This Week In Ag #190
This week began with All Saints’ Day. Now you could make the case that a good number of farm wives, farm moms and farm grandmothers could qualify for sainthood, based on their patience, multitasking skills and selflessness. I’ve known and lived with some myself.
But did you know there is an official Patron Saint of Farmers?
Meet St. Isidore The Farmer. He was born in Madrid, Spain, in 1070. His deep connection to the land and animals began as a boy, when he left the city to work as a farm laborer on the estate of Spanish nobleman Ivan de Vargas.
Isidore would often show up late for work, as he dedicated much of his mornings to prayer, walking miles to attend daily church service. However, his work never suffered. Let’s just say he had help. Angels were said to plow fields and perform his farm duties while he was at church. Based on accounts from Master Vargas, when Isidore worked in the field, he would often plow three furrows with every pass, with angels flanking each side of him as he walked a single row.
During periods of extreme heat and drought, water sources miraculously appeared to hydrate his fellow workers and animals.
During a winter’s walk, while carrying a sack of grain to be ground, Isidore noticed a flock of helpless birds pecking at the frozen ground. He took pity and fed them half his sack. Yet when he got to the mill, his half sack of corn produced over three times the amount of flour as any full sack.
Even though he and his wife, Maria, lived modestly, Isidore frequently brought home dinner guests. These were needy peasants. He asked that his wife always have a kettle of stew ready. One evening, he brought home more needy people than his wife prepared for. When she broke the news, he told her to look in the pot. It was completely full of stew and provided enough to feed their many guests.
In total, St. Isidore performed 438 documented miracles. Two are typically required to be canonized as a saint.
St. Isidore was famous for saying, “Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.”
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