordinary holiness inside di normal hard work of everyday life.
Dem born Isidore into poor family for Madrid. But im papa and mama get plenty virtue, and dem help am grow deep faith. For im baptism, dem name am Isidore after Saint Isidore of Seville, di great Spanish scholar and bishop of Seville wey live about 500 years before am. Because im family poor, Isidore di Labourer no get formal education. Instead, from when e still young, Isidore work as hired labourer for one rich landowner. Di landowner come love Isidore well-well and treat am like son; e even trust am to manage im estate. People believe say Isidore live as labourer for sixty years, but some other people think say e fit don die when e dey around forty years old.
Wetin make this humble and simple man join di rank of di Saint dem for di Church? To start with, dem talk say Isidore get extraordinary generosity towards poor people. Even though e too poor, e and im wife dey regularly share di small wey dem get with people wey need help pass dem. Dem also talk say e be man wey get deep prayer life. E dey regularly attend daily Mass before work, as e dey put God first every day. And because of im intercession, miracle dem plenty, no be only when e dey alive but also after e die.
Isidore and im wife get one son. One old story talk say their small pikin fall inside one big pit. Isidore and im wife pray with all their heart, and suddenly, di water inside di pit begin rise. Before long, di water don carry di boy reach di surface, and Isidore and im wife come fit pull am out.
Another old story talk say because Isidore dey attend Mass every morning, e dey reach work later than di other hired labourer dem. When di landowner hear complaint say Isidore dey come work late, e decide to find out wetin dey happen. True-true, di landowner discover say Isidore dey regularly come later than di others. When di landowner go meet Isidore to challenge am about this matter, e see something wey surprise am well-well. As e dey walk towards Isidore wey dey plough for farm, e see other people wey look like angel dem dey plough beside am, with oxen wey look like angelic creatures. So, God reward Isidore with help from angel dem to do even more work than di others, because Isidore dey put God first every day.
Isidore also dey care well-well for all di creatures wey God make. According to one old story, one day for winter, as Isidore dey carry one sack of grain go where dem go grind am, e see some hungry bird dem and share some grain with dem. This one make one of di people wey dey work with am criticise am. But after dem grind di grain wey remain for Isidore sack and return am to am, di flour wey e get na two times wetin di others get.
Other old story dem talk say Isidore bring im landowner daughter back to life, make spring of water come out for dry place so that thirsty people fit drink, and provide full pot of food to feed poor visitor dem wey dey hungry.
People also believe say Isidore wife, Maria, live very holy life. When their only son die at very young age, di husband and wife promise say dem no go have sexual relations again, and together dem dedicate themselves to God alone. For Spain, people dey call Maria Santa María de la Cabeza (Saint Mary of di Head). People don attribute miracle dem to her, and till today, dem dey carry di relic of her head for procession. People believe say, through her intercession on many occasions, rain don fall for village area dem during drought.
After Isidore die, the miracles continue. According to wetin dem report, Alfonso VIII, King of Castile, get vision of Saint Isidore during one battle against Muslims. For the vision, Saint Isidore show am and im army the way wey lead dem to victory in 1212. That same year, after flood, dem bring Saint Isidore body out of im grave through miracle, and dem see say the body never decay. Centuries later, when Phillip III, King of Spain, touch Saint Isidore body, e receive healing from one serious sickness through miracle. Altogether, throughout the centuries, dem don attribute more than 400 miracles to the prayers wey Isidore pray for people.
Another great honour wey dem give this simple, poor farmer wey humble come when Pope Gregory XV declare am Saint in 1622. Dem declare am Saint at the same time, for the same ceremony, with some of the saints wey people know and love well-well for the history of the Church: Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila, and Philip Neri.
Saint Isidore na the patron saint of Madrid, and people dey celebrate im feast well-well for that town and throughout Spain. Dem dey honour am too for many village communities for Chile, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, and the United States. Saint Isidore na saint for working people. As e dey work, e dey pray without stopping, and e dey offer im work to God as act of love. Saint Isidore life show the dignity wey work get, and e show ordinary worker the way to holy life. Everyday work and hard labour fit become way to honour God. Saint Isidore put God first for im life. From im faith and love for God, im work, im love for God and neighbour, and im dignity shine out.
