Saint of the Day – 20 March – St Guillermo de Peñacorada (Died c1042) Abbot, Miracle-worker. Patronage – Cistierna, Spain and he is invoked for rain in times of drought and he regularly proves his worth, bringing rain whenever needed. Also known as – Guglielmo, William.
We have no information regarding the early life of our Saint today. He became a Monk in the Cluniac Monastery of Satagún in the Province of León in Spain.
In 988 he fled with the other Monks from the horrors of the Almanzor invasion. They initially took refuge in a grotto on the southern slopes of Peñacorada, near Cistierna. This rough Hermitage became a pilgrimage site and remains so today. Below is an image of the Hermitage of Saint Guillermo, which is attended by devotees throughout the year.
After quite a long period in the Grotto, Guillermo and his Friars accepted the hospitality of the Augustinian Abbey near the Sanctuary of the Virgen de la Velilla, in the northern area of Peñacorada. There, after some time, he was elected Abbot and governed with great foresight.
Upon his death he was proclaimed a Saint and immediately afterwards the Monastery was solemnly renamed in his honour.
In the year 1281, the Monastery of St Guillermo de Peñacorada was annexed by King Sancho IV to the Cathedral of León.
Postage Stamp featuring St Guillermo
His Relics are located in La Mata de Monteagudo and lhe is remembered and celebrated on 20 March.
St Scholastica was the twin sister of St Benedict (480-547) and the Foundress of the Benedictine Nuns. As twins, St Scholastica and St Benedict were naturally born together and died within 6 weeks of each other. She is the Patron of Schools and Education, especially – tests and reading; of Convulsive children; Nuns; invoked against storms, lightening; rain. Normally prayed from 1 February until the 9th, in preparation for her Feast day on the 10 February.
O God, Thou caused the soul of Thy blessed virgin Scholastica, to enter heaven in the form of a dove, to show us the way of innocence. Grant us, by her prayers and merits, to live in such innocence that we may deserve to attain eternal joys. Through Jesus Christ, Thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. V. By the example and intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, keep us faithful to Thy Word. R. Hear us, O Lord. V. By the example and intercession of St Scholastica, keep us rooted in Thy love. R. Hear us, O Lord. V. By the example and intercession of all the holy virgins, keep us firm in prayer and charity. R. Hear us, O Lord.
(Mention your request here…)
Lord our God, Thou robed the virgin St Scholastica with the beauty and splendour of love. Help us to walk blamelessly before Thee, so that in the company of virgins, we may praise Thy Name forever and find our delight in Thee, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen
Saint of the Day – 11 April – Saint Godeberta (c640-c700) Abbess, Miracle-worker. Born in c640 near Amiens, France and died in c700 at Noyon, France of natural causes. Patronages – against plague/epidemics, for drought relief )fpr rain) , of Noyon, France. Also known as – Godeberta of Noyon, Godebertha, Godberta.Godeberta means “fervour.” Additional Memorials – 11 June, the Fifth Sunday after Easter.
Godeberta was born about the year 640, at Boves, a few leagues from Amiens, in France;. She was very carefully educated, her parents being of noble rank and attched to the Court of King Clovis II. When the question of her marriage was being discussed in the presence of the King, the saintly Bishop of Noyon, St Eligius, as if by inspiration, presented Godeberta with a golden ring and expressed the hope that she might devote her life to the service of God. Godeberta, moved by the Holy Spirit and feeling her heart suddenly filled with Divine love, turned away from the bright prospects before her and refused the advantageous offers which had been made by her noble suitors. She declared her willingness to be the spouse of Christ and asked the holy prelate to allow her to assume the veil.
The Legend of Saint Eligius and Saint Godeberta, by Petrus Christus.
In a short time all opposition to her wishes disappeared and she entered on her new life under the guidance of St Eligius. The King of the Franks was so impressed by her conduct and her zeal that he made her a present of the small palace which he had at Noyon, together with a little Chapel dedicated to St George. Godeberta’s example inspired a number of young women to follow in the same path and she founded in her new home, a Convent, of which she became the Abbess
Here she passed the remainder of her life in prayer and solitude, save when the call of charity or religion, brought her forth among the people, many of whom were still sunk in the vices of paganism. She was remarkable ,in particular, for the constant penances and fasts, to which she subjected herself. She had a wonderful faith in the efficacy of that ancient practice of the early Christians–the Sign of the Cross and, it is recorded, that on one occasion, in 676, during the Episcopacy of St Mommelinus, when the town was threatened with total destruction by fire, she made the Sign of the Cross over the flames,and the conflagration was forthwith extinguished.
