Universalis
Friday 11 September 2026    (other days)
Friday of week 23 in Ordinary Time 

Using calendar: Scotland - Dunkeld. You can change this.

Office of Readings

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
INTRODUCTION
Deus, in adiutórium meum inténde.
  Dómine, ad adiuvándum me festína.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen. Allelúia.
INTRODUCTION
O God, come to our aid.
  O Lord, make haste to help us.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
  and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
  is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
Hymnus
Tu, Trinitátis Unitas,
orbem poténter qui regis,
atténde laudum cántica
quæ excubántes psállimus.
Nam léctulo consúrgimus
noctis quiéto témpore,
ut flagitémus vúlnerum
a te medélam ómnium,
Quo, fraude quicquid dǽmonum
in nóctibus delíquimus,
abstérgat illud cǽlitus
tuæ potéstas glóriæ.
Te corde fido quǽsumus,
reple tuo nos lúmine,
per quod diérum círculis
nullis ruámus áctibus.
Præsta, Pater piíssime,
Patríque compar Unice,
cum Spíritu Paráclito
regnans per omne sǽculum. Amen.
Hymn
In ancient times God spoke to us
Through prophets, and in varied ways,
But now he speaks through Christ his Son,
His radiance through eternal days.
To God the Father of the world,
His Son through whom he made all things,
And Holy Spirit, bond of love,
All glad creation glory sings.
Stanbrook Abbey Hymnal

Ps 68:2-13
Zelus domus tuæ comedit me

“Dederunt ei vinum bibere cum felle mixtum” (Mt 27, 34).

Laborávi clamans, dum spero in Deum meum.
2Salvum me fac, Deus,*
  quóniam venérunt aquæ usque ad guttur meum.
3Infíxus sum in limo profúndi, et non est substántia;*
  veni in profúnda aquárum, et fluctus demérsit me.
4Laborávi clamans, raucæ factæ sunt fauces meæ;*
  defecérunt óculi mei, dum spero in Deum meum.
5Multiplicáti sunt super capíllos cápitis mei,*
  qui odérunt me gratis.
Confortáti sunt, qui persecúti sunt me inimíci mei mendáces;*
  quæ non rápui, tunc exsolvébam.
6Deus, tu scis insipiéntiam meam,*
  et delícta mea a te non sunt abscóndita.
7Non erubéscant in me, qui exspéctant te,*
  Dómine, Dómine virtútum.
Non confundántur super me,*
  qui quærunt te, Deus Israel.
8Quóniam propter te sustínui oppróbrium,*
  opéruit confúsio fáciem meam;
9extráneus factus sum frátribus meis*
  et peregrínus fíliis matris meæ.
10Quóniam zelus domus tuæ comédit me,*
  et oppróbria exprobrántium tibi cecidérunt super me.
11Et flevi in ieiúnio ánimam meam,*
  et factum est in oppróbrium mihi.
12Et pósui vestiméntum meum cilícium,*
  et factus sum illis in parábolam.
13Advérsum me loquebántur, qui sedébant in porta,*
  et in me canébant, qui bibébant vinum.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Laborávi clamans, dum spero in Deum meum.

Psalm 68 (69)
I am consumed with zeal for your house

I am wearied with all my crying as I await my God.
Save me, O God,
  for the waters have come up to my neck.
I am stuck in bottomless mud;
  I am adrift in deep waters
  and the flood is sweeping me away.
I am exhausted with crying out, my throat is parched,
  my eyes are failing as I look out for my God.
Those who hate me for no reason
  are more than the hairs of my head.
They are strong, my persecutors, my lying enemies:
  they make me give back things I never took.
God, you know my weakness:
  my crimes are not hidden from you.
Let my fate not put to shame those who trust in you,
  Lord, Lord of hosts.
Let them not be dismayed on my account,
  those who seek you, God of Israel.
For it is for your sake that I am taunted
  and covered in confusion:
I have become a stranger to my own brothers,
  a wanderer in the eyes of my mother’s children –
because zeal for your house is consuming me,
  and the taunts of those who hate you
  fall upon my head.
I have humbled my soul with fasting
  and they reproach me for it.
I have made sackcloth my clothing
  and they make me a byword.
The idlers at the gates speak against me;
  for drinkers of wine, I am the butt of their songs.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
  and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
  is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
I am wearied with all my crying as I await my God.

