One of the very best contemporary retablo
Layman, farmer, day-laborer, ordinary contemplative.
His wife is a saint too: Santa María de la Cabeza. His co-workers complained that he wasted his time in prayer and didn't get his work done. The Landowner spied on him and saw an angel doing his work while he prayed. St Isidore was canonized in good company - forty years after his death, along with St. Teresa of Avila, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, and Philip Neri.
The saint is an important figure for immigrants and day laborers - migrant workers. Yet he edified kings and nobles, bishops and cardinals, professionals and ordinary workers. He is an example of ordinary sanctity - ordinary contemplative life. Simple, humble, faithful. Despite the image of an angel doing his work, the saint earned his living by hard work without neglecting the interior life. How awesome is that? It is like our holy father St. Joseph who was dedicated to work and yet is the patron of the interior life. Ordinary life - St. JoseMaria Escriva pointed to the greatness of ordinary life throughout his ministry.
We can be saints right where we are - no matter where we are. The Kingdom of God is within. We are the tabernacle of the Most High - in the midst of our milieu. Our faith is weak. May St. Isidore obtain for us a deeper, living faith.
Maria de la Cabeza could be a
patron for some of my readers who may be
loco en la cabeza.
¿qué?
Gracias !
ReplyDeleteSaint Patron of Madrid, Spain...were I was born. My first Holy Communion was on this day too