Universalis
Tuesday 3 December 2024    (other days)
Saint Francis Xavier, Priest 
 on Tuesday of the 1st week of Advent

Using calendar: Asia - Malaysia. 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
Christe, pastórum caput atque princeps,
géstiens huius celebráre festum,
débitas sacro pia turba psallit
cármine laudes,
Hunc tibi eléctum fáciens minístrum
ac sacerdótem sócians, dedísti
dux ut astáret pópulo fidélis
ac bonus altor.
Hic gregis ductor fuit atque forma,
lux erat cæco, mísero levámen,
próvidus cunctis pater omnibúsque
ómnia factus.
Christe, qui sanctis méritam corónam
reddis in cælis, dócili magístrum
fac sequi vita, similíque tandem
fine potíri.
Æqua laus summum célebret Paréntem
teque, Salvátor, pie rex, per ævum;
Spíritus Sancti résonet per omnem
glória mundum. Amen.
Hymn
The Advent of our God
  With eager prayers we greet
And singing haste upon the road
  His glorious gift to meet.
The everlasting Son
  Scorns not a Virgin’s womb;
That we from bondage may be won
  He bears a bondsman’s doom.
Daughter of Zion, rise
  To meet thy lowly King;
Let not thy stubborn heart despise
  The peace he deigns to bring.
In clouds of awful light,
  As Judge he comes again,
His scattered people to unite,
  With them in heaven to reign.
Let evil flee away
  Ere that dread hour shall dawn.
Let this old Adam day by day
  God’s image still put on.
Praise to the Incarnate Son,
  Who comes to set us free,
With God the Father, ever One,
  To all eternity.

Ps 9B:1-11
Gratiarum actio

“Beati pauperes, quia vestrum est regnum Dei” (Lc 6, 20).

Iudicábit Dóminus in iustítia páuperes.
1Ut quid, Dómine, stas a longe,*
  abscóndis te in opportunitátibus, in tribulatióne?
2Dum supérbit, ímpius inséquitur páuperem;*
  comprehendántur in consíliis, quæ cógitant.
3Quóniam gloriátur peccátor in desidériis ánimæ suæ,*
  et avárus sibi benedícit.
4Spernit Dóminum peccátor in arrogántia sua:*
  «Non requíret, non est Deus».
5Hæ sunt omnes cogitatiónes eius;*
  prosperántur viæ illíus in omni témpore.
Excélsa nimis iudícia tua a fácie eius;*
  omnes inimícos suos aspernátur.
6Dixit enim in corde suo: «Non movébor,*
  in generatiónem et generatiónem ero sine malo».
7Cuius maledictióne os plenum est et frauduléntia et dolo,*
  sub lingua eius labor et nequítia.
8Sedet in insídiis ad vicos,*
  in occúltis intérficit innocéntem.
9Oculi eius in páuperem respíciunt;*
  insidiátur in abscóndito quasi leo in spelúnca sua.
Insidiátur, ut rápiat páuperem;*
  rapit páuperem, dum áttrahit in láqueum suum.
10Irruit et inclínat se, et míseri cadunt*
  in fortitúdine brachiórum eius.
11Dixit enim in corde suo: «Oblítus est Deus,*
  avértit fáciem suam, non vidébit in finem».
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Iudicábit Dóminus in iustítia páuperes.

Psalm 9B (10)
Thanksgiving

The Lord will protect the rights of the oppressed.
With what purpose, Lord, do you stay away,
  hide yourself in time of need and trouble?
The wicked in their pride persecute the weak,
  trap them in the plots they have devised.
The sinner glories in his desires,
  the miser congratulates himself.
The sinner in his arrogance rejects the Lord:
  “there is no God, no retribution.”
This is what he thinks
  – and all goes well for him.
Your judgements are far beyond his comprehension:
  he despises all who stand against him.
The sinner says to himself: “I will stand firm;
  nothing can touch me, from generation to generation.”
His mouth is full of malice and deceit,
  under his tongue hide trouble and distress.
He lies in ambush by the villages,
  he kills the innocent in some secret place.
He watches the weak,
  he hides like a lion in its lair, and makes plans.
He plans to rob the weak,
  lure him to his trap and rob him.
He rushes in, makes a dive,
  and the poor victim is caught.
For he has said to himself, “God has forgotten.
  He is not watching, he will never see.”
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.
The Lord will protect the rights of the oppressed.

