Today is the feast of St. Isidore the Farmer (1070-1130). St. Isidore was a poor Spanish farmhand who worked his whole life for a wealthy and kind landowner on an estate outside of Madrid. Isidore was known for his charity toward those even poorer than himself, as well as for his deep religious habits such as rising early to attend church before starting his work. Legend has it that at times Isidore's guardian angel would help plow the fields while Isidore was at Mass, so as to not let the farmhand fall behind on his obligation or overburden the other workers.
Now before you start thinking, uh huh, it's about time my angel starts doing something for me, like the dishes, keep in mind that Isidore's angel covered him so he could GO TO MASS, not catch the latest Celebrity Apprentice, or whatever the equivalent was back then (Lords and Serfs: Feudal Wars ?).
The main reason Isidore was graced with spectacular supernatural help is that he was already really, really holy--Mother Teresa holy. Still, that doesn't mean every extremely virtuous person is going to experience an extraordinary angelic intervention. That decision ultimately rests with God, and, you guessed it, we'll never know the reasons why or why not.
Frustrating, isn't it? Especially if there's a whole sinkful of pots and pans waiting.
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