April 27th - St. Zita
Hildi
(Died 1278 AD)
As a dedicated house-servant, St. Zita quickly became a saint for domestic
servants to invoke. Today domestic servants are fewer. Nonetheless, Zita still
remains a saint for women engaged in the humdrum but necessary tasks of
housekeeping, whether at home or at business.
Zita was born in Monte Sagrati, Italy. Her parents were devout Christians, and
their devotion shaped the outlook of Zita and their other children.
In those days, Tuscany had no laws restricting child labor. Therefore, when she
was only 12, Zita started her lifetime job as one of the house-servants of a man
named Pagano di Fatinelli. He lived in the nearby city of Lucca and ran a
prosperous weaving business.
Zita, despite her youth, brought with her a mature sense of piety. From the
outset, she would rise at night to pray, and in early morning attend Mass before
work-hours began. At first this annoyed her fellow-servants. She worked harder
than was necessary, they thought. Her unwillingness to engage in coarse talk
they took as criticism of themselves-as did her rejection of the free-and-easy
attentions of the men-servants. For a time, her fellow domestics even persuaded
Pagano to misjudge Zita. Meanwhile, the little girl went right ahead with her
diligent work and her spiritual program, bearing with great patience these petty
trials. Eventually, her perseverance won over the opposition. Her fellow
employees came to respect her convictions, and Pagano and his wife counted
themselves lucky to possess such a jewel of a servant.
Zita's principle was that her work was a part of her service to God. "A servant
is not good," she used to say, "if she is not industrious: work-shy piety in
people of our position is sham piety."
Pagano eventually made her his official housekeeper. But, although he now
respected her, he still had a violent temper, so she had to treat him carefully.
Once, for instance, housekeeper Zita dug very deeply into the family store of
beans in order to help the poor. She told her mistress this, but both of them
feared the reaction of Pagano when he found out. Wouldn't you know it, he asked
soon afterward for an inventory of the beans. He had decided to sell a large
part of them. Zita asked God to take over, and her prayer was answered
miraculously. When the store of beans was examined, there were still just as
many as there had been before Zita had doled them out.
God helped this servant miraculously, or at least providentially, on other
occasions as well. One cold Christmas Day when she set out for early Mass,
Pagano threw his fur coat over her shoulders to keep her warm. At the same time,
he warned her not to lose the coat. But at church Zita encountered a half-naked
man trembling with cold. She loaned him the fur coat for the duration of the
Mass. At the end of Mass, however, the man and coat both disappeared.
We may well imagine Pagano's volcanic fury when his housekeeper humbly told him
the story. However, just as they sat down to their Christmas dinner, a stranger
appeared at the door and handed the coat back. When the boss and housekeeper
tried to engage him in conversation, he disappeared. Nevertheless, both felt in
their hearts that something wonderful had just happened. Ever since then, the
people of Lucca have given the name "The Angel Door" to the church entrance
where Zita loaned the freezing man Pagano's fur coat.
Zita was far more upset by the veneration people tried to show her than by all
the rages of Pagano. As she grew older, her domestic duties were reduced, but
she simply spent more time visiting the sick and imprisoned. She prayed with
special intensity for prisoners condemned to death.
Zita the housekeeper, now aged sixty, died peacefully on April 27, 1278. Her
tomb-shrine is in the church of San Frediano where she had long attended daily
Mass. On September 26, 1953, Pope Pius XII declared her the patron saint of
domestic workers.
This Version Taken From:
http://www.stthomasirondequoit.com/SaintsAlive/
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Martyrology
At Nicomedia, the birthday of St. Anthimus, bishop and martyr, who obtained in
the persecution of Diocletian a glorious martyrdom by being beheaded for
confessing Christ. Almost the whole multitude of his flock followed him, some of
whom the judge commanded to be beheaded by the sword, others to be burned alive,
others to be placed on ships and drowned in the sea.
At Tarsus in Cilicia, SS. Castor and Stephen, martyrs.
At Bologna, St. Tertullian, bishop and confessor.
At Brescia, St. Theophilus, bishop.
In Egypt, St. Theodore, abbot, who was a disciple of St. Pachomius.
At Constantinople, St. John, abbot, who strove valiantly in defense of the
veneration of holy images under Leo the Isaurian.
At Tarragona in Spain, Blessed Peter Armengol, of the Order of Blessed Mary of
Mercy for the Redemption of Captives. (8) He suffered much for the ransoming of
the faithful in Africa, and at last died a holy death in the convent of Saint
Mary of the Meadows.
(8). This religious Order is more commonly called the Order of Our Lady of Mercy
(or of Ransom).
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Lord, let me not henceforth desire health or life,
except to spend them for Thee, with Thee, and in Thee.
Thou alone knoweth what is good for me; do, therefore,
what seemeth Thee best. Give to me, or take from me;
conform my will to Thine; and grant that,
with humble and perfect submission, and in holy confidence,
I may receive the orders of Thine eternal Providence;
and may equally adore all that comes to me from Thee;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.