Two of the patron saints of this year’s World Youth Day were a married couple: St. Isidore and St. Maria. Their lives were models of Christian perfection lived in the secular world.

St. Isidore was born in Madrid in 1082. His parents instilled into his young heart a love of prayer and a dread of sin. Because of the family’s extreme poverty, as soon as Isidore was old enough, he was sent to work as a farm labourer for John de Vargas, a wealthy landowner of Madrid.

Pious farmer

Isidore got up early each morning to attend Mass. During work he would lift up his mind to God. On holidays Isidore would visit churches in Madrid and the surrounding districts.

The fellow workers of Isidore complained to John de Vargas that his attendance at church caused him to be late at work. One morning John hid himself to observe Isidore. He discovered that Isidore was late, but an angel did the work for him.

Other people also saw angels helping Isidore in his work. One time angels were seen plowing on either side of Isidore, so that three times as much work was accomplished. Sometimes angels did the work for him while he was rapt in prayer.

Multiplications of food

Isidore had a great love for the poor, and he would share his meals with them. One time he was invited to a dinner, and he arrived with a group of beggars. His host complained that he had reserved a portion for Isidore, but he could not feed the beggars. Isidore replied that there would be quite enough for Christ’s poor. When the food was brought out, there was enough for all, and a great quantity was left over.

Isidore also had a great love for animals. One time, seeing a flock of starving birds, he opened the sack of grain he was carrying and poured out half its contents for the birds. When Isidore and his companions reached the mill, the sack was full of grain and produced double the usual amount of flour.

Holy matrimony

The wife of Isidore was Maria Torribia. After the birth of their son, Illan, the couple agreed to serve God in perfect continence.

Maria was a model wife and mother. She was hard-working and humble. She was also very virtuous and devout.

In Spain, Maria is venerated as Santa Maria de la Cabeza (St. Mary of the Head), because the relic of her head is often carried in procession in times of drought.

Praying at work

St. Isidore and St. Maria are examples of attaining holiness through faithfulness to daily duties.

Holy Mother Church encourages us to be prayerful during work. According to The Handbook of Indulgences, “A partial indulgence is granted to the Christian faithful who, while performing their duties and enduring the difficulties of life, raise their minds in humble trust to God and make, at least mentally, some pious invocation.”

St. Francis de Sales pointed out that brief and ardent uplifting of heart can be interwoven with all our daily duties and occupations, without hindering them.

St. Francis compared the brief moment of prayer during work to the draught of wine taken by a pilgrim: “When a pilgrim pauses an instant to take a draught of wine, which refreshes his lips and revives his heart, his onward journey is nowise hindered by the brief delay, but rather it is shortened and lightened, and he brings it all the sooner to a happy end, pausing but to advance the better.”

“Sanctify yourself, sanctify your work, and sanctify others through your work” (St. Josemaria Escriva).

聖依西多祿和聖瑪麗雅，兩人是夫婦關係，同時被奉為今年「世界青年日」十位主保聖人其中兩位；他們都是在俗的平信徒，生平堪為基督徒的典範。

熱心的農夫

一零八二年，聖依西多祿生於西班牙馬德里，家道貧寒，父母常鼓勵他熱心恭敬天主祈禱，遠離罪惡。年稍長，依西多祿受僱於馬德里富有地主若望.韋格，在其農場工作。他一天到晚在農田工作，心神總不斷和天主結合；而每逢休息日，他會到馬德里及其鄰近的聖堂祈禱、朝拜聖體。

另方面，聖依西多祿每天清早，均到聖堂參與彌撒，因而比其他工人，稍遲開始工作，工作成績卻又不比別人差。僱主若望生疑，便躲在附近窺視；他果見依西多祿遲到，但見到天使代替依西多祿耕田！亦曾經有人看到，當依西多祿出神祈禱時，天使繼續為他耕田。又有一次，兩位天使與依西多祿一同工作，因而做出了三倍的成績！

食物增多

聖依西多祿常把自己的食物節省給貧窮的人吃，剩下來的殘屑自己吃。有一次，村裏的農人舉行聚餐，見依西多祿未到，便把他的一份菜剩下，別人先吃。過了一會，依西多祿來了，後面跟著一大群乞丐；大家已經吃完了，都認為剩下給依西多祿的一份，不夠這許多人吃。依西多祿說：「別急，基督的貧人，今天決不會餓著肚子回去。」他把自己的一份菜，分給眾乞丐，大家最後都吃得飽飽的，且有剩餘。

某降雪天，大批小鳥找不到食物，在殘枝上哀鳴。依西多祿心生不忍，便把背上的一袋麥子，倒出一半，撒在地上，供小鳥啄食。返抵屋裏，那袋麥子仍是滿滿的；磨成的麵粉，比平日反而多一倍。

聖善的婚姻

聖瑪麗雅.杜莉苾是聖依西多祿的妻子，兒子依諾倫早夭，但無損夫婦二人侍主之心。瑪麗雅是賢妻，克勤克儉，謙卑熱心，又富聖德。西班牙在旱災時，聖瑪麗雅的聖髑頭骨，被巡迴受敬，祈為代禱，有如他們對卡庇斯聖母（聖瑪利亞首像）敬禮一般。

寓工作於祈禱

聖依西多祿和聖瑪麗雅，在俗世日常生活的善盡本份中成聖。事實上，慈母聖教會鼓勵信眾，常寓工作於祈禱。在有關大赦的手冊中提到：「教友在盡本份或忍受生活上的困難時，若懷着謙卑的信賴舉心向主，並至少在心中作出熱心的呼求，可得限大赦。」

聖方濟.沙雷指出，簡短而熱切的舉心祈禱，不獨不會妨礙工作，反而使工作更充實。聖人又把工作時與天主的交往，比作朝聖者淺嚐美酒：「朝聖的人偶爾休息，品嚐美酒，不感到時間蹉跎，倒能濕潤枯唇、重振身心，繼續行程。」

聖施禮華說：「聖化自己，聖化工作，讓別人因我們的工作而聖化！」