S. Antonini Episcopi et Confessoris.

Filíoli, nemo vos sedúcat. Qui facit justítiam, justus est: sicut et ille justus est. Qui facit peccátum, ex diábolo est: quóniam ab inítio diábolus peccat. In hoc appáruit Fílius Dei, ut dissólvat ópera diáboli. Omnis, qui natus est ex Deo, peccátum non facit: quóniam semen ipsíus in eo manet, et non potest peccáre, quóniam ex Deo natus est. In hoc manifésti sunt fílii Dei, et fílii diáboli. Omnis, qui non est justus, non est ex Deo, et qui non díligit fratrem suum: quóniam hæc est annuntiátio, quam audístis ab inítio, ut diligátis altérutrum. Non sicut Cain, qui ex malígno erat, et occídit fratrem suum. Et propter quid occídit eum? Quóniam ópera ejus malígna erant: fratris autem ejus justa.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Little children, let no man deceive you. He that doth justice is just, even as he is just. He that committeth sin is of the devil: for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose, the Son of God appeared, that he might destroy the works of the devil. Whosoever is born of God, committeth not sin: for his seed abideth in him, and he can not sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil. Whosoever is not just, is not of God, nor he that loveth not his brother. For this is the declaration, which you have heard from the beginning, that you should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of the wicked one, and killed his brother. And wherefore did he kill him? Because his own works were wicked: and his brother's just
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Nolíte mirári fratres, si odit vos mundus. Nos scimus quóniam transláti sumus de morte ad vitam, quóniam dilígimus fratres. Qui non díligit, manet in morte: omnis, qui odit fratrem suum, homicída est. Et scitis quóniam omnis homicída non habet vitam ætérnam in semetípso manéntem. In hoc cognóvimus caritátem Dei, quóniam ille ánimam suam pro nobis pósuit: et nos debémus pro frátribus ánimas pónere. Qui habúerit substántiam hujus mundi, et víderit fratrem suum necessitátem habére, et claúserit víscera sua ab eo: quómodo cáritas Dei manet in eo? Filíoli mei, non diligámus verbo, neque lingua, sed ópere et veritáte.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Wonder not, brethren, if the world hate you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not, abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer. And you know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in himself. In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. He that hath the substance of this world, and shall see his brother in need, and shall shut up his bowels from him: how doth the charity of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Disciplínæ reguláris sui ipsíus severíssimus exáctor, carnes, nisi in gravi ægritúdine, numquam edit. Humi, aut in nudo tabuláto cubábat: cilício semper usus, et intérdum zona férrea ad vivam cutem incínctus, virginitátem integérrime semper cóluit. In explicándis consíliis tantæ dexteritátis fuit, ut commúni elógio Antonínus consiliórum dicerétur. Adeo autem in eo humílitas enítuit, ut étiam cœnóbiis, ac provínciis præféctus abjectíssima monastérii offícia demissíssime obíret. Ab Eugénio quarto Florentínus archiepíscopus renuntiátus, ægérrime tandem, nec nisi apostólicis minis perterrefáctus ut episcopátum accíperet, acquiévit.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

He required of himself the most unflinching observance of the Rule of his Order, and never ate meat unless he were grievously ill. He slept upon the ground or upon bare boards. He always wore haircloth, and sometimes an iron girdle which bit into his naked skin. His virginity he kept ever undimmed by the least breath or shadow. He was so skilful in giving advice that he gained the common nickname of "Counsel Antonine." At the same time so beautifully brilliant was his lowliness, that even when he was at the head of houses and provinces of his Order, he most cheerfully undertook all the meanest services of the houses where he was. Eugenius IV. appointed him Archbishop of Florence, and he took it so ill, that it was only when awed by the threats of the Apostolic See that he obeyed, and accepted the dignity, (in the year 1446.)
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

In eo múnere vix dici potest, quantum prudéntia, pietáte, caritáte, mansuetúdine, et sacerdotáli zelo excellúerit. Illud mirándum, tantum ingénio valuísse, ut omnes ferme sciéntias per se nullo adhíbito præceptóre, absolutíssime didícerit. Tandem post multos labóres, multis étiam éditis insígnis doctrínæ libris, sacra Eucharístia et unctióne percépta, compléxus Crucifíxi imáginem, mortem lætus aspéxit sexto Nonas Maji, millésimo quadringentésimo quinquagésimo nono. Miráculis vivens et post mortem conspícuus, sanctórum número adscríptus est ab Adriáno sexto, anno Dómini millésimo quingentésimo vigésimo tértio.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