Ps 9B:12-18

Tu, Dómine, labórem et dolórem consíderas.
12Exsúrge, Dómine Deus; exálta manum tuam,*
  ne obliviscáris páuperum.
13Propter quid spernit ímpius Deum?*
  Dixit enim in corde suo: «Non requíres».
14Vidísti:†
  tu labórem et dolórem consíderas,*
  ut tradas eos in manus tuas.
Tibi derelíctus est pauper,*
  órphano tu factus es adiútor.
15Cóntere bráchium peccatóris et malígni;*
  quæres peccátum illíus et non invénies.
16Dóminus rex in ætérnum et in sǽculum sǽculi:*
  periérunt gentes de terra illíus.
17Desidérium páuperum exaudísti, Dómine;*
  confirmábis cor eórum, inténdes aurem tuam
18iudicáre pupíllo et húmili,*
  ut non appónat ultra indúcere timórem homo de terra.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Tu, Dómine, labórem et dolórem consíderas.

Psalm 9B (10)

Lord, you have seen our trouble and our sorrow.
Rise up, Lord, raise your hand!
  Do not forget the weak.
Why does the wicked man spurn God?
  Because he says to himself, “you will not take revenge.”
But you do see: you see the trouble and the pain,
  and then you take things into your own hands.
The weak fall to your care,
  and you are the help of the orphan.
Break the arms of the sinner and evil-doer:
  seek out wickedness until there is no more to be found.
The Lord is King for ever and for ever.
  The Gentiles have perished from his land.
You have heard the prayer of the weak, Lord,
  and you will strengthen their hearts.
You will lend your ear to the pleas of the orphans and the helpless,
  so mere mortals can frighten them no longer.
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 have seen our trouble and our sorrow.

Ps 11:2-8
Invocatio contra superbos

“Propter nos pauperes Pater Filium dignatus est mittere” (S. Augustinus).

Elóquia Dómini elóquia casta; argéntum igne examinátum.
2Salvum me fac, Dómine, quóniam defécit sanctus,*
  quóniam deminúti sunt fidéles a fíliis hóminum.
3Vana locúti sunt unusquísque ad próximum suum;*
  in lábiis dolósis, in dúplici corde locúti sunt.
4Dispérdat Dóminus univérsa lábia dolósa*
  et linguam magníloquam.
5Qui dixérunt: «Lingua nostra magnificábimur,†
  lábia nostra a nobis sunt;*
  quis noster dóminus est?».
«6Propter misériam ínopum et gémitum páuperum,†
  nunc exsúrgam, dicit Dóminus;*
  ponam in salutári illum, quem despíciunt».
7Elóquia Dómini elóquia casta,*
  argéntum igne examinátum, separátum a terra, purgátum séptuplum.
8Tu, Dómine, servábis nos et custódies nos*
  a generatióne hac in ætérnum.
In circúitu ímpii ámbulant,*
  cum exaltántur sordes inter fílios hóminum.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Elóquia Dómini elóquia casta; argéntum igne examinátum.

Psalm 11 (12)
A prayer against the proud

The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined.
Save me, Lord, for the good men are all gone:
  there is no-one to be trusted among the sons of men.
Neighbour speaks falsehood to neighbour:
  with lying lips and crooked hearts they speak.
Let the Lord condemn all lying lips,
  all boastful tongues.
They say “Our tongues will make us great,
  our lips are ours, we have no master.”
“On account of the sufferings of the poor,
  the groans of the weak, I will rise up,” says the Lord.
  “I will bring to safety the one whom men despise.”
The words of the Lord are pure words,
  silver tried by fire, freed from dross,
  silver seven times refined.
You, Lord, will help us
  and guard us from now to all eternity –
while the wicked walk round outside,
  where the vilest are most honoured of the children of men.
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.
The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined.
℣. Audies de ore meo verbum.
℟. Et annuntiábis eis ex me.
℣. You will hear the word from my mouth.
℟. You will speak to them in my name.
Lectio prior
De libro Isaíæ prophétæ 2, 6-22; 4, 2-6

