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Antonio was born at Florence in 1389 to noble parents of high standing. The name Antoninus, Little Anthony, was the affectionate nickname given him by his fellow citizens because of his short stature. The body of St. Antoninus is preserved under an altar in the Dominican Church of San Marco

From early childhood, he applied himself to learning and study, and was known for his keen intelligence and piety. Influenced by the sermons of Blessed John Dominic, a great Italian religious reformer of the period, Antoninus applied for admission to the Dominican Order at age 15, and was accepted a year later. With Fra Angelico and Fra Bartolommeo, the one to become famous as a painter, the other as a miniaturist, he was sent to Cortona to make his novitiate under Blessed Lawrence of Ripafratta.

Later he was elected the Dominican Superior of Tuscany and Naples, where he zealously applied the reforms of his mentor. In 1445, when Pope Eugene IV was seeking an Archbishop for Florence, Fra Angelico, who was a friend of the Pope, suggested St. Antoninus. The Pope named him Archbishop of Florence and he entered the city in great pomp, as was the custom.

He strove energetically to wipe out public scandals and remedy the many abuses in his Diocese. Prince Cosimo de Medici used to say that everything good that the city had was due to the prayers of its holy Archbishop. He was called by Eugene IV to assist him in his dying hours. He was also frequently consulted by Pope Nicholas V on questions of Church and State.

Comments of Prof. Plinio:

Florence at that time was in a tournant de l’Histoire [turning point of History], that is, a time in which it was taking a new course, changing directions. This was because, even though the influence of the Renaissance had been strong in Florence, some of the inhabitants of the city had begun to reject its spirit, and were looking again to the medieval past of Italy. Florence, home to great artists who realized works of extraordinary beauty in the city, had been a focal point for spreading the Renaissance.

Florence was not a secondary city, as it is today, but was the center of the Grand Dukes of Tuscany, whose dynasty – the Medicis – were linked to the best houses of Europe, among them the house of France. Both Mary and Catherine of Medici would be Queens of France. The city also exerted a strong influence in the Church and more than one Pope came from that family. The Medicis were, in fact, one of the most powerful and important families of Europe.

So it was that Divine Providence sent a saint to this city. A saint whom Fra Angelico (Blessed Giovanni de Fiezoli) recommended to be its Prelate. The innocent and supposedly naïve Fra Angelico was the one who had the sagacity and perspicacity to point out St. Antoninus as a good candidate for the Archbishopric of Florence. So, there was at that time the reformer Blessed John Dominic, the teacher of our saint, Blessed Lawrence of Ripafratta, who was his novitiate master, Blessed Fra Angelico, a saint himself, and St. Antoninus, all living at the same time in and around Florence.

One sees that Florence was the very hub of the revolutionary spirit of the Renaissance, but at the same time also a place where God sent His saints to make a counter-attack against that same Renaissance. In this scenario, we find St. Antoninus, who assumed the office of Archbishop of Florence with great pomp and circumstance.

The selection does not mention how St. Antoninus carried out an enormous action to combat the Renaissance and to establish austerity in the customs of his Diocese. Good historians often acknowledge that the action of St. Antoninus caused the Renaissance movement to lose some of its vigor and momentum in Florence and, as a consequence, in Italy.

The importance of his actions was indirectly recognized by the eminent and condemnable Cosimo de Medici, when he recognized the great value of the prayers and work of St. Antoninus. Therefore, St. Antoninus did much good for the glory of God and strove to do what he could to stop the Renaissance.

Someone could object: I don’t understand the sense of this work of Providence. The life of St. Antoninus was like a meteor that passes and shines brightly for a moment. It was able to briefly arrest the course of events, but did not manage to stop the catastrophe. Therefore, it was a failure for the glory of God.

The answer is not difficult. First, to contain the march of the Renaissance in Florence was in itself a great work for the glory of God. St. Ignatius of Loyola used to say that if he spent his entire life to prevent just one more mortal sin of a person condemned to Hell, he would be satisfied, because of the enormous glory given to God this would represent. If you apply the same principle to the life of St. Antoninus, you can realize the great glory God received from his action, which in some way broke the impetus of the wave of the Renaissance.

Second, the life of St. Antoninus confirms the existence of a deep root of good in Florence which opposed the Renaissance, as do the lives of Fra Angelico and Blessed John Dominic and the other saints living in the city at that time. This indicates that the plan of Divine Providence was to stop the Renaissance to restore something that continued the spirit of the Middle Ages, for which Florence would act as the hub. Fra Angelico is an expression of this possible future.

But what most probably happened is that other souls chosen for this mission did not correspond to their vocation. If they had done so, Florence would have converted, the Renaissance could have died in Italy, and World History could have been different. Working from the same hypothesis, we can say that if Florence did not convert, and the errors of the Renaissance continued to spread from Italy throughout Europe generating Protestantism, the French Revolution and Communism, this process, in final analysis, could be the result of those persons living at that time who did not listen to the call of God.

This is my response to the objection. What is more, you can clearly see the great responsibility of the souls called by God for some work. Their response can be decisive in the plan of Divine Providence, and a whole historic process can rely on their correspondence to grace.

We should ask St. Antoninus, who Divine Providence positioned in a time and place that was the key point for many future historic developments, to help us to follow his example and be entirely faithful to the plan that Our Lady has put before us.

