We look back at history and see times of great change and conflict. That is the case of the era of Isidore of Seville, the saint we celebrate today, from the sixth century in the country of Spain. The Visigoths had invaded Spain and right before Isidore’s birth, they established their own capital in that country. The Visigoths believed in the Arian heresy, which denied the divinity of Christ. This heresy divided the Church in Spain. Isidore was influential in uniting the Christians in Spain and in making Spain a great center of culture and learning. Spain was able to have a positive influence on other countries in Europe.
Isidore wrote an encyclopedia that was used as a foundational textbook for many centuries. He oversaw the building of seminaries and school, he wrote numerous books, and even wrote a new liturgy called the Mozarabic rite, which is still used in Spain today. Pope Innocent XIII proclaim him to be a Doctor of the Church in 1722. Because of his influence on learning, Isidore has been declared the patron saint of the internet.
In our reading today from Acts, we hear about Peter and John heading off to the Temple to pray when a lame man stops them for help. Instead of giving him money to help him, they heal him through the Holy Spirit. This man leaps for joy and shouts praises to God, drawing the attention of a large crowd and giving Peter the opportunity to preach the Gospel message. Peter tells the crowd about what happened to their Lord, calling them to repentance. We are all called to evangelization and to be witnesses of the faith in different ways, as is shown in the lives of St Isidore of Spain and of St Peter. May we heed this call to evangelize and to be witnesses in our own lives.
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