The exact year of her death is unknown but it is said to have occurred on 11 June, on which day her feast is marked in the Proprium of Beauvais. In Noyon, however, by virtue of an indult, dated 2 April, 1857, it is kept on the fifth Sunday after Easter, the feast of 11 April appears to stem from the belief that this was the date of the translation of her Relics. The body of the Saint was interred in the Church of St George, which was afterwards called by her name.
In 1168 Godeberta’s body was solemnly translated from the ruined Church where it had rested for over 450 years, by Bishop Baudoin to the Cathedral of Noyon. Providentially her relics have escaped the ravages of time and fire and the malice of the irreligious. At the period of the Revolution a pious townsman secretly buried them near the Cathedral. When the storm had passed they were recovered from their hiding place and their authenticity, being canonically established, they were replaced in the Church.
A bell is still preserved which tradition avers, to have been the one actually used by Godeberta in her Convent. It is certainly very ancient and there seems no good reason, in particular from an archaeological point of view, for doubting the trustworthiness of the legend. In the treasury of the Cathedral, likewise may be seen a gold ring, said to have been that presented by St Eligius to the Saint. Mention is made in a record of the year 1167 of this Relic having been then in the possession of the Church of Noyon.
Unfortunately the most ancient documents we have giving details of Godeberta’s life do not, in all probability, date beyond the Eleventh Century, as the oldest “Vita” which, in truth, is rather a panegyric for her feast than a biography, is believed to have been composed by Radbodus, who became Bishop of Noyon in 1067. In those days, too, the aim of such writers was the edification rather than the instruction of the faithful, so we find in this life, the usual wonders related in such pious works of that period with but few historic facts. It is certain, however, that St. Godeberta was looked upon as a protector in the time of plagues and catastrophes and we have every reason to hold that this practice was justified by the results that followed her solemn invocation.
In 1866 a violent outbreak of typhoid fever occurred in Noyon, decimating the Town. On 23 May in that year, one of the leading citizens, whose child had just been stricken down, approached the cure of the Church and recalling the favours that had been granted in ages past to the clients of the Saint, earnestly asked that the Shrine containing her Relics should be exposed and a Novena of intercession begun. This was done the following day,and forthwith, the scourge ceased; it was officially certified that not another case of typhoid occurred. In thanksgiving a solemn procession took place under the guidance of the Bishop, Mgr Gignoux, a few weeks later, the Relics of St Godeberta being carried triumphantly through the town. A beautiful statue of the saint, the cathedral of Noyon, which was blessed by the Bishop on 25 February, 1867, perpetuated the memory of this wonderful event.
Saint of the Day – 28 January – Saint Julián of Cuenca (1127-1208) the second Bishop of Cuenca, Spain from c 1196 until his death. Professor, Hermit, Reformer, Miracle-worker, basket-weaver using the money he gained from this trade to support the poor and needy, He was also a regular visitor to prisoners, assisting them spiritually and with material succour. Born as Julián Ben Tauro in c 1127 at Burgos, Spain and died on 28 January 1208 in Cuenca, Spain of natural causes, aged around 80 years. Patronages – basket-weavers, for rain, of the City and Diocese of Cuenca. Also known as – Julian of Burgos. Canonised on 18 October 1594 by Pope Clement VIII.
Saint Julián of Cuenca by Eugenio Cajes.
Most details we have collected about Saint Julián’s life are due to tradition (mixed with “pious” stories), writings that developed, especially from the 16th Century. These writings depict a holy man, chosen by God from the mother’s womb (like the prophets), a man full of humility and apostolic zeal, great benefactor of the poor, with a deep and intense spirit of prayer and great devotion to the Virgin Mary.
Julián’s name was Julián Ben Tauro (meaning Julián son of Tauro). His surname indicates his Mozarab ancestry – that is, Christians who lived in Muslim kingdoms, thus, in a delicate position. This document leads most historians to state the Toledan Mozarab origins of Julián.
