St Benedict and St Scholastica

St Benedict and St Scholastica were twins born in Umbia about the year 480. At the age of 20 Benedict went to live as a hermit in a cave, but so many people followed him that he was able to set up 12 monastic communities. In the year 529 with a handful of faithful monks he moved to Monte Cassino. This became the most famous monastery in Western Christendom. His monastic rule was so sensible that it became the basis for all subsequent western monasteries.

St Scholastica was as devoted to our Lord as her brother and since he founded a community of nuns as well as monks she was made an Abbess. According to Benedict's own rules he and his sister were unable to enter each other's convents so they would meet once a year in a house away from the monastery. They loved to pray together and talk about their love of Jesus.

In 543 Scholastica now ill, knew that she was soon to die. When her brother came for his annual visit she asked him to stay overnight that they might spend more time together before she died. This was against Benedict's rules and he refused to stay. Scholatica appealed to a higher authority; she knelt in prayer and a great storm arose. Benedict was forced to stay the night, he upbraided his sister, but she just smiled and said "you refused my request when I asked you, but when I asked God He granted it." 3 days later she died.

Saint Zita

St. Zita, the servant girl was sent to work in a rich household in Lucca at the age of twelve. Her parents were extremely poor, but had brought their daughter up with fine morals and a deep love for the Lord Jesus.
As a servant she ate well in the rich household, but Zita gave away most of her food to beggars and to the impoverished of Lucca. At first her fellow servants laughed at her piety and kindness, but later they grew to admire her. Her master was irritated that she gave away so much. During a local famine Zita secretly gave away much of the family supply of beans, but when her master later inspected the kitchen cupboards, to Zita's relief the beans has been miraculously replaced.

One cold Christmas Eve Zita went to church, the master lent her his cloak, and he warned her to look after it and bring it back. Zeta lent it to an old man standing in the cold outside the church. After the service the old man has disappeared with it. Her master was angry, until the poor old man appeared at his door to return the cloak. It was thought that the old man must have been an Angel in disguise and so the door of that church where he first appeared was later called the Angels Portal.

As time passed, Zita became a trusted member of the household; she could calm her master even when he fell into the most terrible fit of anger. She spent all her free time caring for the sick and visiting prisoners. In her last illness her employer wanted to feed her with luxuries, but Zita refused, she died at the age of sixty on 27th April 1278.