THE FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER Dom Prosper Gueranger OSB

Our Jesus has organized his Church, and confided to his Apostles the sacred deposit of the truths which are to form the object of our faith. We must now follow him in another work, of equal importance to the world, and to which he gives his divine attention during these forty days: it is the institution of the Sacraments. It is not enough that we believe; we must, moreover, be made just, that is, we must bear upon us the likeness of God’s holiness; we must receive, we must have incorporated within us, that great fruit of the Redemption, which is called Grace; that thus being made living members of our divine Head, we may be made joint-heirs with him of the Kingdom of heaven. Now, it is by means of the Sacraments, that Jesus is to produce in us this wondrous work of our justification; he applies to us the merits of his Incarnation and Sacrifice but he applies them by certain means, which he himself, in his power and wisdom, has instituted.

Being the sovereign Master of his own gifts, he can select what means he pleases whereby to convey Grace to us; all we have to do is to conform to his wishes. Thus, each of the Sacraments is a law; so that it is in vain that we hope for a Sacrament to produce its effects, unless we fulfill the conditions specified by our Redeemer. And here, at once, we cannot but admire that infinite goodness, which has so mercifully blended two such widely distinct operations in one and the same act—namely, on the one side, the humble submission of man and, on the other, the munificent generosity of God.

We were showing, a few days back, how the Church, though a spiritual society, is also visible and exterior, because man, for whose sake the Church was formed, is a being composed of body and soul. When instituting the Sacraments, our Lord assigned to each an essential rite; and this rite is outward and sensible. He made the Flesh, which he had united to his Divine Person, become the instrument of our salvation by his Passion and Death on the Cross; he redeemed us by shedding his Blood for us:—so is it in the Sacraments; he follows the same mysterious plan, taking physical things as his auxiliaries in effecting the work of our justification. He raises them to a supernatural state, and makes them the faithful and all-powerful conductors of his grace, even to the most intimate depths of our soul. It is the continuation of the mystery of the Incarnation, the object of which is to raise us, by visible things, to the knowledge of things invisible. Thus is broken the pride of Satan; he despised man because he is not purely a spirit, but is spirit and matter unitedly; and he refused to pay adoration to the Word made Flesh.

Moreover, the Sacraments, being visible signs, are an additional bond of union between the members of the Church: we say additional, because these members have the two other strong links of union—submission to Peter and to the Pastors sent by him, and profession of the same faith. The Holy Ghost tells us, in the Sacred Volume, that a threefold cord is not easily broken. Now we have such a one; and it keeps us in the glorious unity of the Church—Hierarchy, Dogma, and Sacraments, all contribute to make us One Body. Everywhere, from north to south, and from east to west, the Sacraments testify to the fraternity that exists among us; by them, we know each other, no matter in what part of the globe we may be, and by the same we are known by heretics and infidels. These divine Sacraments are the same in every country, how much soever the liturgical formulæ of their administration may differ; they are the same in the graces they produce, they are the same in the signs whereby grace is produced, in a word, they are the same in all the essentials.

Our Risen Jesus would have the Sacraments be Seven. As at the beginning he stamped the Creation of the visible world with this sacred number—giving six days to work and one to rest—so too would he mark the great spiritual creation. He tells us, in the Old Testament, that Wisdom (that is, himself—for he is the Eternal Wisdom of the Father) will build to himself a House, which is the Church; and he adds that he will make it rest on seven pillars. He gives us a type of this same Church in the Tabernacle built by Moses, and he orders a superb Candlestick, to be provided for the giving light, by day and night, to the holy place; but there were to be seven branches to the Candlestick, and on each branch were to be graven flowers and fruits. When he raises his beloved Disciple to heaven, he shows himself to him surrounded by seven candlesticks, and holding seven stars in his right hand. He appears to him as a Lamb, bearing seven horns (which are the symbol of strength), and having seven eyes (which signify his infinite wisdom). Near him lies a Book, in which is written the future of the world; the Book is sealed with seven seals, and none but the Lamb is able to loose them. The Disciple sees seven Spirits, burning like lamps, before the throne of God, ready to do his biddings, and carry his word to the extremities of the earth.

Turning our eyes to the kingdom of Satan, we see him mimicking God’s work, and setting up a seven of his own. Seven capital and deadly sins are the instruments whereby he makes man his slave; and our Savior tells us that when Satan has been defeated, and would regain a soul, he brings with him seven of the wickedest spirits of hell. We read in the Gospel that Jesus drove seven devils out of Mary Magdalene. When God’s anger bursts upon the world, immediately before the coming of the dread Judge, he will announce the approach of his chastisements by seven trumpets, sounded by seven Angels; and seven other Angels will then pour out upon the guilty earth seven vials filled with the wrath of God.

We, therefore, who are resolved to make sure our election; who desire to possess the grace of our Risen Jesus in this life, and to enjoy his vision in the next; oh! let us reverence and love this merciful Seven-fold, these admirable Sacraments! Under this sacred number, he has included all the varied riches of his grace. There is not a want or necessity, either of souls individually, or of society at large, for which our Redeemer has not provided by these seven sources of regeneration and life. He calls us from death to life by Baptism and Penance; he strengthens us in that supernatural life by Confirmation, the Eucharist, and Extreme Unction; he secures to his Church both Ministry and increase by Holy Orders and Matrimony. The seven Sacraments supply everything needed; take one away, and you destroy the harmony. The Churches of the East—though severed, now for long ages, from Catholic unity—retain all seven: and when Protestantism broke the sacred number, it showed in this, as in all its other pretended reformations, that it was estranging itself from the spirit of the Christian Religion. No: the doctrine of the Sacraments is one that cannot be denied without denying the true Faith. If we would be members of God’s Church, we must receive this doctrine as coming from Him who has a right to insist on our humble submission to his every word. It is to the soul which thus believes, that the Sacraments appear in all their divine beauty and power: we understand, because we believe. Credite, et intelligetis! It is the fulfillment of the text from Isaias, as rendered by the Septuagint (vii. 9): Unless ye believe, ye shall not understand!

