Universalis
Friday 13 February 2026    (other days)
Friday of week 5 in Ordinary Time 

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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 34:1-2,3,9-12
Dominus salvator in persecutione

“Congregati sunt ... et consilium fecerunt, ut Iesum dolo tenerent et occiderent” (Mt 26, 3. 4).

Exsúrge, Dómine, in adiutórium mihi.
1Iúdica, Dómine, iudicántes me;*
  impúgna impugnántes me.
2Apprehénde clípeum et scutum†
  et exsúrge in adiutórium mihi.*
  3cDic ánimæ meæ: «Salus tua ego sum».
9Anima autem mea exsultábit in Dómino*
  et delectábitur super salutári suo.
10Omnia ossa mea dicent:*
  «Dómine, quis símilis tibi?
Erípiens ínopem de manu fortiórum eius,*
  egénum et páuperem a diripiéntibus eum».
11Surgéntes testes iníqui,*
  quæ ignorábam, interrogábant me;
12retribuébant mihi mala pro bonis,*
  desolátio est ánimæ meæ.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Exsúrge, Dómine, in adiutórium mihi.

Psalm 34 (35)
The Lord, a saviour in time of persecution

O Lord, arise to help me.
Judge, Lord, those who are judging me:
  attack those who are attacking me.
Take up your shield and come out to defend me.
  Brandish your spear and hold back my pursuers.
Say to my soul, “I am your deliverance.”
My soul will exult in the Lord
  and rejoice in his aid.
My bones themselves will say
  “Lord, who is your equal?”
You snatch the poor man
  from the hand of the strong,
the needy and weak
  from those who would destroy them.
Lying witnesses rose up against me;
  they asked me questions I could not answer.
They paid me back evil for the good I did,
  my soul is desolation.
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.
O Lord, arise to help me.

How to listen

Ps 34:13-16

Iúdica causam meam; defénde, quia potens es, Dómine.
13Ego autem, cum infirmaréntur,*
  induébar cilício,
humiliábam in ieiúnio ánimam meam,*
  et orátio mea in sinu meo convertebátur.
14Quasi pro próximo et quasi pro fratre meo ambulábam,*
  quasi lugens matrem contristátus incurvábar.
15Cum autem vacillárem, lætáti sunt et convenérunt;*
  convenérunt contra me percutiéntes, et ignorávi.
16Diripuérunt et non desistébant; tentavérunt me,†
  subsannavérunt me subsannatióne,*
  frenduérunt super me déntibus suis.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Iúdica causam meam; defénde, quia potens es, Dómine.

Psalm 34 (35)

Lord, plead my cause; defend me with your strength.
Yet I – when they were ill, I put on sackcloth,
  I mortified my soul with fasting,
  I prayed for them from the depths of my heart.
I walked in sadness as for a close friend, for a brother;
  I was bowed down with grief as if mourning my own mother.
But they – when I was unsteady, they rejoiced and gathered together.
  They gathered and beat me: I did not know why.
They were tearing me to pieces, there was no end to it:
  they teased me, heaped derision on me, they ground their teeth at me.
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, plead my cause; defend me with your strength.

Ps 34:17-19,22-23,27-28

Lingua mea, tota die, meditábitur iustítiam tuam.
17Dómine, quámdiu aspícies?†
  Restítue ánimam meam a malignitáte eórum,*
  a leónibus únicam meam.
18Confitébor tibi in ecclésia magna,*
  in pópulo multo laudábo te.
19Non supergáudeant mihi inimíci mei mendáces,*
  qui odérunt me gratis et ánnuunt óculis.
22Vidísti, Dómine, ne síleas;*
  Dómine, ne discédas a me.
23Exsúrge et evígila ad iudícium meum,*
  Deus meus et Dóminus meus, ad causam meam.
27Exsúltent et læténtur, qui volunt iustítiam meam,*
  et dicant semper: «Magnificétur Dóminus, qui vult pacem servi sui».
28Et lingua mea meditábitur iustítiam tuam,*
  tota die laudem tuam.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Lingua mea, tota die, meditábitur iustítiam tuam.

Psalm 34 (35)

My tongue shall speak of your justice, all day long.
Lord, how long will you wait?
  Rescue my life from their attacks,
  my only life from the lions.
I will proclaim you in the great assembly,
  in the throng of people I will praise you.
Let not my lying enemies triumph over me,
  those who hate me for no reason,
who conspire against me by secret signs.
You see them, Lord, do not stay silent:
  Lord, do not leave me.
Rise up and keep watch at my trial:
  my God and my Lord, watch over my case.
Let those who support my cause rejoice,
  let them say always “How great is the Lord,
  who takes care of his servant’s welfare.”
And my tongue too will ponder your justice,
  and praise you all day long.
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.
My tongue shall speak of your justice, all day long.
℣. Fili mi, custódi sermónes meos.
℟. Serva mandáta mea et vives.
℣. My son, keep my words.
℟. Keep my commandments, and live.
Lectio prior
De Epístola beáti Pauli apóstoli ad Gálatas 5, 1-25