Historical sources do not offer much information on the early life of Julián, except that he was born in Burgos to the nobleman Tauro. He studied at the Cathedral school there before he studied at the University of Palencia where he earned his Doctorate. In 1153, he was appointed a Professor in the philosophical and theological departments in Palencia in 1153. During his time in Palencia he worked as a basket-weaverr in order to earn extra income for the poor, as well to support himself.
Saint Julian of Cuenca and St Adelelmus of Burgos – Spanish School, 17th Century
In 1163 he left Palencia and his teaching duties to live a life of solitude in a modest house outside Burgos, located on the banks of the Arlanzón. He was Ordained to the Priesthood in 1166 after having received the minor orders. He and his servant, Lesmes lived a life of mortification and contemplation. The two then took to the road as itinerant preachers and reached both Córdoba and Toledo in 1191. A note about Lesmes – “the figure of Lesmes, the loyal servant who would not leave the company of Saint Julián until his death.”
Saint Julián with Lesmes, his servant
But this solitude and travelling ended in 1191 when the Archbishop of Toledo, Martín II López de Pisuerga appointed Julián as the Archdeacon at Toledo. He exercised his administrative duties but continued preaching, as well as making baskets in order to generate income for the poor. From 1196, Julián served as the Archdeacon until the Bishop of Cuenca, Juan Yáñez died and Alfonso VIII of Castile chose Julián to succeed him.
The Archbishop of Toledo conferred Episcopal Consecration upon him that June of 1196. Julián was known for his almsgiving and he visited the poor in prisons too. His outreach to all faiths was equally generous and kind, as was his desire to make pastoral visits to care for the faithful in his Diocese. He often offered grain to the poor to alleviate their suffering and also aided the poor peasant farmers in the region.
He continued to preach during his travels to all the areas in his Diocese, as well as reforming the practices of the Diocesan Priests in addition to engaging with charitable organisations to better help the poor. He likewise supported these charities to provide for the needs of his flock, in addition to the Jews and Muslims. On an annual basis, he would retire to live a life of solitude and contemplation and continued his habit of making baskets. There is a wonderful miracle reported that one day Jesus Himself appeared to him in the guise of a beggar, in order to thank him.
Colonial School, Cuzco, Peru. 18th century – Saint Julian Bishop of Cuenca
He died in his Diocese in 1208. His remains were housed in the Cuenca Cathedral but his body was re-interred in 1578 under an Altar built in his honour in a side Chapel at the same Cathedral.
In the Reading V of the Office it is stated that “he was a true father of the poor and used his money and his talents to help the needy, widows and orphans. He used the yield of his Church to help the miserable, as well as to establish and decorate the Churches, using little support for himself, obtaining what he needed personally with his own hands. He was devoted to prayer, through which he achieved from God many and great things for his people. The beautiful miracle is related as follows: Since the whole Diocese suffered shortage of grain and nothing was left in the Episcopal barns, taking pity on the people suffering this great calamity, he prayed fervently to the Lord along with many tears. Then it occurred that a huge quantity of grain was transported to the gates of the Episcopal palace carried by numerous donkeys, which disappeared after leaving their load.
In memory and as a tribute to the charity of Saint Julián, the Chapter established at the beginning of the 15th century the “Chest of Saint Julián” or “of the Alms”, which became a charitable institution to attend the urgent needs of the dispossessed. Essentially it gave daily alms of bread, ensured the upbringing and accommodation of orphan children and provided dowries so orphan ladies could marry, something otherwise impossible given the customs and the way of thinking at the time. (This Chest was perpetuated in Cuenca until recent times).
According to the old obituaries of Cuenca’s Bishopric, the death or departure of Saint Julián took place on 20th January 1208, at the age of 80. However, his celebration was set on the 28th of the same month, probably for the sake of liturgical-pastoral expediency, and during centuries his festivity has been celebrated on that date in Cuenca and in other places where he is greatly venerated.
