May 15
Born in Madrid, Spain, Isidore was a lifelong farm laborer. He married Maria Torribia, also called Maria de la Cabeza, who is also a canonized saint. (Her feast day is September 9.) Their only child, a son, died in infancy.
Isidore was a man of prayer. He prayed as he walked behind his plow, and he rose early in the morning to go to church. This made him late for his work, but he always finished what was expected of him. One day, his employer, Squire de Vergas, decided to watch Isidore while he was working. The squire hid in some bushes. Isidore arrived late and began driving his oxen without hurry as he pushed the plow behind them. Then the squire saw something astonishing. He saw two angels, one on either side of Isidore, join him in pushing the plow.
Isidore was also known for his love for the poor and for supplying them with food. He also had great concern for the proper treatment of animals. The life of Saint Isidore teaches us that becoming a saint is possible for everyone. Isidore was not rich. He was not educated. He did not come from a famous family. He was just himself, giving his heart and mind to God every moment of every day. He was someone who cared for his fellow human beings and his fellow creatures. And so he became a saint.
Isidore’s story could have ended differently. Was he sad that his child died? Certainly! Was he angry that his child died? Possibly. Yet he went on with his life, trusting in God’s love. God does not desire death, but life. Isidore could have been bitter forever, building a wall between himself and God, between himself and his fellow human beings. Yet he trusted in the God of life and went on living the life he had been given—his ordinary life, with its joys and sufferings. Saint Isidore the Farmer, pray for us!
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