ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN AUGUST
Saints celebrated on the 17th of August
Prayer to the Angels and the Saints
Heavenly Father, in praising Your Angels and Saints we praise Your glory, for by honouring them we honour You, their Creator. Their splendour shows us Your greatness, which infinitely surpasses that of all creation.
In Your loving providence, You saw fit to send Your Angels to watch over us. Grant that we may always be under their protection and one day enjoy their company in heaven.
Heavenly Father, You are glorified in Your Saints, for their glory is the crowning of Your gifts. You provide an example for us by their lives on earth, You give us their friendship by our communion with them, You grant us strength and protection through their prayer for the Church, and You spur us on to victory over evil and the prize of eternal glory by this great company of witnesses.
Grant that we who aspire to take part in their joy may be filled with the Spirit that blessed their lives, so that, after sharing their faith on earth, we may also experience their peace in heaven. Amen.
VENERABLE CAROLOMANNUS (KARLMANN)
The venerable Karlmann [Carolomannus, Carloman] was the first-born son of Karl Martell and his wife Rotrudis (Chrotrud), and after the death of his father in 741, he came to govern the provinces of Austrasia, Swabia and Thuringia as king, while his brother Pipin (the little one or the short one) received Neustria, Burgundy and Provence.
FOR SIX YEARS KARLMANN RULED THUS
For six years Karlmann ruled thus. He supported the building of monasteries at Fulda, Stavelot and Lobbes, and worked closely with St Boniface.
By and by, however, he began to strive for higher spiritual victories. Therefore in 747 put the government of his parts of the country in the hands of Pipin, recommended to him the education of his son Drogo, and made a pilgrimage via St Gallen to Rome, where he received the religious habit from the hands of Pope Zacharias.
HE SETTLED IN THE SOLITUDE OF MOUNT SORACTE
Afterwards he settled in the solitude of Mount Soracte (not far from Rome). But since he was disturbed by the many visits, he withdrew to the monastery on Monte Cassino with one of his companions, which at that time was under the direction of Abbot Petronax.
WITHOUT ANYONE KNOWING OF HIS HIGH BIRTH, HE JOINED THE MONASTERY INCOGNITO
Without anyone knowing of his high birth, Karlmann humbly joined the divine service just like the other monks - incognito - and after a year he was professed by solemn vows.
KARLMANN WAS DISCOVERED
But when it was his turn, according to the established house rules, to do the services in the kitchen, he by accident committed a clumsiness while washing the dishes. Immediately he received a slap on the ear from the monastery cook, who was of a rough nature. Karlmann's companion, witnessing this, felt to have to avenge this disrespect, and therefore Karlmann was discovered. Following the revelation of Karlmann's true identity by his companion, he was henceforth treated with all courtesy by all the religious in the monastery.
Sent by his abbot to France to enter into some negotiations with his royal brother about Lombardy, he died on the return journey to Vienne in 755.
HIS BODY WAS PLACED IN A GOLDEN COFFIN
His body was placed in a golden coffin and sent back to Monte Cassino, where he was interred under the high altar. The religious writers (even Mabillon) gave Karlmann the title, "blessed" or even "saint", almost as unanimously as others abstained from it. The Bollandists believe that the title "venerable" (Venerabilis) is due to him.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858)
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