Universalis
Friday 17 April 2026    (other days)
Saint Donan of Eigg and his Companions, Martyrs 
 or Friday of the 2nd week of Eastertide 

You are using the worldwide General Calendar. You may want to pick a country.

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
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.
Hymn
Light’s glittering morn bedecks the sky,
Heav’n thunders forth its victor cry:
The glad earth shouts her triumph high,
And groaning hell makes wild reply.
While he, the King of sovereign might,
Treads down death’s strength in death’s despite,
And trampling hell by victor’s right,
Brings forth his sleeping saints to light.
Fast barred beneath the stone of late,
In watch and ward where soldiers wait,
Now shining in triumphant state,
He rises victor from death’s gate.
Hell’s pains are loosed and tears are fled:
Captivity is captive led:
The angel, crowned with light, hath said:
‘The Lord is risen from the dead.’
Author of all, be thou our guide
In this our joy of Eastertide;
Whene’er assaults of death impend,
Thy people strengthen and defend.
To thee who, dead, again dost live,
All glory, Lord, thy people give:
All glory, as is ever meet,
To Father and to Paraclete.

Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me

Have courage, my son: your sins are forgiven you. Alleluia.
Take pity on me, Lord, in your mercy;
  in your abundance of mercy wipe out my guilt.
Wash me ever more from my guilt
  and cleanse me from my sin.
For I know how guilty I am:
  my sin is always before me.
Against you, you alone have I sinned,
  and I have done evil in your sight.
Know this, so that you may give just sentence
  and an unbiased judgement.
See, I was conceived in guilt,
  in sin my mother conceived me;
but you love truth in the heart,
  and deep within me you have shown me your wisdom.
You will sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be made clean;
  you will wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
You will make me hear the sound of joy and gladness;
  the bones you have crushed will rejoice.
Turn your face away from my sins
  and wipe out all my transgressions;
create a pure heart in me, God,
  put a steadfast spirit into me.
Do not send me away from your presence,
  or withdraw your holy spirit from me;
give me again the joy of your salvation,
  and be ready to strengthen me with your spirit.
I will teach the unjust your ways,
  and the impious will return to you.
Free me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, God my saviour,
  and my voice will glory in your justice.
Open my lips, Lord,
  and my mouth will proclaim your praise;
for you do not delight in sacrifices:
  if I offered you a burnt offering, it would not please you.
The true sacrifice is a broken spirit:
  a contrite and humble heart, O God, you will not refuse.
Be pleased, Lord, to look kindly on Zion,
  so that the walls of Jerusalem can be rebuilt,
Then indeed you will accept the proper sacrifices, gifts and burnt offerings;
  then indeed will bullocks be laid upon your altar.
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.
Have courage, my son: your sins are forgiven you. Alleluia.

How to listen
CanticleHabakkuk 3

The Lord will appear in judgement

Lord, you came with strength to save your people; you came with your Anointed One, alleluia.
Lord, I heard what you gave me to hear,
  and I was struck with awe of your work.
In the midst of the years, bring it to life;
  in the midst of the years you will make it known.
When you are angry, you will remember your mercy.
God will come from Theman,
  the holy one from the mountain of Pharan.
His glory has covered the heavens
  and the earth is full of his praise.
His brightness shall be like light itself,
  rays shining from his hands –
  there is his strength hidden.
You went forth for the salvation of the people,
  for salvation with your anointed one.
You made a way through the sea for your horses,
  in the silt of many waters.
I have heard you, Lord,
  and my stomach churns within me;
  at the sound of your voice my lips tremble.
My bones rot away, my steps stumble.
I will rest and be quiet on the day of tribulation
  and let it overtake those who have invaded us.
For the fig will not flower,
  the vines will not fruit,
  the work of the olive will be lost.
The fields will yield no food,
  the flocks will be cut off from the sheepfold,
  there will be no cattle in the stalls.
But I will rejoice in the Lord, take joy in God my saviour.
The Lord God is my strength.
  He will make me as sure-footed as the deer.
  He will lead me up to the heights.
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.
Lord, you came with strength to save your people; you came with your Anointed One, alleluia.