How to listen

Ps 68:14-22

Dedérunt in escam meam fel et in siti mea potavérunt me acéto.
14Ego vero oratiónem meam ad te, Dómine,*
  in témpore benepláciti, Deus.
In multitúdine misericórdiæ tuæ exáudi me,*
  in veritáte salútis tuæ.
15Eripe me de luto, ut non infígar,†
  erípiar ab iis, qui odérunt me,*
  et de profúndis aquárum.
16Non me demérgat fluctus aquárum,†
  neque absórbeat me profúndum,*
  neque úrgeat super me púteus os suum.
17Exáudi me, Dómine, quóniam benígna est misericórdia tua;*
  secúndum multitúdinem miseratiónum tuárum réspice in me.
18Et ne avértas fáciem tuam a púero tuo;*
  quóniam tríbulor, velóciter exáudi me.
19Accéde ad ánimam meam, víndica eam,*
  propter inimícos meos rédime me.
20Tu scis oppróbrium meum*
  et confusiónem meam et reveréntiam meam.
In conspéctu tuo sunt omnes, qui tríbulant me;*
  21oppróbrium contrívit cor meum, et elángui.
Et sustínui, qui simul contristarétur, et non fuit,*
  et qui consolarétur, et non invéni.
22Et dedérunt in escam meam fel,*
  et in siti mea potavérunt me acéto.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Dedérunt in escam meam fel et in siti mea potavérunt me acéto.

Psalm 68 (69)

For food they gave me poison, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
But I turn my prayer to you, Lord,
  at the acceptable time, my God.
In your great kindness, hear me,
  and rescue me with your faithful help.
Tear me from the mire, before I become stuck;
  tear me from those who hate me;
  tear me from the depths of the waters.
Do not let the waves overwhelm me;
  do not let the deep waters swallow me;
  do not let the well’s mouth engulf me.
Hear me, Lord, for you are kind and good.
  In your abundant mercy, look upon me.
Do not turn your face from your servant:
  I am suffering, so hurry to answer me.
Come to my soul and deliver it,
  rescue me from my enemies’ attacks.
You know how I am taunted and ashamed;
  how I am thrown into confusion.
You can see all those who are troubling me.
  Reproach has shattered my heart – I am sick.
I looked for sympathy, but none came;
  I looked for a consoler but did not find one.
They gave me bitterness to eat;
  when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
  and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
  is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
For food they gave me poison, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

Ps 68:30-37

Quǽrite Dóminum et vivet ánima vestra.
30Ego autem sum pauper et dolens;*
  salus tua, Deus, súscipit me.
31Laudábo nomen Dei cum cántico*
  et magnificábo eum in laude.
32Et placébit Dómino super taurum,*
  super vítulum córnua producéntem et úngulas.
33Vídeant húmiles et læténtur;*
  quǽrite Deum, et vivet cor vestrum,
34quóniam exaudívit páuperes Dóminus*
  et vinctos suos non despéxit.
35Laudent illum cæli et terra,*
  mária et ómnia reptília in eis.
36Quóniam Deus salvam fáciet Sion†
  et ædificábit civitátes Iudæ;*
  et inhabitábunt ibi et possidébunt eam.
37Et semen servórum eius hereditábunt eam*
  et, qui díligunt nomen eius, habitábunt in ea.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Quǽrite Dóminum et vivet ánima vestra.

