Born at Florence in 1270, of the illustrious family of Falconieri, Juliana, from childhood, gave such signs of holiness that her uncle St, Alexis Falconieri declared to her mother that she had given birth to an angel. Never in the course of her life did she raise her eyes to look at a man's face, and to hear sin spoken of made her tremble (Introit).
At the age of 15, she solemnly consecrated her virginity to God (Epistle, Gospel). O Juliana, only longing for the nuptials of the heavenly Lamb, you leave your paternal roof and conduct a choir of virgins. You sigh night and day for the sorrows of your Spouse, nailed to the cross, and you shed tears at the feet of the Mother of God, whose heart is pierced by seven swords.
Having founded the Order of Mantellate (so called on account of the short mantle they wore) she was asked by St. Philip Beniti to take charge of the whole Order of Servites which honours in a special manner the Sorrows of the Virgin.
On two days a week her only food was the Bread of angels. At the age of 70, not being able to retain any food, she lamented the impossibility of receiving Holy Communion. She asked that at least the Blessed Sacrament should be held near her heart and the Sacred Bread miraculously disappeared leaving an impression in the shape of a host representing the image of Jesus crucified (Collect). She then breathed her last and was joyfully conducted to the throne of the Divine King (Gradual). It was on June 19th, 1340.
Let us beseech the Holy Ghost to grant that we may, like St. Juliana, be nourished and strengthened in our agony by the Body of Christ which will be our viaticum to the heavenly home (Collect).
Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem: properea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus, oleo laetitiae prae consortibus tuis. * Eructavit cor meum verbum bonum: dico ego opera mea Regi.
Thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows. * My heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the King.
(Psalm 44:8,2 from the Introit of Mass)
Deus, qui beatam Julianam Virginem tuam extremo morbo laborantem, pretioso Filii tui corpore mirabiliter recreare dignatus es: concede, quaesumus; ut, ejus intercedentibus myitis, nos quoque eodem in mortis agone refecti ac roborati, ad caelestem patriam perducamur.
O God, who didst wonderfully refresh blessed Juliana, Thy virgin, whilst sick unto death, with the precious Body of Thy Son; we beseech Thee, through her merits, that when our last hour shall have come, we may likewise be comforted and strengthened, and be safely guided by Thee into our heavenly abode.
(Collect)
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