Let us confine our considerations, for today, to the first of the Sacraments—Baptism. It is during Paschal Time that we have it brought before us in all its glory. We remember how, on Holy Saturday, it filled the hearts of the Catechumens with joy, giving them a right to heaven. But the great Sacrament had had its preparations. On the feast of the Epiphany, we adored our Emmanuel as we beheld him descending into the river Jordan and, by this contact with his sacred Body, communicating to the element of Water the power of purifying men’s souls from sin. The Holy Ghost, in the form of a dove, rested on Jesus’ head and, by his divine influence, gave fecundity to the life-giving element. The voice of the Eternal Father was heard in a cloud, announcing his adoption of all such as should receive Baptism; he adopted them in Jesus, his eternally well-beloved Son.

During his sojourn on earth, our Redeemer thus explained the mystery of Baptism to Nicodemus, who was a ruler among the Jews, and a master in Israel: Unless a man be born again of Water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. Here, as in so many other instances, he foretells what he intends to do at a future time: he prepares us for the mystery by telling us that as our first birth was not pure, he is preparing a second for us; that this second birth will be holy, and that Water is to be the instrument of so great a grace.

But after his Resurrection, our Emmanuel openly announced his having given to Water the power of producing the sublime adoption to which mankind was invited by the Eternal Father. Speaking to his Apostles, he thus gives them the fundamental law of the Kingdom he had come from heaven to establish: Going, teach ye all nations: baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. This is the master-gift bestowed on the world by its Redeemer—salvation by Water and the invocation of the Blessed Trinity; for he adds: He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. What a revelation was here! It told us of the infinite mercy, wherewith our Creator loved us: it was the inauguration of the Sacraments by the announcements of the first of the Seven—of that one which, according to the expression of the Holy Father, is the Gate to the rest.

Let us love this august mystery of Baptism, to which we are indebted for the life of our souls, and for the indelible character which makes us members of our divine Head, Jesus. The holy King of France, St. Louis, who was baptized in the humble village of Poissy, loved to sign him “Louis of Poissy.” He looked upon the baptismal font as the mother who had given him a life incomparably superior to that which made him the son of an earthly monarch:—she gave him to be the child of God, and heir to the kingdom of Heaven. We should imitate this saintly King.

But observe the exceeding considerateness of our Risen Jesus, when he instituted this the most indispensable of the Sacraments. He chose for its matter the commonest that could be, and the most easily to be had. Bread, Wine and Oil are not so plentiful as Water, which is to be found in every place: God made it thus plentiful, that, when the appointed time came, the fount of regeneration might be within everyone’s reach.

In his other Sacraments, our Savior would have Priests alone to be the ministers: not so with Baptism. Any one of the Faithful, whatever may be his or her condition, may administer Baptism. Nay more; an Infidel can, by Water and the invocation of the Blessed Trinity, confer upon others the Baptismal Grace, which he or she themselves do not possess, provided only that they really intend to do what holy Church does, when she administers the sacrament of Baptism.

Nor is this all. An unbaptized man or woman may be dying, and no one near them to administer this Sacrament; they are on the brink of eternity, and there is no hand nigh them to pour the Water of regeneration upon them—our Savior has lovingly provided for this necessity. Let this man or woman believe in Baptism; let them desire it in all the sincerity of their souls; let them entertain sentiments of compunction and love, such as are required of an adult when receiving Baptism—they are Baptized in desire, and heaven is open to them.

But what if it be a child that has not come to the use of reason? Our Savior’s words are plain: He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved. How, then, can this child be saved? the guilt of original sin is upon it, and it is incapable of making an act of faith? Fear not: the power of holy Baptism extends even so far as this. The faith of the Church will be imputed to this Child, which the Church is about to adopt as her own: let Water be but poured on the Child, in the name of the three Divine Persons—and it is a Christian forever. Baptized in the faith of the Church, this Child now possesses (and, as we say, personally) Faith, Hope and Charity: the sacramental Water has achieved this wondrous work. If the little innocent die, it goes straight to heaven.

These, O Jesus! are the admirable effects of the first of thy Sacraments. How truly does the Apostle say of thee, that thou willest all men to be saved! If this thy will be in some without its fulfillment, so that some children die without Baptism, it is because of the consequences which sin produces in the parents, and which thy Justice is not bound to prevent. And yet, how frequently does not thy mercy intervene, and procure the grace of Regeneration for children who, naturally, would have been excluded! Thus, the water of Baptism has been poured upon countless Babes, who were dying in the arms of their pagan parents, and the Angels received these little ones into their choirs. Knowing this, dear Savior, we are forced to exclaim with the Psalmist: Let us that live bless the Lord!

In the Greek Church, the fourth Sunday after Easter is called the Sunday of the Samaritan, because there is then read the passage of the Gospel, which relates the conversion of this woman.

The Roman Church begins, in her Night Office of this Sunday, the Canonical Epistles; and continues them till Pentecost Sunday.

FOURTH SUNDAY AFTER EASTER

In the Introit, the Church makes use of one of the finest canticles of the Royal Prophet, in order to celebrate the wonderful graces bestowed upon her by her Divine Spouse: she also rejoices at the thought that the Gentiles have been called to the knowledge of God, to justification and salvation.