Iudicium Dei

2,6Proiecísti pópulum tuum, domum Iacob,
quia repléti sunt haríolis orientálibus
et áugures habuérunt ut Philísthim
et manus aliénis pórrigunt.
7Repléta est terra eius argénto et auro,
et non est finis thesaurórum eius;
8et repléta est terra eius equis,
et innumerábiles quadrígæ eius.
Et repléta est terra eius idólis:
opus mánuum suárum adoravérunt,
quod fecérunt dígiti eórum.
9Et incurvávit se homo,
et humiliátus est vir:
ne dimíttas eis.
10Ingrédere in petram, abscóndere in púlvere
a fácie timóris Dómini et a glória maiestátis eius.
11Oculi sublímes hóminis humiliabúntur,
et incurvábitur altitúdo virórum;
exaltábitur autem Dóminus solus in die illa.
12Quia dies Dómini exercítuum
super omnem supérbum et excélsum
et super omnem arrogántem, et humiliábitur;
13et super omnes cedros Líbani sublímes et eréctas
et super omnes quercus Basan
14et super omnes montes excélsos
et super omnes colles elevátos
15et super omnem turrim excélsam
et super omnem murum munítum
16et super omnes naves Tharsis
et super ómnia navígia pulchra.
17Et incurvábitur sublímitas hóminum,
et humiliábitur altitúdo virórum;
et elevábitur Dóminus solus in die illa,
18et idóla pénitus conteréntur.
19Et introíbunt in spelúncas petrárum
et in vorágines terræ
a fácie formídinis Dómini et a glória maiestátis eius,
cum surréxerit percútere terram.
20In die illa proíciet homo idóla sua argéntea et simulácra sua áurea, quæ fécerat sibi, ut adoráret, ad talpas et vespertiliónes. 21Et ingrediétur scissúras petrárum et cavérnas saxórum a fácie formídinis Dómini et a glória maiestátis eius, cum surréxerit percútere terram. 22Quiéscite ergo ab hómine, cuius spíritus in náribus eius. Quanti enim æstimábitur ipse?
4,2In die illa erit germen Dómini
in splendórem et glóriam
et fructus terræ sublímis et exsultátio
his, qui salváti fúerint de Israel.
3Et erit: omnis, qui relíctus fúerit in Sion
et resíduus in Ierúsalem, sanctus vocábitur,
omnis, qui scriptus est ad vitam in Ierúsalem.
4Cum ablúerit Dóminus sordem filiárum Sion
et sánguinem Ierúsalem láverit de médio eius
spíritu iudícii et spíritu ardóris,
5et creábit Dóminus super omnem locum montis Sion
et super cœtum eius
nubem per diem
et fumum et splendórem ignis flammántis in nocte:
super omnem enim glóriam protéctio,
6et tabernáculum erit in umbráculum diéi ab æstu
et in securitátem et absconsiónem a túrbine et a plúvia.
First Reading
Isaiah 2:6-22,4:2-6

The judgement of God

Yes, you have cast off your people,
the House of Jacob;
the land is full of soothsayers,
full of sorcerers like the Philistines;
they clap foreigners by the hand.
His land is full of silver and gold
and treasures beyond counting;
his land is full of horses
and chariots without number;
his land is full of idols...
They bow down before the work of their hands,
before the thing their fingers have made.
The mortal will be humbled, man brought low;
do not forgive them.
Get among the rocks,
hide in the dust,
at the sight of the terror of the Lord,
at the brilliance of his majesty,
when he arises
to make the earth quake.
Human pride will lower its eyes,
the arrogance of men will be humbled.
The Lord alone shall be exalted,
on that day.
Yes, that will be the day of the Lord of Hosts
against all pride and arrogance,
against all that is great, to bring it down,
against all the cedars of Lebanon
and all the oaks of Bashan,
against all the high mountains
and all the soaring hills,
against all the lofty towers
and all the sheer walls,
against all the ships of Tarshish
and all things of price...
Human pride will be humbled,
the arrogance of men will be brought low.
The Lord alone will be exalted,
on that day,
and all idols thrown down.
Go into the hollows of the rocks,
into the caverns of the earth,
at the sight of the terror of the Lord,
at the brilliance of his majesty,
when he arises
to make the earth quake.
That day man will fling to moles and bats the idols of silver and the idols of gold that he made for worship,
and go into the crevices of the rocks
and the rifts of the crag,
at the sight of the terror of the Lord,
at the brilliance of his majesty,
when he arises
to make the earth quake.
Trust no more in man,
he has but a breath in his nostrils.
How much is he worth?
That day, the branch of the Lord
shall be beauty and glory,
and the fruit of the earth
shall be the pride and adornment
of Israel’s survivors.
Those who are left of Zion
and remain of Jerusalem
shall be called holy
and those left in Jerusalem, noted down for survival.
When the Lord has washed away
the filth of the daughter of Zion
and cleansed Jerusalem of the blood shed in her
with the blast of judgement and the blast of destruction,
the Lord will come and rest
on the whole stretch of Mount Zion
and on those who are gathered there,
a cloud by day, and smoke,
and by night the brightness of a flaring fire.
For, over all, the glory of the Lord
will be a canopy and a tent
to give shade by day from the heat,
refuge and shelter from the storm and the rain.
Responsorium
Is 2, 11; Mt 24, 30
℟. Oculi sublímes hóminis humiliabúntur et incurvábitur altitúdo virórum:* Et exaltábitur Dóminus solus in die illa.
℣. Vidébunt Fílium hóminis veniéntem in núbibus cæli cum virtúte et glória multa.* Et exaltábitur.
Responsory
Is 2:11; Mt 24:30
℟. The haughty looks of man shall be brought low, and the pride of men shall be humbled,* and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
℣. They will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory,* and the Lord alone will be exalted in that day.
Lectio altera
E Lítteris sancti Francísci Xavier presbýteri ad sanctum Ignátium (E Vita Francisci Xaverii, auctore H. Tursellini, Romæ, 1596, Lib. 4, epist. 4 [1542] et 5 [1544])

Væ mihi, si non evangelizavero!

