Hymn
As we, if we should ride upon
The golden wings (O God) of dawn,
And seek the ends of earth and sky,
Could not escape Your loving eye:
We beg that we by faith may see
Your sweet and fierce ubiquity,
And may deserve at last by grace
To see You always face to face.
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. O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet: / blessed is the man who hopes in him.
(Psalm 1)
All: Happy the man who follows not the counsel of the wicked,
Nor walks in the way of sinners, / nor sits in the company of the insolent,
But delights in the law of the Lord / and meditates on his law day and night.
He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields fruit in due season, / and whose leaves never fade.
Whatever he does prospers. Not so the wicked, not so; / they are like chaff which the wind drives away.
Therefore in judgment the wicked shall not stand, / nor shall sinners, in the assembly of the just.
For the Lord watches over the way of the just, / but the way of the wicked vanishes.
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: O taste, and see that the Lord is sweet blessed is the man who hopes in him.
P. (Chapter–I Timothy 4:15-16) Meditate on these things, give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be manifest to all. Take heed to yourself and to your teaching, be earnest in them. For in so doing you will save both yourself and those who hear you.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul.
R. The decree of the Lord is trustworthy, giving wisdom to the simple.
V. The Lord be with you.
R. And with your spirit.
Let us pray.
P. Breathe into our hearts, we beg You, O Lord, a desire for heavenly glory, and grant that we may come, bearing in Our hands the sheaves of justice, to where the blessed Isidore is resplendent with You in glory, 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
As we prepare to celebrate the feast of Sts. Isidore and his wife Maria, the patrons of farmers and rural life, let us reflect on the powerful witness of their lives.
This holy couple lived in Spain near Madrid in the 11th century, and worked as agricultural laborers, their lives marked by a deep Catholic faith, an intense piety, a love for the poor and for nature, as well as a strong work ethic.
Miraculous stories abound of angels finishing his plowing while Isidore prayed in solitude, and of supernatural multiplications of food, which this generous couple shared with the poor.
Their fusion of faith and farming reminds us that farmers embrace a profound vocation of cultivating the world God made, in order to feed all of us.
Farming is both spiritual and vocational—but it is not easy.
In recent years, many family farms have gone bankrupt, the cost of fuel, seed, and fertilizer has sky-rocketed, and yet the remuneration farmers receive for their hard work and sacrifice is often flat-lined.
The stress that many farmers feel in the current moment contributes to increases in depression, suicide, marital challenges, and poverty.
A whole way of family life on the land is in danger of disappearing.
Only by sharing resources, working together on bigger projects, and simply having accurate knowledge of the strengths and challenges of our people, can the local Church will be better equipped to respond to needs and offer a more effective pastoral presence to those in rural areas.
As we prepare for the feast of Sts. Isidore and Maria, let us implore the heavenly intercession to them as we pray for and support our farmers, asking for good weather and abundant harvests, as well as a deep and abiding faith.
Bishop Donald Hying
Diocese of Madison
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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