Sing to the Lord a new canticle, alleluia: because the Lord hath done wonderful things, alleluia: he hath revealed his justice in the sight of the Gentiles. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Ps. His right hand, and his holy arm hath saved us. ℣. Glory, &c. Sing, &c.

Laden with the blessings of God, who, by his divine Sacraments, has made them to be one people, the Faithful should not be satisfied with observing the commandments—they should love them; they should also long after the Heaven that is promised them. The Church prays, in the Collect, that her children may receive the grace to do all this.

O God, who makest the faithful to be of one mind: grant that thy people may love what thou commandest, and desire what thou promisest: that, amidst the uncertainties of this world, we may place our affections where there are true joys. Through, &c.

LESSON Lesson of the Epistle of Saint James the Apostle.
Dearly beloved: Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. For of his own will hath he begotten us by the word of truth, that we might be some beginning of his creatures. You know, my dearest brethren. And let every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God. Wherefore casting away all uncleanness, and abundance of naughtiness, with meekness receive the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls.

INSTRUCTION The favors bestowed upon the Christian people proceed from the goodness of our Heavenly Father. He is the source of everything in the order of nature; and if, in the order of grace, we are become his Children, it is because he sent us his Consubstantial Word—the Word of Truth—whereby, by means of Baptism, we were made Children of God. Hence, we ought to imitate, as far as our weakness will permit, the divine calm of our Father who is in heaven; we ought to avoid that state of passionate excitement which savors of a terrestrial life, whereas ours should be of the heaven whither God calls us. The Apostle bids us receive, with meekness, the Word, which makes us what we are. He tells us that this Word is a germ of salvation grafted into our souls: only let us put no obstacle to its growth, and we shall be saved.

In the first Alleluia-Versicle, our Risen Jesus extols, in the words of the Royal Psalmist, the power of his Father, who gave him the victory of his Resurrection. In the second, we ourselves proclaim the praise of the immortal life of our divine Master; we proclaim it in the words of St. Paul.

GOSPEL Sequel of the holy Gospel according to John. Ch. XVI.
At that time: Jesus said to his disciples: I go to him that sent me, and none of you asketh me: Whither goest thou? But because I have spoken these things to you, sorrow hath filled your heart. But I tell you the truth: it is expedient to you that I go: for if I go not, the Paraclete will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he is come, he will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgement. Of sin: because they believed not in me. And of justice: because I go to the Father; and you shall see me no longer. And of judgement: because the prince of this world is already judged. I have yet many things to say to you: but you cannot bear them now. But when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will teach you all truth. For he shall not speak of himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak; and the things that are to come, he shall shew you. He shall glorify me; because he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it to you.

INSTRUCTION 
The Apostles were sad at hearing Jesus say to them: I go. Are not we so, too? we who, thanks to the sacred Liturgy, have been in such close company with him, ever since the day of his Birth at Bethlehem. Yet a few days, and he is to ascend into heaven, and our Year is to lose the charm it possessed of following, day by day, the actions and words of our Emmanuel. Still, he would have us moderate our sadness. He tells us that, in his stead, the Paraclete, the Comforter, is about to descend upon the earth, and abide with us to the end of time, in order that he may give us light and strength. Let us make good use of these last hours with our Jesus: we shall soon have to be preparing for the Divine Guest, who is to take his place.

By these words, which were spoken shortly before his passion, our Savior does more than tell us of the coming of the Holy Ghost; he also shows us how terrible this coming will be to them that have rejected the Messias. His words are unusually mysterious: let us listen to the explanation given of them by St. Augustine, the Doctor of Doctors—When the Holy Ghost is come, says our Lord, he will convince the world of Sin, because they believed not in me. How great must, indeed, be the responsibility of them that have been witnesses of Jesus’ wonderful works, and yet will not receive his teaching! Jerusalem will be told that the Holy Ghost has come down upon the Disciples; and she will receive the news with the same indifference as she did the miracles which proved Jesus to be her Messias. The coming of the Holy Ghost will serve as a sort of signal of the destruction of the Deicide City. Jesus adds: The Paraclete will convince the world of Justice, because I go to the Father, and ye shall see me no longer. The Apostles, and they that believe their word, shall be just and holy by faith: they will believe in Him that is gone to the Father,—in Him whom they are to see no longer in this world. Jerusalem, on the contrary, will remember him only to blaspheme him: the holiness, the faith, the justice of them that shall believe will be her condemnation, and the Holy Ghost will leave her to her fate. Jesus continues: The Paraclete will convince the world of Judgment, because the prince of this world is already judged. They that follow not Christ Jesus, follow Satan: he is their prince, but his judgment is already pronounced. The Holy Ghost warns the followers of the world that their leader is already in eternal torments. Let them reflect well upon this; for, as St. Augustine observes, “the pride of man has no right to recken upon indulgence; let it but think of the hell into which even the angels were cast because they were proud.”

In the Offertory, the Christian makes use of the Psalmist’s words, to celebrate the favors bestowed by God upon his soul. He invites the whole earth to join him in his gratitude, and he does well; for the favors received by this Christian are offered to the whole of mankind; Jesus has invited all men to share by means of the Sacraments, in the graces of the Redemption.

Sing to the Lord all the earth, sing a psalm to his name: come and hear, and I will relate to you, all you who fear God, what great things the Lord hath done for my soul, alleluia.

Holy Church delights on the contemplation of divine truth, so profusely communicated to her by our Risen Lord; she prays, in the following Prayer, that her children may lead such good lives in this world, as to merit the eternal enjoyment of the God of all truth.