As Archbishop it can hardly be told how noble he was, in wisdom, in godliness, in love, in meekness, in Priestly zeal. It was wonderful to see how thoroughly he taught himself nearly all the sciences, without the help of a master. At last, after much work, and publishing many valuable books on Doctrine, he received the Holy Eucharist and was anointed, and then, clasping the image of his crucified Saviour to his heart, joyfully welcomed death, on the 2nd day of May, in the year 1459. He was remarkable for the working of miracles, both during his life and after his death, and Adrian VI. enrolled his name among those of the Saints, in the year 1523.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Quis ítaque iste homo est, qui péregre proficíscitur, nisi Redémptor noster, qui in ea carne quam assúmpserat, ábiit in cœlum? Carnis enim locus próprius terra est; quæ quasi ad peregrína dúcitur, dum per Redemptórem nostrum in cœlo collocátur. Sed homo iste péregre proficíscens, servis suis bona sua trádidit, quia fidélibus suis spirituália dona concéssit. Et uni quidem quinque talénta, álii duo, álii vero commísit unum. Quinque étenim sunt córporis sensus, vidélicet: visus, audítus, gustus, odorátus, et tactus. Quinque ergo taléntis, donum quinque sénsuum, id est, exteriórum sciéntia exprímitur. Duóbus vero, intelléctus et operátio designátur. Uníus autem talénti nómine, intelléctus tantúmmodo designátur. ¶ Sed is, qui quinque talénta accéperat, ália quinque lucrátus est: quia sunt nonnúlli, qui etsi intérna ac mýstica penetráre nésciunt, pro intentióne tamen supérnæ pátriæ docent recta quos possunt, de ipsis exterióribus, quæ accepérunt, duplum taléntum portant: dumque se a carnis petulántia, et a terrenárum rerum ámbitu, atque a visibílium voluptáte custódiunt, ab his étiam álios admonéndo compéscunt. Et sunt nonnúlli, qui quasi duóbus taléntis ditáti, intelléctum atque operatiónem percípiunt, subtília de intérnis intélligunt, mira in exterióribus operántur. Cumque et intelligéndo et operándo áliis prǽdicant, quasi duplicátum de negótio lucrum repórtant.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

What other, then, is that man travelling into a far country but our Redeemer, Who is gone up from us into heaven in that Flesh Which He had taken into Himself? For the earth is the home of the Flesh, Which travelleth into a far country - when our Redeemer giveth It a place in heaven. But that man travelling into a far country delivered unto his servants his goods; and so doth our Redeemer give spiritual gifts unto His faithful people. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one. There are five bodily senses; that is, sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. By the five talents therefore are signified the five senses, that is, outward knowledge. By the two, wit and work. And by the figure of the one talent, understanding, which is alone. ¶ And so he that had received five talents, gained other five talents - for some there be who, while yet they are not able to go on unto things inward and mystic, do yet so desire our Fatherland which is above, that they teach well all whom they can, and of those very outward things which they have received make gain double. These are they which keep themselves clean from the unruly motions of the flesh, and from the lust of the world, and from the delight of things which are seen, and, by their preaching, keep other men also clean from all these things. And some there are who receive, as their two talents, the power to think and the power to work. These are they which inwardly understand dark things, and outwardly work wonders. And these, since they preach unto others, both through their understanding and their works, gain, as it were, double, for the talents which they have received.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Gordiánus judex, cum ad eum Januárius présbyter, ut condemnarétur, sub Juliáno Apóstata ductus esset, ab eodem in christiána fide instrúctus, cum uxóre et quinquagínta tribus áliis ex eádem família Romæ baptizátur. Quare præféctus, relegáto Januário, Gordiánum a Clementiáno vicário inclúdi jubet in cárcerem: qui póstea eúmdem Gordiánum vinctum caténis ad se accersítum, cum a fídei propósito deterrére non posset, plumbátis diu cæsum, cápite plecti ímperat. Cujus corpus ante Apóllonis templum cánibus objéctum, noctu a Christiánis via Latína sepelítur in eádem crypta, in quam relíquiæ beáti Epímachi Mártyris translátæ fúerant ab Alexandría: ubi is diu propter Christi confessiónem constríctus in cárcere, postrémo combústus, martýrio coronátus est.
Tu autem Dómine miserére nobis.
℟. Deo grátias.

Gordian was a judge before whom, in the reign of Julian the Apostate, Januarius the Priest was brought to be condemned. Januarius instructed Gordian in the Christian faith, and himself, with his wife, and fifty-three other persons of the same household, were all baptized at Rome. On this account the Praetor sent back Januarius, and ordered Clementian the Deputy to cast Gordian into prison. Afterward he caused the same Gordian to be brought before him in chains, and when he found he could not shake him in his will to cleave to the faith, he commanded that he should first be hided with whips loaded with lead, and thereafter beheaded. His body was thrown out before the temple of Apollo for dogs to eat, but the Christians buried it at night in the catacombs upon the Latin Way, in the same vault where were already lying the remains of the blessed Martyr Epimachus. These had been brought from Alexandria, in which city Epimachus had long been imprisoned for owning Christ, and had in the end grasped the crown of his testimony by being burnt alive.
But Thou, O Lord, have mercy on us.
℟. Thanks be to God.