As the tradition brings to light and is easy to imagine, Saint Julián was a great preacher, going through many places of Spain preaching the Gospel of Salvation. He was an excellent missionary, also within Cuenca’s recently created Diocese, repopulated with peoples from the North, as a result of the re-conquest. Despite the many difficulties of travelling from one place to another, Julián spared no effort to preach the Gospel to everyone, as the Lord commended after His Resurrection.
Saint Julián’s Canonisation was solemnised under Pope Clement VIII on 18 October 1594.
Saint of the Day – 18 November – Saint Odo of Cluny (c 880–942) Monk and Abbot, Reformer – born in c 880 at Le Mans, France and died on 18 November 942 in Tours, France of natural causes while travelling to Rome, Italy. Patronage – for rain. He was buried in the church of Saint Julian but most of his relics were burned by Huguenots during the French Revolution.
St Odo’s life by Pope Benedict XVI
Catechesis given at his General Audience
on Wednesday, 2 September 2009
“Today, I present to you, the luminous figure of St Odo, Abbot of Cluny. He fits into that period of medieval monasticism which saw the surprising success in Europe of the life and spirituality inspired by the Rule of St Benedict. In those centuries, there was a wonderful increase in the number of cloisters that sprang up and branched out over the continent, spreading the Christian spirit and sensibility far and wide. St Odo takes us back in particular to Cluny, one of the most illustrious and famous monasteries in the Middle Ages, that still today, reveals to us, through its majestic ruins, the signs of a past rendered glorious by intense dedication to ascesis, study and, in a special way, to divine worship, endowed with decorum and beauty.
Ruins of Cluny
Odo was the second Abbot of Cluny. He was born in about 880, on the boundary between the Maine and the Touraine regions of France. Odo’s father consecrated him to the holy Bishop St Martin of Tours, in whose beneficent shadow and memory he was to spend his entire life, which he ended close to St Martin’s tomb. His choice of religious consecration was preceded by the inner experience of a special moment of grace, of which he himself spoke to another monk, John the Italian, who later became his biographer. Odo was still an adolescent, about 16 years old, when one Christmas Eve he felt this prayer to the Virgin rise spontaneously to his lips: “My Lady, Mother of Mercy, who on this night gave birth to the Saviour, pray for me. May your glorious and unique experience of childbirth, O Most Devout Mother, be my refuge” (Vita sancti Odonis, 1, 9: PL 133, 747). The name “Mother of Mercy”, with which young Odo then invoked the Virgin, was to be the title by which he always subsequently liked to address Mary. He also called her “the one Hope of the world … thanks to whom the gates of Heaven were opened to us” (In veneratione S. Mariae Magdalenae: PL 133, 721). At that time, Odo chanced to come across the Rule of St Benedict and to comment on it, “bearing, while not yet a monk, the light yoke of monks” (ibid., I, 14, PL 133, 50). In one of his sermons, Odo was to celebrate Benedict as the “lamp that shines in the dark period of life” (De sancto Benedicto abbate: PL 133, 725) and, to describe him as “a teacher of spiritual discipline” (ibid., PL 133, 727). He was to point out, with affection, that Christian piety, “with the liveliest gentleness commemorates him” in the knowledge that God raised him “among the supreme and elect Fathers of Holy Church” (ibid., PL 133, 722).
Fascinated by the Benedictine ideal, Odo left Tours and entered the Benedictine Abbey of Baume as a monk; he later moved to Cluny, of which in 927 he became abbot. From that centre of spiritual life, he was able to exercise a vast influence over the monasteries on the continent. Various monasteries or coenobiums were able to benefit from his guidance and reform, including that of St Paul Outside-the-Walls. More than once, Odo visited Rome and he even went as far as Subiaco, Monte Cassino and Salerno. He actually fell ill in Rome in the summer of 942. Feeling that he was nearing his end, he was determined and made every effort, to return to St Martin in Tours, where he died, in the Octave of the Saint’s feast, on 18 November 942. His biographer, stressing the “virtue of patience” that Odo possessed, gives a long list of his other virtues that include contempt of the world, zeal for souls and the commitment to peace in the Churches. Abbot Odo’s great aspirations were – concord between kings and princes, the observance of the commandments, attention to the poor, the correction of youth and respect for the elderly (cf. Vita sancti Odonis, I, 17: PL 133, 49).
