Happy St. Ita's Day

Site of St. Ita's grave, Kerry, Ireland
photo via creative commons by O'Riordan Images

With the exception of St. Brigid, St. Ita is the most popular female Irish saint. Born about 480 AD, she was the mother figure for many of the saints who were so influential during Ireland's Golden Age of Christianity. One of those was St. Brendan. I mentioned him in a post earlier this week.

One of my favorite stories about Ita and Brendan concerns what he asked her when he was a little boy. With a mind on spiritual matters, he asked: what are the things that most please God and what are the things that most displease him? Her response: the three things (the Irish like things explained in threes!) that most please God are true faith in God, simple living, and a generous heart. The three things that most displease God are hatred, resentment, and the worship of material possessions.

Wise advice, certainly. Today is her feast day because it is recognized as the date of her death. You can learn more about her here.