Working Alongside Saint Zita

Last updated on: February 1, 2014 at 11:18 am by Leah Libresco

Working Alongside Saint Zita 2014-02-01T11:18:55-05:00 Leah Libresco

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This month, Jen Fulwiler’s Saint Generator spun up Saint Zita of Lucca for me.

She is apparently the patron saint of lost keys (and, lo, I’ve just gotten my keys to my DC apartment). But, a little more to the point, she was a servant and is particularly known for the way her holiness shown through at work for the people she served:

Born to a very poor but pious family. At age twelve she became a domestic servant for the wealthy Fainelli family in Lucca, Italy, a position she kept all her life; she looked at it as a way to serve God. She often gave her own food, and sometimes that of her master, to those poorer than herself, which caused her to get in frequent trouble with her employers and the other servants in the house who resented her. However, she did such a fine job she was eventually placed in charge of the house, and entrusted with itskeys. Attended daily Mass before beginning her duties, and would go to a nearby monastery to pray in private.

Last month, I drew Saint Genevieve of Paris, and it turned out she was a very helpful guide for preparing for Communion at Daily Mass. My job is much more enjoyable than St. Zita’s, but that’s all the more reason to try, this month, to imitate her virtues at the office.

I’d like to be able to carry back some the the graces we receive at Mass, so I can really live out the Ite, missa est! (Go! You are sent!) that concludes the Mass.

For me, the natural places for prayer and spirituality tend to be when I am alone. I do Divine Office on the metro or the walk to work, and pop out to go to Mass at lunch. But, since I’ve drawn St. Zita, I want to make sure that I don’t bracket off that part of my day or think of myself as being “off-duty” spiritually or charitably.

Of course, that’s a pretty vague intention. I’ve got a few ideas about how to choose times to actively think of St. Zita during the workday, but I’d appreciate your suggestions.

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