Psalm 68 (69)

Seek the Lord, and he will give life to your soul.
I am weak and I suffer,
  but your help, O God, will sustain me.
I will praise the name of God in song
  and proclaim his greatness with praises.
This will please the Lord more than oxen,
  than cattle with their horns and hooves.
Let the humble see and rejoice.
  Seek the Lord, and your heart shall live,
for the Lord has heard the needy
  and has not despised his captive people.
Let heaven and earth praise him,
  the seas and all that swims in them.
For the Lord will make Zion safe
  and build up the cities of Judah:
  there they will live, the land will be theirs.
The seed of his servants will inherit the land,
  and those who love his name will dwell there.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son
  and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,
  is now, and ever shall be,
  world without end.
Amen.
Seek the Lord, and he will give life to your soul.
℣. Dóminus vias suas docébit nos.
℟. Et ambulábimus in sémitis eius.
℣. The Lord will teach us his ways.
℟. We will walk in his paths.
Lectio prior
De libro Lamentatiónum 3, 1-33

Planctus et spes

1Ego vir videns paupertátem meam
in virga indignatiónis eius.
2Me minávit et addúxit
in ténebras et non in lucem.
3Tantum in me vertit et convértit
manum suam tota die.
4Consúmpsit pellem meam et carnem meam,
contrívit ossa mea.
5Ædificávit in gyro meo
et circúmdedit me felle et labóre.
6In tenebrósis collocávit me
quasi mórtuos sempitérnos.
7Circumædificávit advérsum me, ut non egrédiar,
aggravávit cómpedem meum.
8Sed et cum clamávero et rogávero,
exclúsit oratiónem meam.
9Conclúsit vias meas lapídibus quadris,
sémitas meas subvértit.
10Ursus insídians factus est mihi,
leo in abscónditis.
11Sémitas meas subvértit et confrégit me,
pósuit me desolátam.
12Teténdit arcum suum et pósuit me
quasi signum ad sagíttam.
13Misit in rénibus meis
fílias pharétræ suæ.
14Factus sum in derísum omni pópulo meo,
cánticum eórum tota die.
15Replévit me amaritudínibus,
inebriávit me absínthio.
16Et fregit in glárea dentes meos,
depréssit me cínere.
17Et repúlsa est a pace ánima mea,
oblítus sum bonórum.
18Et dixi: «Périit splendor meus
et spes mea a Dómino».
19Recordáre paupertátis et peregrinatiónis meæ,
absínthii et fellis.
20Memória memor est
et tabéscit in me ánima mea.
21Hæc récolam in corde meo,
ídeo sperábo.
22Misericórdiæ Dómini, quia non sumus consúmpti,
quia non defecérunt miseratiónes eius.
23Novæ sunt omni mane,
magna est fides tua.
24«Pars mea Dóminus, dixit ánima mea;
proptérea exspectábo eum».
25Bonus est Dóminus sperántibus in eum,
ánimæ quærénti illum.
26Bonum est præstolári cum siléntio
salutáre Dómini.
27Bonum est viro, cum portáverit
iugum ab adulescéntia sua.
28Sedébit solitárius et tacébit,
cum istud impónitur ei.
29Ponet in púlvere os suum,
si forte sit spes.
30Dabit percutiénti se maxíllam,
saturábitur oppróbriis.
31Quia non repéllet in sempitérnum
Dóminus.
32Quia si afflíxit, et miserébitur
secúndum multitúdinem misericordiárum suárum.
33Non enim humíliat ex corde suo
et afflígit fílios hóminum.
First Reading
Lamentations 3:1-33

