Usually the church celebrates saints’ feast days on the day of their death, but Isidore, the Farmer’s feast is celebrated May 15, when farmers begin sowing spring time seed in their fields. He is the patron of farmers and agricultural workers and also patron of Madrid, Spain.

Isidore was born into a poor family in Madrid about 1080 and worked for a rich landowner all of his life. He was a strong Christian who began his work with prayer, often at Mass, and prayed often during the day as he plowed the fields and cared for the farm.  With the little he had he took care of the poor. He and his wife, Maria, always had something ready in their home  for someone hungry and in need. 

Isidore loved God’s creation and the creatures that belonged to it. They say one winter day as he was carrying some grain from the storehouse he saw some hungry birds searching for food. He spilled out half the grain to feed them and, miraculously, when he arrived home the bags were still full.

You can see why he’s the patron of farmers and agricultural workers. In the United States he’s patron of the Catholic Rural Life Ministry started in 1923 to foster the spirituality of people living in rural America.

Lord God, all creation is yours, and you call us to serve you by caring for the gifts that surround us. May the example of Saint Isidore urge us to share our food with the hungry and to work for the salvation of all.. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ,