May
15th is a special day – it is the feast day of our beloved Cousin
Azacca, as well as St Isidore the Farmer, who Cousin Azacca is syncretized with.
You
can read the free Spellmaker.com newsletter about Cousin Azacca here :
http://www.spellmaker.com/SpellmakerNewsletter/Issue2.htm
Isidore
the Farmer, (Spanish: San Isidro Labrador), (c. 1070 – May 15, 1130), was a Spanish day laborer.
Isidore was born to very poor yet very pious Catholic parents in Madrid, Spain.
His parents were unable to support him when he was a youth and sent him to work
for a wealthy landowner, John de Vergas (He ended up working for him for the
rest of his life). St. Isidore loved to attend the
Holy Mass before going to work in the morning. Because of this, he usually
arrived late at work. His fellow workers complained to their master Juan de
Vargas who investigated the matter by himself. He found out the truth that St.
Isidore went to mass daily and arrived at work late. Moreover, he discovered
something – that while St. Isidore was praying in the church, his angels plowed
the field for Him. He also discovered that while St. Isidore was plowing the
field, two angels plowed with him at his sides so that his work was equivalent
to the work of three farmers. From then on, they respected him. He was
known for his love of the poor, and there are accounts of Isidore’s supplying
them miraculously with food. here was also an
occasion when one snowy day, when going to the mill with corn to be ground
which his wife had gleaned, 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 corn upon the ground for the
birds, despite the mocking of witnesses. When he reached the mill, however, the
bag was full, and the corn, when it was ground, produced double the expected
amount of flour. He had a great concern for the proper treatment of
animals. He died May 15, 1130, and was declared a saint in 1622 with Ignatius
of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila and Philip Neri. Together, the group
is known in Spain as “the five saints.”
Patron
Saint of farmers, field hands, day laborers, ranchers, livestock, rural
communities and asking for rain.
Saint
Isidore the Farmer is invoked for the concerns affecting livestock,
agriculture, and good weather and is even invoked for picnics.
From the Spellmaker.com newsletter: No matter what you are trying to
grow in your life, May 15 is the perfect day to offer a feast to Azacca! Set up
a small altar using his colors and offerings: A piece of denim makes the
perfect altar cloth for him, yellow and green candles, a container of dirt,
small gardening tools, etc. Spend some time thinking of what plants need
nurturing in your life garden and ask Azacca to nourish them and help them
grow! Ask him to renew and rejuvenate any wilting plants and cut out all the
weeds!
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend! Get out there and play in some dirt!
Light and Love
Sister Bridget