He loved the cell in which he dwelled, “removed from the eyes of all, eager to please God alone”(ibid., I, 14: PL 133, 49). However, he did not fail also to exercise, as a “superabundant source”, the ministry of the word and to set an example, “regretting the immense wretchedness of this world” (ibid., I, 17: PL 133, 51). In a single monk, his biographer comments, were combined the different virtues that exist, which are found to be few and far between in other monasteries: “Jesus, in his goodness, drawing on the various gardens of monks, in a small space created a paradise, in order to water the hearts of the faithful from its fountains” (ibid., I, 14: PL 133,49). In a passage from a sermon in honour of Mary of Magdala the Abbot of Cluny reveals to us how he conceived of monastic life: “Mary, who, seated at the Lord’s feet, listened attentively to his words, is the symbol of the sweetness of contemplative life; the more its savour is tasted, the more it induces the mind to be detached from visible things and the tumult of the world’s preoccupations” (In ven. S. Mariae Magd., PL 133, 717). Odo strengthened and developed this conception in his other writings. From them transpire his love for interiority, a vision of the world as a brittle, precarious reality from which to uproot oneself, a constant inclination to detachment from things felt to be sources of anxiety, an acute sensitivity to the presence of evil in the various types of people and a deep eschatological aspiration. This vision of the world may appear rather distant from our own; yet Odo’s conception of it, his perception of the fragility of the world, values an inner life that is open to the other, to the love of one’s neighbour and in this very way, transforms life and opens the world to God’s light.
The “devotion” to the Body and Blood of Christ which Odo in the face of a widespread neglect of them which he himself deeply deplored, always cultivated with conviction deserves special mention. Odo was in fact, firmly convinced of the Real Presence, under the Eucharistic species, of the Body and Blood of the Lord, by virtue of the conversion of the “substance” of the bread and the wine.
He wrote: “God, Creator of all things, took the bread, saying that this was His Body and that He would offer it for the world and He distributed the wine, calling it His Blood”; now, “it is a law of nature that the change should come about in accordance with the Creator’s command” and thus “nature immediately changes its usual condition – the bread instantly becomes flesh and the wine becomes blood”; at the Lord’s order, “the substance changes” (Odonis Abb. Cluniac. occupatio, ed. A. Swoboda, Leipzig 1900, p. 121). Unfortunately, our abbot notes, this “sacrosanct mystery of the Lord’s Body, in whom the whole salvation of the world consists”, (Collationes, XXVIII: PL 133, 572), is celebrated carelessly. “Priests”, he warns, “who approach the altar unworthily, stain the bread, that is, the Body of Christ” (ibid., PL 133, 572-573). Only those who are spiritually united to Christ may worthily participate in His Eucharistic Body – should the contrary be the case, to eat His Flesh and to drink His Blood would not be beneficial but rather a condemnation (cf. ibid., XXX, PL 133, 575). All this invites us to believe the truth of the Lord’s presence with new force and depth. The presence in our midst of the Creator, who gives Himself into our hands and transforms us as He transforms the bread and the wine, thus transforms the world.
St Odo was a true spiritual guide both for the monks and for the faithful of his time In the face of the “immensity of the vices widespread in society, the remedy he strongly advised was that of a radical change of life, based on humility, austerity, detachment from ephemeral things and adherence to those that are eternal” (cf. Collationes, XXX, PL 133, 613). In spite of the realism of his diagnosis on the situation of his time, Odo does not indulge in pessimism: “We do not say this”, he explains, “in order to plunge those who wish to convert into despair. Divine mercy is always available; it awaits the hour of our conversion”(ibid., PL 133, 563). And he exclaims: “O ineffable bowels of divine piety! God pursues wrongs and yet protects sinners” (ibid., PL 133, 592). Sustained by this conviction, the Abbot of Cluny used to like to pause to contemplate the mercy of Christ, the Saviour whom he describes evocatively as “a lover of men”: “amator hominum Christus” (ibid., LIII: PL 133, 637). He observes “Jesus took upon Himself, the scourging, that would have been our due, in order to save the creature he formed and loves” (cf. ibid., PL 133, 638).
