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00 ST, MIDA earnestly, she was sometimes seen to be miraculously raised from the earth. One day, when Syriana was begging as usual, she accepted the hospitality of the young widow Michelina, and as she prayed, her hostess was deeply impressed by seeing her repeatedly suspended above the earth. On the feast of Pentecost, Michelina observed that her guest remained pray- ing with her eyes fixed on heaven, and as she forgot to take her food, she said to her, " Why do you not eat to-day ? This is a feast day; it is not right to fast." Syriana replied, " Oh 1 Miche- lina, if you could only taste for a little while the gifts of God, the things of the world would appear bitter to you. You would despise them and study more how to please God and to receive a crown in paradise when this life is over." Michelina answered that this talk was all nonsense, and showing the box in which her money and jewels were kept, added, <' Paradise lies in these things. I never saw any one coipe back firom the dead to persuade me of the truth of what you say." Syriana said so much to her of the vanity of earthly things, that at last Michelina said that but for the love of her child, she could renounce the world and her riches and give herself entirely to the service of God. Syriana proposed that they should pray to God that the boy should live if it were best, and that if not, he should die. They went to- gether to St. Francis's church and prayed before the crucifix, until they heud a voice from the image of Christ, saying to Michelina, " I will that thy son be with Me in paradise, and thus I set thee free from the love of him ; go in peace." Michelina went home, much frightened, and hastened to her child's room, where she had left him sleeping. Here she saw two shining angels, carry- ing his innocent soul to heaven. She took his lifeless body in her arms and said to herself, "What dost thou hope for in this world, Michelina?" Then, by the advice of her friend Syriana, she took the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis and gave all her wealth to the poor. Her relations were very angry. but Christ told her that all lahe had done for the poor was done for Him. She begged from door to door, and was often sent away with rude and abusive words. She made a pilgrimage to Jeru- salem, and during a storm on the way home she saved the ship by her prayers. She cured with a kiss a leper whom no one else dared to approach. In the early days of her conversion, she was seized witii a great longing for some roast pork. As she was accus- tomed to good living, she begged some of a rich neighbour, who willingly bought it for her as she could not get it for herself. While it was roasting, she smelt it and began to enjoy it in anticipation ; but all at once, remember- ing the life of self-denial on which she had entered, she resolved not to turn back to sensual pleasures, so when it was ready and the maid called her to eat it, instead of going to the dining-room, she went to her own room and beat herself with an iron chain until the blood ran down, reviling* herself for her sensuality and saying with each blow, " Dost thou still want roast pork, Michelina ? Oh 1 sinner, dost thou want any more roast pork ? " The vice of gluttony then departed from her for ever. She died at the age of forty, and many cures were wrought at her tomb. Syriana is never heard of from the time she procured the conversion of Michelina, and is therefore believed by some to have been an angel in the guise of a pilgrim, and is, by Arturus, called Blessed, and commemorated Dec. 31. A.BM, Papebroch in AA.SS. St. Mida, Ita (I). St. Midabaria, Feb. 15, 22 or 23, sister of St. Fintan, afterwards called Berach, abbot and bi^op of Glendalough in the ancient Irish Church. Date uncertain, perhaps 6th century. AA.SS, Colgan. St. Midhnat, Nov. 18, V. of Cill Liuchaine, now Eillucan in West Meath. Possibly the same as Medana (1 ). Forbes. St. Mietia, July 16, appears in the Mart, Afjtgustanum. AA.SS. St. Migdonia or Mygdonia, May 27. 1 St century. One of the converts of St. Thomas in India. She was the wife of