St. Isidore, the Farmer, is the patron saint of farmers and workers. He was born in Madrid in the year 1070, and, as soon as he was old enough to work, he was sent to the service of a wealthy landowner named Juan de Vergas. He remained with Vergas for the rest of his life. Obviously, no ambition, right? Maybe so. And the Church canonizes him for this? Yes, probably, because, in the mind of the Church, sainthood is for everyone, whether they do great things or not. As the Rev. Clifford Stevens puts it in a recent work called The One Year Book of Saints, saints "are exceptional in that each is unique, but they are not the exception, since sanctity is the vocation of all.... The saint, in Catholic spirituality and theology, is considered the norm, not the exception.... The saints are those in whom the Christian and Catholic vision has found full growth, who followed the implications of their faith to the fullest degree, and refused to let their lives or their personalities be stunted by the circumstances of the world around them or the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune." Back to St. Isidore. He was poor. So was his wife, Maria Torriba, who is also honored as a saint. In Spain, she is known as Santa Maria de la Cabeza. But, poor as they were, they always seemed ready to help feed the poor who showed up at their doorstep. Once, the story goes, Isidore arrived at a parish supper party followed by a huge crowd of beggars. When someone pointed out that there wasn't food enough for such a large crowd, Isidore said, "Christ will provide." And, sure enough, there was enough food to go around.

MODEL: See if you can emulate St. Isidore's generosity to the poor. It won't kill you to put some food on the plate of a poor man. He will enjoy it, and bless you for it. And you will know that you are being a good person who is willing to share your good fortune with those who have less.

Subtly attractive. If you were born on May 15, you unconsciously exhibit admirable qualities that cause others to be drawn to you without knowing why. You may be surprised by all the attention. Ruled by the number 6 and the planet Venus, you may be too passive for your own good.

Your chemistry. Your outward appearance and first impression are not extraordinary to others, so you don't draw much attention at first. Only later do those close to you realize the power of your charm. You add ordinary, every day personality characteristics together to get more than the sum of your parts.

Your world. You are probably a loner, working an ordinary job during the day, but pursuing more exotic interests at night, in your own private world. Beware of cutting yourself off from others and not expressing yourself. Share your talents and concerns with those close to you and grow from there.

Your excuses. You feel you must train and discipline yourself extensively before stepping out in very visible positions that could lead others astray. You also feel you must pay your dues, suffer a little before grasping the rings of success.

Some advice: Acting responsible is noble but don't use it as an excuse for inaction. Step out and go for it. You have a right to enjoy what you do for a living and have talents others will enjoy, too.

Also born on this day: David Cronenburg (Canadian director) Don Bragg (Olympic pole vaulter) Mario Monicelli (Italian director) Max Frisch (Swiss playwright, novelist) Mike Oldfield (British composer) L. Frank Baum (writer, Wizard of Oz) Brian Eno (British composer, musician) James Mason (actor) Joseph Cotton (actor) Katherine Anne Porter (writer, novelist) George Brett (baseball, 3rd base) Richard J. Daley, Sr. (Chicago mayor) Peter Shaffer (British playwright, Amadeus).