Here, a trait of the holy abbot appears that at first sight is almost hidden beneath the rigour of his austerity as a reformer – his deep, heartfelt kindness. He was austere but above all he was good, a man of great goodness, a goodness that comes from contact with the divine goodness. Thus Odo, his peers tell us, spread around him his overflowing joy. His biographer testifies that he never heard “such mellifluous words” on human lips (ibid., I, 17: PL 133, 31). His biographer also records, that he was in the habit of asking the children he met along the way to sing and that he would then give them some small token and he adds: “Abbot Odo’s words were full of joy … his merriment instilled in our hearts deep joy” (ibid., II, 5: PL 133, 63). In this way, the energetic, yet at the same time lovable medieval abbot, enthusiastic about reform, with incisive action nourished in his monks, as well as in the lay faithful of his time, the resolution to progress swiftly on the path of Christian perfection.
Let us hope that his goodness, the joy that comes from faith, together with austerity and opposition to the world’s vices, may also move our hearts, so that we too may find the source of the joy that flows from God’s goodness. Amen”
Thank you Papa Eneritus!
A story holds, that once Odo was writing a glossary to the life of St Martin written by Postumianus and Gallus. The book, however, was left in a cellar which was flooded with water during a rainstorm at night. The place where the book lay, was covered by a torrent but, the next day, when the monks came down to the cellar, they found that only the margin of the book was soaked through but all of the writing was untouched. Odo then told the monks, ‘Why do you marvel oh brothers? Know you not, that the water feared to touch the life of the saint?’Then a monk replied, ‘But see, the book is old and moth-eaten and has so often been soaked that it is dirty and faint! Can our father then persuade us that the rain feared to touch a book which in the past has been soaked through? Nay, there is another reason.’ Odo then realised that they were suggesting it was preserved because he had written a glossary in it but he then quickly gave the glory to God and St Martin.
Saint of the Day – 15 May – Isidore the Farmer (c 1070 -1130) – Layman, Confessor, Farm Worker and Apostle of Charity – Patronages – against against the death of children, of agricultural workers, farm workers, farmers, field hands, husbandmen, ranchers, day labourers, for rain, livestock, rural communities, United States National Rural Life Conference, Diocese of Digos, Philippines, Diocese of Malaybalay, Philippines, 24 Cities. His body is incorrupt.
St. Isidore, the Farmer, was born in Madrid, Spain, about the year 1110. He came from a poor and humble family. From childhood he worked as a farm hand on the De Vargas estate. He was very prayerful and particularly devoted to the Mass and the Holy Eucharist. He loved the good earth, he was honest in his work and careful in his farming practices. It is said that domestic beasts and birds showed their attachment to him because he was gentle and kind to them. Master De Vargas watched Isidore at plowing and he saw two angels as his helpers. Hence, the saying arose, “St. Isidore plowing with angels does the work of three farmers.”
Isidore married a sweet and pious maid-servant by the name of Maria. They had only one son who died in youth. Both were most charitable and ever willing to help neighbours in distress and the poor in the city slums.
St. Isidore died on May 15, 1170 (the Spanish feast day), his saintly wife, a little later. He was canonised on March 22, 1622. The earthly remains of the holy couple are found over the main altar of the cathedral in Madrid, Spain. S. Maria was not officially canonised but is honoured as a saint throughout Spanish countries. Her head (cabeza) is carried in solemn processions during times of drought. By a special decree of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, dated February 22, 1947, St. Isidore was constituted as the special protector of the National Catholic Rural Life Conference and American farmers.
How beautiful and appropriate for the Catholic farm family to be devoted to this simple and saintly couple, who like farmers everywhere are “partners with God,” in furnishing to the world food, fiber and shelter.
In the morning before going to work, Isidore would usually attend Mass at one of the churches in Madrid. One day, his fellow farm workers complained to their master that Isidore was always late for work in the morning. Upon investigation, so runs the legend, the master found Isidore at prayer whilst an angel was doing the ploughing for him.
On another occasion, his master saw an angel ploughing on either side of him, so that Isidore’s work was equal to that of three of his fellow field workers. Isidore is also said to have brought back to life his master’s deceased daughter and to have caused a fountain of fresh water to burst from the dry earth to quench his master’s thirst.
