St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. Philip Neri are all well known. But the fifth saint canonized the same day may only be known by many as a city in California. Today we celebrate St. Isidore (sp. Isidro), the farmer. When we think farmer, we may think of a person who owns a farm. He was what we would now call a day laborer. Unlike the others with whom he was canonized, he didn't write any great works of spirituality or theology. He didn't lead any great movement or found a community.
The other four saints above were all Spanish nobility. He plowed fields. He went to daily mass. He would bring home other poor people and feed them dinner from what little he had. That was about it.
St. Isidore reminds us that sainthood is not just for the spectacular. All are called to sanctity of life, and today's saint reminds us that the simplest of people can be a saint. As his life shows us, it all begins with prayer.
It said that at times when he was in church in prayer, angels could be seen with him. Most important was that he spent time at prayer. On this his feast day we should turn to him not just as example but for his intercession, that all of us may slow down our life spend some quiet time with God.
