Hymn
O God, who made man from the slime
According to Your form sublime,
And made Christ share our lowliness
To let us share His holiness:
Be in each brother’s hand a light
To show the path through this dark night,
Be in us each the burning fire
That kindles love and kills desire.
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. Everyone shall help his neighbor and shall say to his brother: / Be of good courage.
(Psalm 132)
All: Behold, how good it is, and how pleasant, where brethren dwell as one!
It is as when the precious ointment upon the head runs down over the beard, the beard of Aaron, / till it runs down upon the collar of his robe.
It is a dew like that of Hermon, / which comes down upon the mountains of Zion;
For there the Lord has pronounced his blessing, / life forever.
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: Everyone shall help his neighbor and shall say to his brother: / Be of good courage.
P. (Chapter–Romans 12:9-12) Let love be without pretense. Hate what is evil, hold to what is good. Love one another with fraternal charity, anticipating one another with honor. Be not slothful in zeal; be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, Be patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. You are citizens with the saints.
R. And members of God’s household.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. O God, You make all things work together unto good for those who love You. Give to our hearts an abiding love for You, so that the desires we conceive by Your inspiration may ever remain unchanged in spite of every temptation, through Christ Our Lord.
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
“When I first entered the seminary to study theology, I remember one of the formators speaking to us men about the importance of having a “kneeling theology.” Essentially, the priest was impressing upon us the value of grounding our study of theology in the discipline of prayer. At the heart of this prayer is the cultivation of a relationship with God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
In reviewing some of the artistic depictions of Saint Isidore the Farmer, I could not help but notice that there is one of him kneeling on the ground with his hands folded and his hat off in the midst of the field. As I gazed deeper into the image it suggested to me that in the work of farming there is a value in practicing a “kneeling agriculture” or a “kneeling work ethic” that continuously fosters a relationship with the Triune God.
This act of kneeling refers not just to the act of bending one’s knee in an expression of reverence, but it also points to a genuine humility that beholds God as the creator, source, and sustainer of life. I encourage you to take a knee and reflect upon the story of creation in the first chapter of Genesis with particular attention to the repeated phrase, “God saw that it was good.” While the days may be long and the work ever so grueling for the farmer, a “kneeling agriculture” helps us to see that no matter what it is all good.”
Bishop David Bonnar
Diocese of Youngstown
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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