O God, who madest us partakers of the one Supreme Divinity, by the frequent celebration and participation of this holy sacrifice: grant, we beseech thee, that as we know thy truth, so we may live up to it by a worthy conduct of life. Through, &c.

The Communion-Anthem repeats the mysterious words of the Gospel, which we have already explained; they remind us that the coming of the Holy Ghost may be either a reward or a punishment, according to the dispositions of men. 

When the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, shall come, he will convince the world of sin, and of justice, and of judgment. Alleluia, alleluia.

While giving thanks for the divine mystery just received, the Church, in the Postcommunion, teaches us that the Eucharist has the power of cleansing us from our sins, and preserving us from the dangers to which we are exposed.

Help us, O Lord, our God, that our sins may be forgiven, and that we may be delivered from all dangers by the sacrament, which we have received with faith. Through, &c.

ON THE GREAT COMMANDMENT OF DIVINE LOVE
Consider first, those words of the divine law, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind, and with thy whole strength. This (says the Lord) is the greatest, and the first commandment,’ Matt. xxii. 39. Yes, my soul, it is the greatest of all the commandments of God, and that which he takes most of all to heart, since he has made our souls to his own image and likeness, to this very end that we should love him, and should dedicate our whole being to his divine love, for all the time of our pilgrimage here upon earth, that so we might come to be happily united to him in an eternal band of love in his heavenly kingdom. O the excellent dignity of this divine commandment, which tends directly and immediately to raise our souls above this earth, and above the heaven of heavens, and the whole created universe, and to bring them to the God that made heaven and earth, and to unite them to him by a most perfect love, both for time and eternity.

Consider 2ndly, the incomprehensible goodness of God is manifested to us in this commandment, in his insisting so much upon our loving him, and upon our tending with all our power to a union with him. Is then our love of any consequence to him? Or can we add any thing to his happiness, by loving him? Or will he lose any thing, if we refuse him our love? And what is there in us poor little ants, if compared to his infinite majesty, that he should concern himself whether we love him or not? Would it not be an unspeakable favour to us, that he should even suffer us, considering who he is, and who we are, to aspire so high as to pretend to his love? But that this great God should make it a commandment - and the very first and principal of all his commandments - that we should love him, and love him with our whole heart; that he should insist upon our entering into this league of eternal friendship with him, promising all happiness for eternity upon our compliance, and threatening us with most dreadful and eternal evils if we love him not; ‘tis this that shows forth and sets in so wonderful a light the goodness of our God and his love for us that we should be not only most wretched, insensible, and ungrateful beyond expression, but even in some sense worse than devils, if we should refuse him our love.

Consider 3rdly, the excellence of this commandment of divine love, with regard to the fruits it brings to our souls. Divine love is the queen of virtues. She never comes alone, but brings all other virtues along with her; she gives life to them all; even faith and hope are dead when she is not in their company. She brings with her the remission of all our sins; she makes us the friends and favourites of the Most High; she makes us his children, his spouses, his temples she is the ‘band of all perfection.’ O my soul, how glorious it is, how happy, how delightful, to be thus united to thy God by a strict band of friendship and love! O embrace then, with all thy powers, this great commandment, which, by obliging thee to give thy whole self up to the love of God, brings down thy God with all his treasures to thee.

Conclude to make it henceforward the business of thy life to learn this great lesson of loving God; and as no one but God himself can effectually teach thee so sublime and so divine a science, continually beg of him to introduce thee into his school, which he holds in thy interior, and there to be thy master.

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Antoninus, as well as commemorating the Fourth Sunday after Easter. Antoninus was born in Florence in the late fourteenth century. He entered the Dominican order and subsequently rose to a position of prominence within the order. He was noted for his strict observance of the Dominican rule and for his austerity and charity. He was present at the Council of Florence (which achieved reunion between the Eastern and the Western Church, though the agreement was not ultimately accepted in the Eastern Church). He subsequently became Archbishop of Florence. As archbishop he did not succumb to any delusions of grandeur concerning his office but was rather noted for his continued observance of the Dominican rule and continuing austerity and charity. He exemplified the maxim of servus servorum dei, one who was the servant of the servants of God. He died in 1459.
The late medieval period in which Antoninus lived may seem to us to be an age of faith in sharp contrast to the present. At one level, this is indeed the case and the Church had greater influence on the ordering of society than it does now. On the other hand, it was also in many ways a period of great confusion. Antoninus was born into a world where Europe had recently been decimated by the Black Death. There was division between rival claimants to the Papacy. This undermined the belief in the Papal Supremacy and led to the rise of the conciliarist movement (the belief that a General Council of the Church rather than the Papacy was the ultimate authority in the Church, a belief that would be affirmed by the Council of Constance in 1415). As the Byzantine Empire looked on the verge of collapse in the East there was an attempt to heal the schism between the Western and the Eastern Church at the Council of Florence (which Antoninus attended). Though agreement was reached the antagonism which the Crusaders had generated in the East through their sack of Constantinople in 1209 still lived on, and consequently led the Council to be repudiated by the Eastern Church. In the last years of Antoninus’ life the Byzantine Empire finally fell to the Ottoman Turks in 1453. In many ways, it was not only an age of faith but also one of conflict and division.
In Jesus’ Farewell discourse to his disciples (which we are reading on these Sundays between the Third Sunday after Easter and Pentecost) he foretold that as he had met with conflict and persecution in this world, so too would those who are truly his followers. He foretold the persecution and tribulation which they would suffer for the sake of the name, the need for witness, and the coming of the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father would send in his name to guide, to strengthen and to cheer. The word Paraclete is notoriously difficult to translate into an English equivalent. It has been rendered Advocate or Counsellor, but the word our older English translations use is Comforter, and perhaps this still represents the best English equivalent. For in the long term the coming of the Paraclete, the Holy Ghost is a thing of unspeakable comfort to those who are faithful. It is not comfortable to this world, for the Spirit speaks of sin, righteousness and judgement. “About sin, they have not found belief in me. About rightness of heart, because I am going back to my Father and ye see me no more. About judging: he who rules this world has the sentence passed on him already”.
The Paraclete is Jesus’ continuing presence dwelling in his people on earth until the end of the age. He will guide the Church into all truth. The Paraclete, the Holy Ghost, does not speak of himself, but from Christ, teaching all that he has received from the Father. As the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, so the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father. The question of whether the Spirit proceeds from the Father or proceeds from the Father and the Son has sadly been a cause of conflict between the Eastern and the Western Church (the Council of Florence which St. Antoninus attended did reach agreement on this issue, though the Council was not eventually recognised in the Eastern Church). But the central truth which the Western and Eastern Fathers of the Church both accept is that the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son. The Father is the source of the Godhead, the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, and the Spirit eternally proceeds from the Father, but it can also truly be said that the Spirit proceeds from the Father through the Son. This is what the farewell discourse teaches when it speaks of the Spirit who proceeds from the Father being sent in the name of the Son.
Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed
His tender last farewell,
A Guide, a Comforter bequeathed
With us to dwell