Obíimus neophytórum vicos, qui paucis abhinc annis christiána sacra suscéperant. Hæc terra nequáquam a Lusitánis incólitur, útpote quæ summe et stérilis est et pauper: christiáni autem indígenæ, destitúti a sacerdótibus, nihil áliud norunt nisi se esse christiános. Nemo est qui eis rem divínam fáciat; nemo est qui sýmbolum, Pater et Ave divinǽque legis præcépta tradat.
  Ex quo ígitur huc veni, haudquáquam cessávi: vicos sédulo circumíbam, púeros omnes nondum baptizátos sacra abluébam aqua. Itaque permágnum infántium númerum expiávi, qui, ut dici solet, plane ignorárent quid interésset inter déxteram et sinístram. Púeri autem me neque divínum offícium persólvere neque cibum súmere neque quiétem cápere sinébant, quoad áliquam precatiónem eos docuíssem; tum vero sentíre cœpi tálium esse regnum cælórum.
  Proínde cum tam pium postulátum non possem nisi ímpie repudiáre, inítio facto a confessióne Patris, Fílii et Spíritus Sancti, sýmbolum Apostolórum, oratiónes Pater noster et Ave María eis inculcábam. Animadvérti magna in illis ingénia; ac si foret qui christiánis eos præcéptis informáret, non dúbito quin perbóni christiáni essent futúri.
  Complúres his locis ob id unum modo christiáni non fiunt, quod desint, qui eos fáciant christiános. Mihi vero persǽpe venit in mentem circum Európæ academías, ac præcípue Parisiénsem, cursáre et insáni ritu passim vociferáre, eósque qui doctrínæ plus habent quam caritátis his compéllere verbis: «Heu, quam ingens animórum númerus, vestro vítio exclúsus cælo, deturbátur ad ínferos!».
  Utinam illi quemádmodum in lítteras, ita in hanc quoque curam incúmberent, ut réddere Deo possent doctrínæ creditorúmque talentórum ratiónem!
  Enimvéro istórum plúrimi, hac cogitatióne commóti, appósitis rerum divinárum meditatiónibus, exercérent sese ut audírent quid in eis loquerétur Dóminus, suísque cupiditátibus ac rebus humánis posthábitis, se totos ad Dei nutum atque arbítrium fígerent. Clamárent útique ex ánimo: Dómine, ecce adsum; quid me vis fácere? Mitte me quocúmque tibi cordi est, vel usque in Indiam.
Second Reading
A letter from St Francis Xavier to St Ignatius

Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel

We have visited the villages of the new converts who accepted the Christian religion a few years ago. No Portuguese live here, the country is so utterly barren and poor. The native Christians have no priests. They know only that they are Christians. There is nobody to say Mass for them; nobody to teach them the Creed, the Our Father, the Hail Mary and the Commandments of God’s Law.
  I have not stopped since the day I arrived. I conscientiously made the rounds of the villages. I bathed in the sacred waters all the children who had not yet been baptized. This means that I have purified a very large number of children so young that, as the saying goes, they could not tell their right hand from their left. The older children would not let me say my Office or eat or sleep until I taught them one prayer or another. Then I began to understand: “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
  I could not refuse so devout a request without failing in devotion myself. I taught them, first the confession of faith in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, then the Apostles’ Creed, the Our Father and Hail Mary. I noticed among them persons of great intelligence. If only someone could educate them in the Christian way of life, I have no doubt that they would make excellent Christians.
  Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason only: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman, riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: “What a tragedy: how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you!”
  I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.
  This thought would certainly stir most of them to meditate on spiritual realities, to listen actively to what God is saying to them. They would forget their own desires, their human affairs, and give themselves over entirely to God’s will and his choice. They would cry out with all their heart: Lord, I am here! What do you want me to do? Send me anywhere you like – even to India.
Responsorium
Lc 10, 2; Act 1, 8
℟. Messis quidem multa, operárii autem pauci;* Rogáte ergo Dóminum messis, ut mittat operários in messem suam.
℣. Accipiétis virtútem superveniéntis Spíritus Sancti in vos et éritis mihi testes usque ad últimum terræ.* Rogáte.
Responsory
℟. The harvest is rich but the labourers are few,* so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.
℣. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth;* so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.
Oremus.
  Deus, qui beáti Francísci prædicatióne multos tibi pópulos acquisísti, da ut fidélium ánimi eódem fídei zelo férveant et ubérrima ubíque prole Ecclésia sancta lætétur.
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.
Lord God, you won so many peoples to yourself
  by the preaching of Saint Francis Xavier.
Give us the same zeal that he had for the faith,
  and let your Church rejoice
  and see the virtue and number of her children increase
  throughout the world.
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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