Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you. Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete.
“I have told you this in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures but I will tell you clearly about the Father. On that day you will ask in my name, and I do not tell you that I will ask the Father for you. For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have come to believe that I came from God. I came from the Father and have come into the world. Now I am leaving the world and going back to the Father.”
Reflection by Naomi Mannino
“Jesus said to his disciples: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.”REFLECTION
Torrential rain hit Madrid on April 2, 1212, unearthing corpses in the local cemetery. Among the cadavers was an incorruptible body of Isidro de Merlo y Quintana, buried forty years prior to the storm. St. Isidore of Madrid was born into a poor family around 1070. His devout parents named him after St. Isidore of Seville. This uneducated poor farmer spent his life working the land for a wealthy landowner. His work ethic was so trusted, that the landowner eventually made him the overseer of his entire estate. He was known to attend daily mass and share his meals with anyone who was hungry.
There are over 400 miracles attributed to St. Isidore, some of which occurred during his lifetime. One day a fellow worker complained that Isidore was always late for work. The master investigated and found that while Isidor was attending mass, an angel was plowing the field. One occasion his master witnessed Isidore plowing the field with two unidentified figures. Isidore told him they were angels. They did the work of three men, proving Isidor’s prayer life never interfered with his work.
God blessed Isidore’s generous heart toward all creation. On a winter day, he stopped to feed some pigeons a half sack of wheat on his way to the mill, much to the amusement of his fellow workers. At the mill, the half-filled sack was poured out to be a full sack and miraculously yielded twice the expected amount.
He often invited the poor into his home for a meal. His wife’s pot was usually full, but one day he brought home more to feed than expected. His wife informed him that there was no more food, but he encouraged her to check again. There she found enough to feed everyone.
Isidore married a very devout woman named Maria Torribia, with whom he had a son. One day their son fell into a well, so the couple prayed for God’s help. The water in the well rose, bringing their son to the top of the well, saving his life. In thanksgiving for this miracle, the couple chose to live apart and give themselves to God. Maria was now Blessed Maria Torribia. However, today, Madrid greatly celebrates her as Santa Maria de la Cabeza.
St. Isidore’s long time master, Juan Vargas, witnessed many miracles of Isidore hitting the ground to reveal a spring when water was needed. Today, the people of Madrid still drink from one of the springs. Isidore also is said to have brought Juan’s daughter back to life. He did the same for a very important horse Juan used on his estate.
St. Isidore often visited churches during the day to pray. He left his donkey outside the church one day, only to be warned by fellow townsmen that a wolf was about to attack the donkey. St. Isidore did not move to help the donkey, but trusted God’s will would be done. When he finished his prayers, he found a dead wolf next to his untouched donkey. St. Isidore promptly returned to the church to give thanks.
St. Isidore life was spent praying to the Father in total trust. Surely, he asked in the name of Jesus. May St. Isidore’s example lead us to do the same.
