ALL SAINTS CELEBRATED IN JANUARY
Saints celebrated on the 21st of January
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.
BL. MICHAEL THE FLORENTINE, HERMIT
Blessed Michael is nicknamed "the Florentine" because the city of Florence is commonly referred to as his birthplace. However, the modern Bollandists state that he saw the light of day in Siena, in 1445.
His father was Ventura di Pino. When Michael was 24 years old, his father introduced him to the court of the famous Laurence de Medici, where he rendered faithful service for a long time.
THE NAME "MICHAEL"
It is uncertain whether he adopted the name Michael when he made his profession in Camaldoli or whether he had already received it in his baptism.
HE ENTERED RELIGIOUS LIFE AROUND 1501
He entered the monastery around 1501 and took his vows on March 24, 1502. To those who visited him in Camaldoli he seemed like another Jerome. He followed in the footsteps of the old hermits, diligently read their biographies and prayed incessantly. If there was dryness in the contemplation, he took refuge in the Holy Rosary. Through this he acquired, although not formally instructed in the sciences, great wisdom and world experience, so that he attained an unusual eloquence, especially in exhortations to godliness.
GREAT WISDOM AND EXPERIENCE
He also became a priest and offered daily the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. From this he drew, according to his own testimony, a strong sweetness of spirit.
After living in community for about four years, he asked for permanent confinement, which he was granted.
THE "CROWN OF THE LORD"
Bl. Michael is particularly remembered for the prayer of the "Crown of the Lord", which the Italians call capellina and the Spaniards call camaldolo. For a long time this devotion and the Rosaries made for it were held in high esteem by the faithful of both high and low station.
To commemorate the 33 years of the Lord's life, 33 Our Fathers were prayed and 5 Ave Marias were added to commemorate the 5 wounds of Our Lord. Later the latter were expanded with special references to mysteries from the life of the holy Virgin Mary. (About the same time a similar devotion arose in the Minorite Order under the same name, at which 33 Our Fathers and as many Ave Marias were said in honour of the 33 years then ascribed to Christ's lifetime. The latter devotion also received ecclesiastical Confirmation by Pope Leo X on September 14, 1517.)
THE SPREAD OF THIS DEVOTION
As early as 1506, Bl. Michael had tried to spread the word about his "Crown of the Lord". So he, not Blessed Peregrinus, who lived in the 13th century, was the originator of this devotion, and for this he received confirmation from the Pope on February 18, 1516 with several indulgences. Confraternities came into existence which made it their business to carry out and spread this devotion.
His blessed death took place on Jan. 21, 1522. His veneration is indisputable and confirmed by the Church.
(Information from Stadler's Complete Encyclopedia of Saints, 1858)
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