Lamentation and hope

Aleph
I am the man familiar with misery
  under the rod of his anger;
I am the one he has driven and forced to walk
  in darkness, and without any light.
Against me alone he turns his hand,
  again and again, all day long.
Beth
He has wasted my flesh and skin away,
  has broken my bones.
He has made a yoke for me,
  has encircled my head with weariness.
He has forced me to dwell in darkness
  with the dead of long ago.
Ghimel
He has walled me in; I cannot escape;
  he has made my chains heavy;
and when I call and shout,
  he shuts out my prayer.
He has blocked my ways with cut stones,
  he has obstructed my paths.
Daleth
For me he has been a lurking bear,
  a lion on the watch.
He has filled my paths with briars and torn me,
  he has made me a thing of horror.
He has bent his bow and taken aim,
  making me the target for his arrows.
He
In my back he has planted his darts,
  the children of his quiver.
I have become the laughing-stock of my whole nation,
  their butt all day long.
He has given me my fill of bitterness,
  he has made me drunk with wormwood.
Waw
He has broken my teeth with gravel,
  he has given me ashes for food.
My soul is shut out from peace;
  I have forgotten happiness.
And now I say, ‘My strength is gone,
  that hope which came from the Lord.’
Zain
Brooding on my anguish and affliction
  is gall and wormwood.
My spirit ponders it continually
  and sinks within me.
This is what I shall tell my heart,
  and so recover hope:
Heth
the favours of the Lord are not all past,
  his kindnesses are not exhausted;
every morning they are renewed;
  great is his faithfulness.
‘My portion is the Lord’ says my soul
  ‘and so I will hope in him.’
Teth
The Lord is good to those who trust him,
  to the soul that searches for him.
It is good to wait in silence
  for the Lord to save.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
  from youth onwards,
Yod
to sit in solitude and silence
  when the Lord fastens it on him,
to put his lips to the dust
  – perhaps there still is hope –
to offer his cheek to the striker,
  to be overwhelmed with insults.
Kaph
For the Lord does not reject mankind
  for ever and ever.
If he has punished, he has compassion
  so great is his kindness;
since he takes no pleasure in abasing
  and afflicting the human race.
Responsorium
Lam 3, 52. 54 b. 56 a. 57 b. 58; Act 21, 13 b
℟. Venatióne venáti sunt me inimíci mei gratis; dixi: Périi; vocem meam, Dómine, audísti.* Dixísti: Ne tímeas. Iudicásti causam ánimæ meæ, redemísti vitam meam.
℣. Ego non solum alligári, sed et mori parátus sum propter nomen Dómini Iesu.* Dixísti.
Responsory
℟. They were my enemies for no reason. I said: My end has come. I called on your name, O Lord, and you heard my appeal.* Have no fear, you said; you pleaded my cause, you ransomed my life.
℣. I am ready not merely to be fettered, but even to die for the name of the Lord Jesus.* Have no fear, you said; you pleaded my cause, you ransomed my life.
Lectio altera
Ex Sermónibus beáti Isaac abbátis monastérii a Stella (Sermo 11: PL 194, 1728-1729)

Nihil vult Christus sine Ecclesia dimittere

Duo sunt, quæ soli Deo convéniunt: honor confessiónis et potéstas remissiónis. Exhibénda est a nobis illi conféssio; exspectánda ab illo nobis remíssio. Solíus enim Dei est peccáta dimíttere: et ídeo illi confiténdum est. Sed cum desponsásset sibi infírmam omnípotens, húmilem excélsus, ancíllam fecit regínam: quæ retro erat sub pédibus, assúmpsit ad latus. De látere enim eius éxiit, unde eam sibi subarrhávit. Et sicut Patris ómnia Fílii sunt, et quæ Fílii Patris, cum sint naturáliter unum: sic ómnia sua dedit sponsus sponsæ, et ómnia sponsæ communicávit sibi sponsus, quam cum semetípso et Patre fecit étiam unum. Volo, inquit Fílius Patri, pro sponsa interpéllans, ut, sicut ego et tu unum sumus, ita et isti unum sint nobíscum.
  Sponsus ítaque cum Patre unum, cum sponsa unus, quod in sponsa répperit aliénum, ábstulit, affígens cruci, ubi peccáta eius pértulit super lignum abstulítque per lignum. Quod naturále ac próprium, assúmpsit et índuit; quod ipsíus sui próprium ac divínum, cóntulit. Abstulit enim diabólicum, assúmpsit humánum, cóntulit divínum, ut ómnia sponsæ sint sponsi; propter quod dicat qui peccátum non fecit, nec in eius ore invéntus est dolus: Miserére mei, Dómine, quóniam infírmus sum; ut qui eius habet infirmitátem, hábeat et planctum, sintque ómnia sponsi sponsæ. Unde honor confessiónis et potéstas remissiónis: propter quod dici débeat: Vade, osténde te sacerdóti.
  Nihil ergo potest Ecclésia sine Christo dimíttere; nihil vult Christus sine Ecclésia dimíttere. Nihil potest Ecclésia, nisi pæniténti, id est quem Christus tétigit, dimíttere; nihil vult Christus Ecclésiam contemnénti dimíssum serváre. Quod ergo Deus coniúnxit, homo non séparet. Ego dico, sacraméntum hoc magnum in Christo et in Ecclésia.
  Noli ergo caput córpori subtráhere, ut nusquam sit totus Christus: neque enim totus Christus sine Ecclésia usquam, sicut tota Ecclésia sine Christo nusquam. Totus enim et ínteger Christus caput et corpus: propter quod dicit: Nemo ascéndit in cælum, nisi Fílius hóminis, qui est in cælo. Iste est solus homo, qui peccáta dimíttit.
Second Reading
From a sermon by Blessed Isaac of Stella, abbot

