EWTN Daily Saint
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Saint of the Day for May 15(1070 – May 15, 1130)
Saint Isidore the Farmer’s StoryIsidore the Farmer has become the patron of farmers and rural communities. In particular, he is the patron of Madrid, Spain, and of the United States National Rural Life Conference. When he was barely old enough to wield a hoe, Isidore entered the service of John de Vergas, a wealthy landowner from Madrid, and worked faithfully on his estate outside the city for the rest of his life. He married a young woman as simple and upright as himself who also became a saint—Maria de la Cabeza. They had one son, who died as a child. Isidore the Farmer had deep religious instincts. He rose early in the morning to go to church and spent many a holiday devoutly visiting the churches of Madrid and surrounding areas. All day long, as he walked behind the plow, he communed with God. His devotion, one might say, became a problem, for his fellow workers sometimes complained that he often showed up late because of lingering in church too long. He was known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore the Farmer’s supplying them miraculously with food. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of animals. He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622, with Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, and Philip Neri. Together, the group is known in Spain as “the five saints.”
ReflectionMany implications can be found in a simple laborer achieving sainthood: Physical labor has dignity; sainthood does not stem from status; contemplation does not depend on learning; the simple life is conducive to holiness and happiness. Legends about angel helpers and mysterious oxen indicate that his work was not neglected and his duties did not go unfulfilled. Perhaps the truth which emerges is this: If you have your spiritual self in order, your earthly commitments will fall into order also. “[S]eek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness,” said the carpenter from Nazareth, “and all these things will be given you besides” (Matthew 6:33).
Saint Isidore the Farmer is the Patron Saint of:Farmers
Rural Laborers
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Friday of the Sixth Week of EasterLectionary: 295 Reading 1Acts 18:9-18 One night while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to him in a vision,
"Do not be afraid.
Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you.
No one will attack and harm you,
for I have many people in this city."
He settled there for a year and a half
and taught the word of God among them. But when Gallio was proconsul of Achaia,
the Jews rose up together against Paul
and brought him to the tribunal, saying,
"This man is inducing people to worship God contrary to the law."
When Paul was about to reply, Gallio spoke to the Jews,
"If it were a matter of some crime or malicious fraud,
I should with reason hear the complaint of you Jews;
but since it is a question of arguments over doctrine and titles
and your own law, see to it yourselves.
I do not wish to be a judge of such matters."
And he drove them away from the tribunal.
They all seized Sosthenes, the synagogue official,
and beat him in full view of the tribunal.
But none of this was of concern to Gallio. Paul remained for quite some time,
and after saying farewell to the brothers he sailed for Syria,
together with Priscilla and Aquila.
At Cenchreae he had shaved his head because he had taken a vow. Responsorial PsalmPsalm 47:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 R. (8a) God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
He brings people under us;
nations under our feet.
He chooses for us our inheritance,
the glory of Jacob, whom he loves.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia.
God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
R. God is king of all the earth.
or:
R. Alleluia. AlleluiaSee Luke 24:46, 26 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead,
and so enter into his glory.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. GospelJohn 16:20-23 Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy.
When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived;
but when she has given birth to a child,
she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy
that a child has been born into the world.
So you also are now in anguish.
But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice,
and no one will take your joy away from you.
On that day you will not question me about anything.
Amen, amen, I say to you,
whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you."
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Praise to You Oh Lord Jesus Christ!
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From Word Among Us WAU.org
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Daily Meditation: John 16:20-23I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice. (John 16:22) These must have been very reassuring words! Even though Jesus had just predicted his death, he also promised that his apostles would see him again. He would rise from the dead, and their hearts would rejoice! We, too, rejoice in the resurrection, and we hope to see Jesus again in heaven. But Jesus promised that his apostles would see him even during their lifetimes. Is that promise true for us as well? How can we “see” Jesus here and now? Let’s consider what happened to the apostles. Indeed, they saw Jesus after his resurrection. But that wasn’t the end of the story. After he ascended, when Jesus was no longer physically with them, he sent his Spirit, who dwelled in them and opened them to a new interior relationship with him. So Jesus was still present to them—and in a profound and unchanging way. As a result, their hearts continued to “rejoice” in him (John 16:22). In today’s first reading, in fact, the Lord assures St. Paul of this very thing: “Do not be afraid,” he tells Paul. “Go on speaking, and do not be silent, for I am with you” (Acts 18:9-10, emphasis added). Like the apostles, our hearts can rejoice, too—not just at the hope of seeing Jesus at the end of our lives, but also in the truth that he is with us every day. Through the Spirit, we can stay connected to Jesus. What joy to know that we belong to Christ and that we have access to him at any time! That includes both the challenging times as well as the happy times. We can hear his assurance that he is with us when we are feeling burdened, and we can feel him rejoicing with us in the good times. Every day we can taste the sweetness of knowing that we are precious to him. So let your heart rejoice! Jesus has promised that you will see him—that you can see him—right here and right now. And ask the Spirit to help you keep your eyes open for his presence within you and his work in the world and in the people around you. “Lord Jesus, I rejoice in your presence!” Acts 18:9-18
Psalm 47:2-7
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Reflections with Brother Adrian:
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Audio of 2 Cents
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From today's Holy Gospel: "Jesus said to his disciples:
"Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn,
while the world rejoices;
you will grieve, but your grief will become joy. ”
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Our Lord asks us to take heart. He knows you are sad. He knows that you worry. He knows your heart unlike anyone else on earth.
As a matter of fact, in my studies of purgatory souls, and near death experiences... and even the Book of Heaven, it seems the Lord is even more intimately united with those who suffer and unite with His suffering. Like a little girl that was abused, she grew, had a near death experience and the Lord revealed what He saw when she was most down and felt dirty growing up, praying, seeking Him, she had gone through all of that... and yet, in His eyes, she was still so very precious. He saw a precious little girl, not what she was feeling inside.
And another thing I'm learning in these studies...He also takes into account...how you persevere. Getting back up and trying over and over again...He sees that! Isn't that awesome? He knows you are trying...He knows you are taking babysteps and are falling. But He knows you can do this. He knows you can be that saint! Otherwise, He would not have me here writing to you to do so!
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Random Bible Verse 1
Deuteronomy 7:9 [Deuteronomy 7] " Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations"
Word of the Lord!
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God Bless You! Peace
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