He came sweet influence to impart,
A gracious, willing guest
Where he can find one humble heart
Wherein to rest

And every virtue we possess,
And every victory one,
And every thought of holiness,
Are his alone

Spirit of purity and grace,
Our weakness, pitying see;
O make our hearts thy dwelling place,
And worthier thee.

Optional memorial. Canonised 1923 by Pius XI.

Born at Montepulciano, Italy, October 4, 1542, St. Robert Bellarmine was the third of ten children. His mother, Cinzia Cervini, a niece of Pope Marcellus II, was dedicated to almsgiving, prayer, meditation, fasting, and mortification of the body.

Robert entered the newly formed Society of Jesus in 1560 and after his ordination went on to teach at Louvain (1570-1576) where he became famous for his Latin sermons. In 1576, he was appointed to the chair of controversial theology at the Roman College, becoming Rector in 1592; he went on to become Provincial of Naples in 1594 and Cardinal in 1598.

This outstanding scholar and devoted servant of God defended the Apostolic See against the anti-clericals in Venice and against the political tenets of James I of England. He composed an exhaustive apologetic work against the prevailing heretics of his day. In the field of church-state relations, he took a position based on principles now regarded as fundamentally democratic - authority originates with God, but is vested in the people, who entrust it to fit rulers.

This saint was the spiritual father of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, helped St. Francis de Sales obtain formal approval of the Visitation Order, and in his prudence opposed severe action in the case of Galileo. He has left us a host of important writings, including works of devotion and instruction, as well as controversy. He died in 1621.

The Holy Martyr Boniface was the slave of a rich young Roman woman named Aglaida and he dwelt with her in an iniquitous cohabitation. But they both felt the sting of conscience and they wanted somehow to be cleansed of their sin. And the Lord granted them the possibility to wash away their sin with their blood and to finish their life in repentance.

Aglaida learned that whoever keeps relics of the holy martyrs in the home and venerates them receives great help in gaining salvation. Under their influence, sin is diminished and virtue prevails. She arranged for Boniface to go to the East, where there was a fierce persecution against Christians, and she asked him to bring back the relics of some martyr, who would become a guide and protector for them.

As he was leaving, Boniface laughed and asked, “My lady, if I do not find any relics, and if I myself suffer for Christ, will you accept my body with reverence?” Aglaida scolded him, saying that he was setting off on a sacred mission, but he was not taking it seriously. Boniface pondered her words, and during the whole journey he thought that he was unworthy of touching the bodies of the martyrs.

Arriving at Tarsus in Cilicia, Boniface left his companions at the inn and proceeded to the city square, where they were torturing Christians. Struck by the beastly horrible torments, and seeing the faces of the holy martyrs radiant with the grace of the Lord, Boniface marveled at their courage. He embraced them and kissed their feet, asking them to pray that he might be found worthy to suffer with them.

The judge asked Boniface who he was. He replied, “I am a Christian,” and then refused to offer sacrifice to idols. They stripped him and hung him upside down, beating him so hard that the flesh fell from his body, exposing the bone. They stuck needles under his nails, and finally they poured molten tin down his throat, but by the power of the Lord he remained unharmed. The people who witnessed this miracle shouted, “Great is the God of the Christians!” Then they began to throw stones at the judge, and then they headed for the pagan temple, in order to cast down the idols.

On the following morning, when things had quieted down somewhat, the judge directed that the holy martyr be thrown into a cauldron of boiling tar, but this also caused the sufferer no harm. An angel come down from Heaven and bedewed him as he stepped into the cauldron. The tar overflowed the cauldron, splattering and burning the torturers themselves. Saint Boniface was then sentenced to beheading by the sword. Blood and a milky fluid flowed from his wounds. Beholding such a miracle, about 550 men believed in Christ.

Saint Boniface’s companions, waiting for two days at the inn for him in vain, began searching for him, thinking that he had gotten drunk somewhere. At first their search was without success, but finally they came across a man who had been an eyewitness to the martyr’s death. The man also led them to the place where the decapitated body lay. Saint Boniface’s companions tearfully begged his forgiveness for their unseemly thoughts about him. After they ransomed the martyr’s remains, they brought them back to Rome.