It is not Christ's will to forgive without the Church

There are two things that are God’s and God’s alone: the honour of receiving confession and the power of granting forgiveness. Confession is what we must make to him, and forgiveness is what we must hope to receive from him. The power to forgive sins belongs only to God, and this is why we must confess them to him.
  But God has taken a bride. The Almighty has taken the feeble one, the Most High has taken the lowly one – out of a servant he has made a queen. She was behind and beneath him and he raised her to be at his side. From out of his wounded side she came, and he took her to be his bride.
  Just as all that the Father has is the Son’s, so too what the Son has is the Father’s, since they share the same undivided nature. In just the same way the bridegroom gave all that was his to the bride and shared all that she had, making her one with himself and the Father. Hear the Son making his plea to the Father for his bride: I desire that just as you and I are one, so these should be one with us.
  The bridegroom is one with the Father and one with his bride. Whatever in her was foreign to her nature he took away from her and nailed to the cross. He carried her sins with him onto the tree and by the tree he took them away from her. Whatever was natural and proper to her he took on and clothed himself in it. Whatever was divine and proper to him, he bestowed on her. He took away what was diabolical, took on what was human, conferred what was divine, so that all that the bride possessed should be the bridegroom’s also. Thus it is that he who has committed no sin, on whose lips is no deceit, can say Take pity on me, Lord, for I am weak – for he who shares in his bride’s weakness must share in her lament, and thus all that is the bridegroom’s is the bride’s also. Here is where the honour of confession comes from, and the power of forgiveness, so that it can truly be said: Go and show yourself to the priest!
  The Church can forgive nothing without Christ, and it is Christ’s will to forgive nothing except with the Church. The Church can forgive no-one except the penitent – that is, one who has been touched by Christ – and Christ does not wish to forgive anyone who does not value the Church. What God has united, man must not divide, says Christ, and Paul adds, I am saying that this great mystery applies to Christ and the Church.
  Do not sever the head from the body so that Christ is whole no longer. For Christ is not whole without the Church, nor is the Church whole without Christ. This is why he says No-one has gone up to heaven except the Son of Man who is in heaven. He is the only man who can forgive sins.
Responsorium
Io 17, 20 b. 21 a. 22. 18
℟. Pro eis rogo, ut omnes unum sint, sicut tu, Pater, in me et ego in te; et ego claritátem, quam dedísti mihi, dedi illis;* Ut sint unum, sicut nos unum sumus.
℣. Sicut tu me misísti in mundum, et ego misi eos in mundum.* Ut sint.
Responsory
℟. I pray that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us. The glory which you have given me I have given to them,* that they may be one just as we are one.
℣. As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world,* that they may be one just as we are one.
Oremus.
  Deus, per quem nobis et redémptio venit et præstátur adóptio, fílios dilectiónis tuæ benígnus inténde, ut in Christo credéntibus et vera tribuátur libértas et heréditas ætérna.
Per Dóminum nostrum Iesum Christum, Fílium tuum,
qui tecum vivit et regnat in unitáte Spíritus Sancti, Deus,
per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Since it is from you, God our Father,
  that redemption comes to us, your adopted children,
look with favour on the family you love,
  give true freedom to us and to all who believe in Christ,
  and bring us all alike to our eternal heritage.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
Benedicámus Dómino.
– Deo grátias.
Let us praise the Lord.
– Thanks be to God.

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