Prayer: Saint Isidore, dem born you into poverty, and you work with the sweat of your brow throughout your life. Everything wey you do, you do am to give God glory. Even small work become holy for your life. Abeg, pray for me, make I find dignity and holiness as I dey do even the most ordinary chores and work for my life with love. Make I always seek God Kingdom first, and make wetin He want be the centre of my life. Saint Isidore the Labourer, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.
Dem take dis reflection from:
Saint Dem and Feast Dem for di Liturgical Year
Volume One–Four
Read More:
Catholic Saint Dem & Feast Dem
Butler: Di Life Story of di Saint dem
Informeshon About Saint dem for Katolik Church
All di Saint dem for di Liturgical Year
(Short Version)
May 15: Saint Isidore—Memorial wey No Be Obligatory for USA
c. 1070–c. 1130
Patron Saint of Madrid, farms, farmers, bricklayers, and village communities
Dem dey ask for im prayers against the death of a child
Pope Gregory XV declare am Saint, March 12, 1622
Saint Isidore, wey we dey honour today, na im people often dey call Isidore the Labourer, or Isidore the Farmer. E be ordinary man, husband, and papa wey live humble and simple life as e dey work for one landowner farm. Im faith show example of how person fit become holy through the ordinary hard work of everyday life.
Dem born Isidore into poverty for Madrid, and im papa and mama help am grow deep for faith. From when e young, Isidore work as hired worker for one rich landowner. The landowner come love Isidore well-well and treat am like son; e even trust am to manage im property.
Isidore and im wife dey regularly share the little wey dem get with people wey need pass dem. Isidore dey regularly attend Mass before work, and e dey put God first every day. Through the prayers wey e pray for people, plenty miracles happen, no be only when e dey alive, but after im death too.
Isidore and im wife get one son. One old story talk say their small pikin fall inside one big pit. Isidore and im wife pray with all their heart, and suddenly, the water inside the pit begin rise. The water carry the boy reach the surface, and Isidore and im wife fit pull am out.
Another old story talk say people complain to the landowner wey Isidore dey work for say Isidore dey come late for work after e attend Mass every morning. When the landowner go confront Isidore, wetin e see surprise am well-well. As e dey walk towards Isidore wey dey plough for the farm, e see others wey look like angels dey plough beside am, and the oxen wey dem dey use look like heavenly creatures. Na so God reward Isidore with help from angels, so e fit do even more work than the others.
According to one old story, when Isidore dey carry one sack of grain go where dem go grind am, e share some of the grain with some hungry birds. This one make one of im fellow workers criticise am. But after dem grind the grain wey remain for Isidore sack and return am to am, the flour wey e get na twice the amount wey the others get.
People believe say Isidore wife, Maria, live very holy life too. When their only son die at very young age, husband and wife promise say dem no go dey have sexual relations again, and both of dem dedicate themselves to God alone. For Spain, dem dey call Maria Santa María de la Cabeza (Saint Mary of the Head). People believe say, through the prayers wey she pray for dem on different occasions, rain don fall for the countryside during drought.
After Isidore die, the miracles continue. Dem talk say Saint Isidore show King Alfonso VIII army the way wey lead dem to victory over the Muslims in 1212. Centuries later, when Phillip III, King of Spain, touch Saint Isidore body, e receive healing from one serious sickness through miracle. Altogether, throughout the centuries, dem don attribute more than 400 miracles to the prayers wey Isidore pray for people.
Anoda big honour wey dem give this farmer wey live simple life, wey poor and humble, na when Pope Gregory XV canonize am for 1622, for di same ceremony with some of di saints wey people know and love pass for Church history: Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila, and Philip Neri.
Saint Isidore, dem born you into poverty, and you work with di sweat of your face throughout your life to give God glory. Abeg pray make I find dignity and holiness as I dey use love do di most ordinary chores and work for my life. Make I always seek God Kingdom first, and make His will be di centre of my life. Saint Isidore di Labourer, pray for me. Jesus, na You I trust.