Psalm 147 (147B)
God, the foundation of Jerusalem

Sion, praise your God, for he has established peace in your land, alleluia.
Praise the Lord, Jerusalem
  — Zion, praise your God.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates,
  he has blessed your children.
He keeps your borders in peace,
  he fills you with the richest wheat.
He sends out his command over the earth,
  and swiftly runs his word.
He sends down snow that is like wool,
  frost that is like ashes.
He sends hailstones like crumbs
  — who can withstand his cold?
He will send out his word, and all will be melted;
  his spirit will breathe, and the waters will flow.
He proclaims his word to Jacob,
  his laws and judgements to Israel.
He has not done this for other nations:
  he has not shown them his judgements.
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.
Sion, praise your God, for he has established peace in your land, alleluia.
Scripture ReadingActs 5:30-32
It was the God of our ancestors who raised up Jesus, but it was you who had him executed by hanging on a tree. By his own right hand God has now raised him up to be leader and saviour, to give repentance and forgiveness of sins through him to Israel. We are witnesses to all this, we and the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.
Short Responsory
The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
For our sake he died on the cross, alleluia, alleluia.
– The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– The Lord has risen from the dead, alleluia, alleluia.
CanticleBenedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to the people as they sat there, alleluia.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
  for he has come to his people and brought about their redemption.
He has raised up the sign of salvation
  in the house of his servant David,
as he promised through the mouth of the holy ones,
  his prophets through the ages:
to rescue us from our enemies
  and all who hate us,
to take pity on our fathers,
  to remember his holy covenant
and the oath he swore to Abraham our father,
  that he would give himself to us,
that we could serve him without fear
  – freed from the hands of our enemies –
in uprightness and holiness before him,
  for all of our days.
And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High:
  for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare his path,
to let his people know their salvation,
  so that their sins may be forgiven.
Through the bottomless mercy of our God,
  one born on high will visit us
to give light to those who walk in darkness,
  who live in the shadow of death;
  to lead our feet in the path of peace.
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.
Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks, and gave them out to the people as they sat there, alleluia.
Prayers and intercessions
Through his Spirit God raised Jesus from the dead and he will give life to our own mortal bodies. Let us pray to him, saying:
– Lord, give us life through your Holy Spirit.
Father, you accepted the sacrifice of your Son, raising him from the dead:
  receive our morning offering and lead us to eternal life.
– Lord, give us life through your Holy Spirit.
Reveal your presence in our work this day:
  may we do everything for your glory and for the sanctification of our world.
– Lord, give us life through your Holy Spirit.
Do not allow our work to come to nothing:
  let it serve our fellow men and bring us to your kingdom.
– Lord, give us life through your Holy Spirit.
Open our eyes to see our brother’s need:
  warm our hearts that we may offer him our love.
– Lord, give us life through your Holy Spirit.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
  hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
  Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
  and forgive us our trespasses,
  as we forgive those who trespass against us,
and lead us not into temptation,
  but deliver us from evil.
By your will, Lord God,
  your Son underwent the agony of the cross
  to break the power of Satan over man.
Give your people grace to rise again with Christ,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
The Lord bless us, and keep us from all evil, and bring us to everlasting life.
  Amen.

The psalms and canticles here are our own translation from the Latin. The Grail translation of the psalms, which is used liturgically in most of the English-speaking world, cannot be displayed on the Web for copyright reasons. The Universalis apps and programs do contain the Grail translation of the psalms.

Universalis podcast: The week ahead – from 19 to 25 April

The saints are back again! Mark; Justin (165); Ephraem, Marcellinus, Vincent, Domninus (4th century); Erkenwald and Egbert (7th century); Adalbert (10th century); Anselm (11th century); then back to George. ANZAC day and the secrets of the warriors. (25 minutes)
Episode notes.

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