One snowy day, when going to the mill with corn to be ground, he passed a flock of wood-pigeons scratching vainly for food on the hard surface of the frosty ground. Taking pity on the poor animals, he poured half of his sack of precious wheat upon the ground for the birds, despite the mocking of witnesses. When he reached the mill, however, the bag was full, and the wheat, when it was ground, produced double the expected amount of flour.
Isidore’s wife, Maria, always kept a pot of stew on the fireplace in their humble home as Isidore would often bring home anyone who was hungry. One day he brought home more hungry people than usual. After she served many of them, Maria told him that there simply was no more stew in the pot. He insisted that she check the pot again and she was able to spoon out enough stew to feed them all.
He is said to have appeared to Alfonso VIII of Castile and to have shown him the hidden path by which he surprised the Moors and gained the victory of Las Navas de Tolosa, in 1212. When King Philip III of Spain was cured of a deadly disease after touching the relics of the saint, the king replaced the old reliquary with a costly silver one and instigated the process of his beatification. Throughout history, other members of the royal family would seek curative powers from the saint.
The number of miracles attributed to him has been counted as 438. The only original source of hagiography on him is a fourteenth century codex called Códice de Juan Diácono which relates five of his miracles: 1. The pigeons and the grain. 2. The angels ploughing. 3. The saving of his donkey, through prayer, from a wolf attack. 4. The account of his wife’s pot of food. 5. A similar account of his feeding the brotherhood. The codex also attests to the incorruptible state of his body, stating it was exhumed 40 years after his death.
Isidore was beatified in Rome on 2 May 1619, by Pope Paul V. He was canoniSed nearly three years later by Pope Gregory XV, along with Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Ávila and Philip Neri, on 12 March 1622.
In 1696, his relics were moved to the Royal Alcazar of Madrid to intervene on behalf of the health of Charles II of Spain. While there, the King’s locksmith pulled a tooth from the body and gave it to the monarch, who slept with it under his pillow until his death. This was not the first, nor the last time his body was allegedly mutilated out of religious fervour. For example, it was reported one of the ladies in the court of Isabella I of Castile bit off one of his toes.
In 1760, his body was brought to the Royal Palace of Madrid during the illness of Maria Amalia of Saxony.
In 1769, Charles III of Spain had the remains of Saint Isidore and his wife Maria relocated to the San Isidro Church, Madrid. The sepulchre has nine locks and only the King of Spain has the master key. The opening of the sepulchre must be performed by the Archbishop of Madrid and authorized by the King himself. Consequently, it has not been opened since 1985.
Saint of the Day – 22 April – St Theodore of Sykeon (Died c613) Bishop, Monk, Abbot, (born at Sykeon, Galaia, Bulgaria on an unknown date and died c613) – Patronages – of difficult marriages, for rain.
A native of Sykeon, in Galatia, Asia Minor, he was the son of a Byzantine imperial messenger and possibly of a prostitute. Entering a monastery in Jerusalem, he served there for many years until becoming abbot of a number of monastic institutions. He predicted the rise of Emperor Maurice and cured a royal prince of leprosy. About 590, he was appointed Bishop of Anastasiopol is, in Galatia.
St. Theodore spent his childhood at his mother’s inn that doubled as a brothel at Sykeon in Asia Minor. v When Theodore was about six years old a wonderful cook arrived at the inn who created so much business that his mother stopped her prostitution. The cook became Theodore’s spiritual director, teaching him to visit churches, to pray and fast, and to use the sacraments.
In his teens Theodore lived as a hermit in a cave near Sykeon. Then he shut himself up in a mountainous cave to practice extreme mortification. But Theodore also became well known for serving his neighbours with his gifts of healing, exorcism and prophecy.
When the church at Anastasiopolis chose Theodore as bishop, he reluctantly accepted the office. About his administration we know very little as his biography records only a long series of his miracles. After ten years he resigned because he was neglecting his prayer and his monks at Sykeon. Theodore retired to an oratory near Heliopolis. There he exercised a apostolate of charity and miracles until his death in 613.
In his teens Theodore lived as a hermit in a cave near Sykeon. Then he shut himself up in a mountainous cave to practice extreme mortification. But Theodore also became well known for serving his neighbours with his gifts of healing, exorcism and prophecy.
AnaStpaul 
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