On the eve of their arrival an angel appeared to Aglaida in her sleep and told her to prepare herself to receive her former slave, now the brother and fellow-servant of the angels. Aglaida summoned the clergy, and she received the holy relics with great reverence. Then she built a church on the site of his grave and dedicated it to the holy martyr. There she enshrined his relics, glorified by numerous miracles. After distributing all her wealth to the poor, she withdrew to a monastery, where she spent fifteen years in repentance, then fell asleep in the Lord. She was buried beside Saint Boniface. The sins of the one were washed away by his blood, the other was purified by her tears and asceticism. Both were found worthy to appear unsullied before our Lord Jesus Christ, Who desires not the death of a sinner, but that he should turn from his wickedness and live (Ezek. 33:11).

John Baptist de La Salle was born into a world very different from our own. He was the first son of wealthy parents living in France over 300 years ago. Born at Reims, John Baptist de La Salle received the tonsure at age eleven and was named Canon of the Reims Cathedral at sixteen.

Though he had to assume the administration of family affairs after his parents died, he completed his theological studies and was ordained a priest on April 9, 1678.Two years later he received a doctorate in theology. Meanwhile he became tentatively involved with a group of rough and barely literate young men in order to establish schools for poor boys.

At that time a few people lived in luxury, but most of the people were extremely poor: peasants in the country, and slum dwellers in the towns. Only, a few could send their children to school; most children had little hope for the future. Moved by the plight of the poor who seemed so “far from salvation” either in this world or the next, he determined to put his own talents and advanced education at the service of the children “often left to themselves and badly brought up.”

To be more effective, he abandoned his family home, moved in with the teachers, renounced his position as Canon and his wealth, and so formed the community that became known as the Brothers of the Christian Schools.

His enterprise met opposition from the ecclesiastical authorities who resisted the creation of a new form of religious life, a community of consecrated laymen to conduct gratuitous schools”together and by association.” The educational establishment resented his innovative methods and his insistence on gratuity for all, regardless of whether they could afford to pay. Nevertheless De La Salle and his Brothers succeeded in creating a network of quality schools throughout France that featured instruction in the vernacular, students grouped according to ability and achievement, integration of religious instruction with secular subjects, well-prepared teachers with a sense of vocation and mission, and the involvement of parents.

In addition, De La Salle pioneered in programs for training lay teachers, Sunday courses for working young men, and one of the first institutions in France for the care of delinquents. Worn out by austerities and exhausting labours, he died at Saint Yon near Rouen early in 1719 on Good Friday, only weeks before his sixty-eighth birthday.

John Baptist de La Salle was a pioneer in founding training colleges for teachers, reform schools for delinquents, technical schools, and secondary schools for modern languages, arts, and sciences. His work quickly spread through France and, after his death, continued to spread across the globe.

In 1900 John Baptist de La Salle was declared a Saint. In 1950, because of his life and inspirational writings, he was made Patron Saint of all those who work in the field of education. John Baptist de La Salle inspired others how to teach and care for young people, how to meet failure and frailty with compassion, how to affirm, strengthen and heal. At the present time there are De La Salle schools in 79 different countries around the globe.

Today the Holy Church celebrates the life of St. Ubadlus, Bishop of Gubio and Confessor.  Born to noble parents, St. Ubaldus lived a pious childhood.  After his father died while Ubadlus was still quite young, the boy became a canon regular for the local Cathedral.

He felt a vocation to become a monk, and entered to the Monastery of St. Secondo in the same city, where he remained for some years. Recalled by his bishop, he returned to the cathedral monastery, where he was made prior. Having heard that at Vienna Blessed Peter de Honestis some years before had established a very fervent community of canons regular, to whom he had given special statutes which had been approved by Paschal II, Ubald went there, remaining with his brother canons for three months, to learn the details and the practice of their rules, wishing to introduce them among his own canons of Gubbio. (source)

After being consecrated Bishop of Gubio by Pope Honorius II, he returned to his people and became a perfect pattern of all Christian virtues and a powerful protector in all their spiritual and temporal needs.  It is said that St. Ubaldus helped prevent Frederick Barbarossa from sacking Gubio when the bishop went out on the road to plead with Frederick.

He died of natural causes after a long and painful two year illness in 1160.

At the solicitation of Bishop Bentivoglio, Pope Celestine III canonized him in 1192. His power, as we read in the Office for his feast, is chiefly manifested over the evil spirits, and the faithful are instructed to have recourse to him "contra omnes diabolicas nequitias".

The power St. Ubaldus possessed against evil spirits was evident. The Church moves in a spirit world--good angels are all about, while constant vigilance is exercised against Satan and his devils. The liturgy contains a considerable number of exorcisms and adjurations. Then there are a series of sacramentals directed against the power of evil spirits; for example, holy water, palms, candles. Hold these sacramentals in highest esteem. — Excerpted from The Church's Year of Grace, Pius Parsch

In Paschal’s lifetime the Spanish empire in the New World was at the height of its power, though France and England were soon to reduce its influence. The 16th century has been called the Golden Age of the Church in Spain, for it gave birth to Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Peter of Alcantara, Francis Solano, and Salvator of Horta.

Paschal’s Spanish parents were poor and pious. Between the ages of seven and 24 he worked as a shepherd and began a life of mortification. He was able to pray on the job and was especially attentive to the church bell, which rang at the Elevation during Mass. Paschal had a very honest streak in him. He once offered to pay owners of crops for any damage his animals caused!

