Zita was born to a poor family in Italy in 1218. They were strong in their faith, and her mother taught her from an early age to look for God’s will in all situations. When she was 12 she was sent to work as a maid for a wealthy family. Every day she got up before her work started so she could go to Mass where she would often receive the Eucharist with tears of joy, then she returned to the house where she worked long hours and endured trials of verbal and even physical abuse by the family. She never held a grudge against them, and instead, she endured it all with grace and virtue. She was always mindful of the poor and gave freely of what little she had. She died at 53 and her incorrupt body is venerated in the town of Lucca.
CHALLENGE
Over time, St. Zita was appreciated by her employer who eventually promoted her to the head of the servants and entrusted her with the keys of the house. It’s easy to look at a task or job and wonder what we’re going to get out of it. St. Zita just focused on the work of being a good servant. Today, contemplate how you are tasked with being God’s servant in your everyday life, and focus on simply doing a good job on the task at hand.
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Want to learn more about the Order of Mercy, also known as the Mercedarians? Mercy, Ransom, Redemption is a compilation of short stories about Mercedarian saints, blesseds, brothers, priests, and third order members of the Order.
