Zita of Tuscany, Worker of Charity, 1271
Zita of Tuscany is remembered today on the Church’s calendar
of Lesser Feasts.
The Collect:
Merciful God, who has given to us all things necessary
for life and godliness; Grant that we, like your servant Zita, may be faithful
in the exercise of our duties and that, whatever you give us to do, we may do
it heartily to you for the honor and glory of your Name; through him who has
called us to virtue, Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord. Amen.
The following biographical information about Zita can
be found here - http://www.satucket.com/lectionary/Zita.html
Zita (c. 1212 – 27 April 1272) is an Italian saint,
the patron saint of maids and domestic servants. She is often appealed to in order
to help find lost keys.
Zita was born in Tuscany in the village of Monsagrati,
not far from Lucca where, at the age of 12, she became a servant in the
Fatinelli household. For a long time, she was unjustly despised, overburdened,
reviled, and often beaten by her employers and fellow servants for her hard
work and obvious goodness. The incessant ill-usage, however, was powerless to
deprive her of her inward peace, her love of those who wronged her, and her
respect for her employers. By this meek and humble self-restraint, Zita at last
succeeded in overcoming the malice of her fellow-servants and her employers, so
much so that she was placed in charge of all the affairs of the house. Her
faith had enabled her to persevere against their abuse, and her constant piety
gradually moved the family to a religious awakening.
Zita often said to others that devotion is false if
slothful. She considered her work as an employment assigned to her by God, and
as part of her penance, and obeyed her master and mistress in all things as
being placed over her by God. She always rose several hours before the rest of
the family and employed in prayer a considerable part of the time which others
gave to sleep.
One anecdote relates a story of Zita giving her own
food or that of her master to the poor. On one morning, Zita left her chore of
baking bread to tend to someone in need. Some of the other servants made sure
the Fatinelli family was aware of what happened; when they went to investigate,
they claimed to have found angels in the Fatinelli kitchen, baking the bread
for her.
According to another story, a housemaid who worked
with her, maybe jealous of the affection Zita received from everybody, told
their master that Zita used to steal from the Fatinellis what she gave to the
poor. One day her master met Zita while she was going to see a needy family,
with her apron full of things for them. He asked Zita what she was carrying and
she answered that she was carrying only flowers and fronds. When she loosened
her apron, flowers fell at her feet.
