Hymn
O Lord, as You by Your command
For all men’s use have made the land,
Yet have allowed man’s wise decree
Rule it be cared for privately;
Let us know that what we control
Is made for mankind as a whole,
And we must an accounting give
Of what God lends us while we live.
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. And other seeds fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, / some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
(Psalm 64:10-14)
All: You have visited the land and watered it; greatly have you enriched it.
God’s watercourses are filled; / you have prepared the grain.
Thus have you prepared the land, / drenching its furrows, / breaking up its clods.
Softening it with showers, / blessing its yield.
You have crowned the year with your bounty, / and your paths overflow with a rich harvest;
The untilled meadows overflow with it, / and rejoicing clothes the hills.
The fields are garmented with flocks / and the valleys blanketed with grain. / They shout and sing for joy.
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: And other seeds fell upon good ground, and yielded fruit, / some a hundred fold, some sixtyfold, and some thirtyfold.
P. (Chapter–James 5:7-10) Be patient therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruits of the earth, being patient until it receives the early and late rain. Do you also be patient; strengthen your hearts; for the coming of the Lord is at hand.
R. Thanks be to God.
V. Prepare your work outdoors, and diligently till the ground.
R. That afterwards you may build your house.
Let us pray.
P. Pour down Your blessing, we beg of You, O Lord, upon Your people, and upon all the fruits of the earth, so that when collected they may be mercifully distributed to the honor and glory of Your holy name, 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
In writing this short reflection preparing for the feast of St. Isidore the Farmer, my mind goes to the shepherds of our rural communities. We have just celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday on May 11, and we thank God for the shepherds he has sent to our parishes. Our priests often have multiple parishes to which they tend, and they do so day in and day out without complaint (most of the time). Like children who take for granted the sacrifices and service of their parents, we sometimes fail to thank intercede for our spiritual fathers.
Yet this is exactly how the Body of Christ works, each of us has a different role in the building up of the Kingdom, but we desperately need each other. Please support your pastors who strive to live the joy of the Gospel in so many various settings, and most especially those who are in remote locations with multiple communities for which to care. Your priests need you to be their community and family – love and nurture them as they love and feed you with the Body of Christ.
To My brother priests, as shepherds of the flock(s) entrusted to your care, please do not neglect to listen to the voice of the Good Shepherd in daily prayer, and hear Him say to you, I am with you always. Thank you for your service and ministry to our families, we love you and we support you!
Bishop David Toups
Diocese of Beaumont
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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