In 1564, Paschal joined the Friars Minor and gave himself wholeheartedly to a life of penance. Though he was urged to study for the priesthood, he chose to be a brother. At various times he served as porter, cook, gardener, and official beggar.

Paschal was careful to observe the vow of poverty. He would never waste any food or anything given for the use of the friars. When he was porter and took care of the poor coming to the door, he developed a reputation for great generosity. The friars sometimes tried to moderate his liberality!

Paschal spent his spare moments praying before the Blessed Sacrament. In time, many people sought his wise counsel. People flocked to his tomb immediately after his burial; miracles were reported promptly. Paschal was canonized in 1690 and was named patron of eucharistic congresses and societies in 1897.

The Coronavirus Policy document [above] mentions specifically consideration pastorally of those in isolation, whether self-isolating i.e. a person or someone in their household has symptoms, or quarantined i.e. positively infected and required to convalesce at home or receive treatment in hospital. As the guidance posits, those who are hospitalised are unlikely to be permitted visitors, but in the section "Pastoral Care of the Isolated" those who are in isolation at home may require regular contact and communication as well as occasional practical assistance e.g. to get supplies.

STAYING IN TOUCH
The Policy suggests that parishioners and clergy... 

"Online is the only place I can really make friends, so that helps obviously. For people who cannot get out to socialise, the internet is a link to the outside world. It IS a social life of sorts."

If you're worried about loneliness

Try to keep active
 

Keep your mind stimulated

• Keep your brain occupied and challenged. Set aside time in your routine for this. Read books, magazines and articles. Listen to podcasts, watch films and do puzzles.
• There are lots of apps that can help you learn things, such as a foreign language or other new skills.

Barbara, Brighton, United Kingdom

Angelo, Turin, Italy

Christopher, Ohio, USA

Maricel, Cavite, Philippines

Célestine, Bordeaux, France

John-Paul, Cavite, Philippines

Virgina, Laguna, Philippines

James, Bristol UK

Raphael, Texas USA

Krista, Yaoundé, Cameroon

For health & well-being…
Christopher, Lyn B, Simon G, Dagmar B, Karen, Debbie G, Fr Graham F, Fr Stephen D, Heather & Susanna L-D, Finley G, Diane C, Pat, Paul, +Rommel B, Penny E, Colin R, John, Ronald, Fr Gerard H, Lilian & family, Ruth L, David G, David P, Patrick H, Debbie G, Karen K, Fr Graham F, S&A, Dave G, +Charles of Wisconsin, +Tissier, Fr Terrence M, +Guo Xijin, +John P, Karl R-W, Fr Antonio Benedetto OSB, Fr Kristopher M & family, Mark Coggan, Fr Nicholas P, Ounissa, Ronald Buczek, Rik C, Adrian & Joan Kelly, Juanita Alaniz & family, Fr A Cekada, Shirley & Selwyn V, Trayanka K, Amanda A, Evelyn B, Nicolas+ P, Matt & Bethan, Karen, Ros R, Ralph S, Brenda M, Carmen, Tony, Marie, Ryan, Eva, Tello, Olive S, David, Joyce T, Ray & Ruth M, Tom, Diane & Rebecca, Czarina, Jose+, Walenty K., William H., Zofia K., Sean H., Laura P, Pat H,

For those vocationally discerning…
James, Breandán, Manuel, Vincent, Darren, Akos, Roger, Criostoir, James, Adrian, Carlos, Thomas, Yordanis, Nicholas, Tyler, Micha, Michael, Pierre, Bryan, 

For the faithful departed…
Lauretta (21.01.19), Clive Reed (23.01.19), Fr John Wright (24.01.19), Shelley Luben (11.12.18), Mick Howells (13.12.18), Daniel Callaghan (13.02.19), Alfie (Hub guest), Père Pierre Fournier (08.02.19), Jill Lewis (24.02.19), Cynthia Sharpe Conger (28.02.19), Richard (Ricky) Belmonte (10/03/19), Fr Leo Cameron OSA (29.03.19), Fr John Corbett (30.03.19), Deacon Richard Mulholland (Easter Day), Peter, Bernard Brown (27.06.19), Peter Ellis (01.08.19), Petronila Antonio (10.09.19), Fr Mark Spring (13.09.19), Jean Marchant (15.09.19), Mary Kelly (15.10.19), John Pender (23.10.19), Fr David Cole (17/12/20), Fr Graham Francis (03.01.20), Pauline Sheila White (06/01/20), Wendy Lamb (04/03/20), Sister Sienna O.P. 02.04.20 (COVID19), David Harvey 05.04.20 (COVID19), Pam Finch, Alejandro Garcia, Mrs Hayes, Kevin Browne,

For those who mourn…
Barbara R & family, Brenda W & family, Joseph S, Catherine L & family, Rev George C & family, Jean C, Margaret & Bonita C, Debbie M & family, Phil E & Family, Adrian Kelly & family, Fr Nicholas Pnematicatos & family, Fr Andrew White & family, Richard Cole & family, the Francis Family, the White family, the Finch Family, the Garcia Family, the Hayes Family, the Browne Family, 

For those defending the faith...
Aid to the Church in Need (supporting persecuted Christians)
Association of Christian Teachers (Christians who work in – or care about – education)
Centre for Bio-ethical Research (pro-life) UK / USA
Christian Hacking (pro-life)
Christian Legal Centre (safeguarding the legal freedom of Christians)
Barnabus Fund (supporting persecuted Christians)
Jerusalem Merit (supporting the Iraqi refugee community in Jordan)
40 Days for Life (pro-life)