Hymn
O Lord, as You have made the earth,
To man and beast have given birth,
Have given sun and rain that thence
The soil might give them sustenance:
We beg You make us willing to
Perform the law we get from You
That work of ours and grace of Yours
May bring the increase that endures.
Through Jesus Christ let this be done,
Who lives and reigns, our Lord, Your son,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
One God with You forevermore.
Antiphon
P. How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
(Psalm 8)
All: O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth! You have exalted your name above the heavens.
Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings you have fashioned praise because of your foes, to silence the hostile and the vengeful.
When I behold your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place:
What is man that you should be mindful of him, or the son of man that you should care for him?
You have made him little less than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.
You have given him rule over the works of your hands, putting all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen, yes, and the beasts of the field.
The birds of the air, the fishes of the sea, and whatever swims the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how glorious is your name over all the earth!
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.
Antiphon
All: How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
P. (Chapter–Genesis 1:25 and 2:15) God made all kinds of wild beasts, every kind of cattle, and every kind of creature crawling on the ground. And God saw that it was good. The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till it and to keep it.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. You raise grass for the cattle and vegetation for men’s use.
R. Producing bread from the earth, and wine to gladden men’s hearts.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. Grant, we beg of You, O Merciful Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore, farmer and confessor, we may forego the pride of worldly wisdom, and that, through his merits and exemplary life, we may, with all humility, ever perform works pleasing to You, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
V. St. Isidore.
R. Pray for us.
Antiphon
All: How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
P. (Chapter–Genesis 1:25 and 2:15) God made all kinds of wild beasts, every kind of cattle, and every kind of creature crawling on the ground. And God saw that it was good. The Lord God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden, to till it and to keep it.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. You raise grass for the cattle and vegetation for men’s use.
R. Producing bread from the earth, and wine to gladden men’s hearts.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. Grant, we beg of You, O Merciful Lord, that through the intercession of blessed Isidore, farmer and confessor, we may forego the pride of worldly wisdom, and that, through his merits and exemplary life, we may, with all humility, ever perform works pleasing to You, through our Lord, Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and is King and God with You, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever.
R. Amen.
V. St. Isidore.
R. Pray for us.
Prayer in Honor of Saint Isidore
All: O God, who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil, and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine, revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls, deign, we pray, through the merits of blessed Isidore, to instill into our hearts a horror of sin and a love of prayer, so that, working the soil in the sweat of our brow, we may enjoy eternal happiness in heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.
R. Amen.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
V. Let us bless the Lord.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
R. Amen.
REFLECTION
Every task carries the opportunity to be a prayer. Whether plowing, planting, or harvesting, these tasks of bringing forth the fruits of the earth can also bring forth heavenly fruits. Tradition suggests St. Isidore would sometimes show up late to work because he spent too much time in prayer at Mass; but he would carry forth this prayer into his daily labors on the farm. Mass has a way of centering us on Christ. If we allow ourselves to be fascinated by him each day, our lives will never be the same. When we are fascinated by someone, our thoughts and actions are filled with them. When our actions are filled with Christ, those actions become a work of prayer.
While attending daily Mass is not always possible for everyone, especially in our rural communities, God gives each of us the gift of time and asks us to steward it well. Farmers and ranchers understand the concept of stewardship in a very practical, lived sense. Caring for the earth and for animals—the gifts of God—produces abundance that can be shared with others. Similarly, the time we give to God produces spiritual abundance in our lives that also can be shared with others. Just as St. Isidore turned his farm labors into prayer, we too can offer our daily work as a prayer. Allowing God access to every aspect of our lives allows him to do so much more with our lives than we could on our own. Let us make our labor, our very lives, a prayer.
by Bishop James Golka
Diocese of Colorado Springs
Catholic Rural Life Board Member
Recite the Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory be (etc.), three times, followed by a prayer of your choice for special needs.
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