Libertas in vita fidelium

Fratres: 1Hac libertáte nos Christus liberávit; state ígitur et nolíte íterum iugo servitútis detinéri. 2Ecce ego Paulus dico vobis quóniam, si circumcidámini, Christus vobis nihil próderit. 3Testíficor autem rursum omni hómini circumcidénti se quóniam débitor est univérsæ legis faciéndæ. 4Evacuáti estis a Christo, qui in lege iustificámini, a grátia excidístis. 5Nos enim Spíritu ex fide spem iustítiæ exspectámus. 6Nam in Christo Iesu neque circumcísio áliquid valet neque præpútium, sed fides, quæ per caritátem operátur.
  7Currebátis bene; quis vos impedívit veritáti non obœdíre? 8Hæc persuásio non est ex eo, qui vocat vos. 9Módicum ferméntum totam massam corrúmpit. 10Ego confído in vobis in Dómino quod nihil áliud sapiétis; qui autem contúrbat vos, portábit iudícium, quicúmque est ille. 11Ego autem, fratres, si circumcisiónem adhuc prǽdico, quid adhuc persecutiónem pátior? Ergo evacuátum est scándalum crucis. 12Utinam et abscidántur, qui vos contúrbant!
  13Vos enim in libertátem vocáti estis, fratres; tantum ne libertátem in occasiónem detis carni, sed per caritátem servíte ínvicem.
  14Omnis enim lex in uno sermóne implétur, in hoc: Díliges próximum tuum sicut teípsum. 15Quod si ínvicem mordétis et devorátis, vidéte, ne ab ínvicem consumámini!
  16Dico autem: Spíritu ambuláte et concupiscéntiam carnis ne perfecéritis. 17Caro enim concupíscit advérsus Spíritum, Spíritus autem advérsus carnem; hæc enim ínvicem adversántur, ut non, quæcúmque vultis, illa faciátis.
  18 Quod si Spíritu ducímini, non estis sub lege. 19Manifésta autem sunt ópera carnis, quæ sunt fornicátio, immundítia, luxúria, 20idolórum sérvitus, venefícia, inimicítiæ, contentiónes, æmulatiónes, iræ, rixæ, dissensiónes, sectæ, 21invídiæ, ebrietátes, comissatiónes et his simília, quæ prǽdico vobis, sicut prædíxi, quóniam, qui tália agunt, regnum Dei non consequéntur. 22Fructus autem Spíritus est cáritas, gáudium, pax, longanímitas, benígnitas, bónitas, fides, 23mansuetúdo, continéntia; advérsus huiúsmodi non est lex.
  24Qui autem sunt Christi Iesu, carnem crucifixérunt cum vítiis et concupiscéntiis. 25Si vívimus Spíritu, Spíritu et ambulémus.
First Reading
Galatians 5:1-25

Freedom in the life of the faithful

When Christ freed us, he meant us to remain free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. It is I, Paul, who tell you this: if you allow yourselves to be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all. With all solemnity I repeat my warning: Everyone who accepts circumcision is obliged to keep the whole Law. But if you do look to the Law to make you justified, then you have separated yourselves from Christ, and have fallen from grace. Christians are told by the Spirit to look to faith for those rewards that righteousness hopes for, since in Christ Jesus whether you are circumcised or not makes no difference – what matters is faith that makes its power felt through love.
  You began your race well: who made you less anxious to obey the truth? You were not prompted by him who called you! The yeast seems to be spreading through the whole batch of you. I feel sure that, united in the Lord, you will agree with me, and anybody who troubles you in future will be condemned, no matter who he is. As for me, my brothers, if I still preach circumcision, why am I still persecuted? If I did that now, would there be any scandal of the cross? Tell those who are disturbing you I would like to see the knife slip.
  My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love, since the whole of the Law is summarised in a single command: Love your neighbour as yourself. If you go snapping at each other and tearing each other to pieces, you had better watch or you will destroy the whole community.
  Let me put it like this: if you are guided by the Spirit you will be in no danger of yielding to self-indulgence, since self-indulgence is the opposite of the Spirit, the Spirit is totally against such a thing, and it is precisely because the two are so opposed that you do not always carry out your good intentions. If you are led by the Spirit, no law can touch you. When self-indulgence is at work the results are obvious: fornication, gross indecency and sexual irresponsibility; idolatry and sorcery; feuds and wrangling, jealousy, bad temper and quarrels; disagreements, factions, envy; drunkenness, orgies and similar things. I warn you now, as I warned you before: those who behave like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. What the Spirit brings is very different: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, trustfulness, gentleness and self-control. There can be no law against things like that, of course. You cannot belong to Christ Jesus unless you crucify all self-indulgent passions and desires.
  Since the Spirit is our life, let us be directed by the Spirit.
Responsorium
Gal 5, 18. 22 a. 25
℟. Si Spíritu ducímini, non estis sub lege.* Fructus Spíritus est cáritas, gáudium, pax.
℣. Si vívimus Spíritu, Spíritu et ambulémus.* Fructus.
ResponsoryGa 5:18,22,25
℟. It is by letting the Spirit lead you that you free yourselves from the yoke of the law.* The Spirit yields a harvest of love, joy and peace.
℣. Since we live by the Spirit, let the Spirit be our rule of life.* The Spirit yields a harvest of love, joy and peace.
Lectio altera
Ex Sermónibus sancti Leónis Magni papæ
(Sermo in Nativitate Domini 7, 2. 6: PL 54, 217-218. 220-221)

Dignitatem tuæ cognosce naturæ

Nascens Dóminus noster Iesus Christus homo verus, qui numquam déstitit esse Deus verus, novæ creatúræ in se fecit exórdium, et in ortus sui forma dedit humáno géneri spiritále princípium. Quæ hoc sacraméntum mens comprehéndere, quæ hanc grátiam váleat lingua narráre? Redit in innocéntiam iníquitas, et in novitátem vetústas; in adoptiónem véniunt aliéni, et in hereditátem ingrediúntur extránei.
  Expergíscere, o homo, et dignitátem tuæ cognósce natúræ. Recordáre te factum ad imáginem Dei; quæ, etsi in Adam corrúpta, in Christo tamen est reformáta. Utere quómodo uténdum est visibílibus creatúris, sicut úteris terra, mari, cælo, áere, fóntibus atque flumínibus; et quidquid in eis pulchrum atque mirábile est, refer ad laudem et glóriam Conditóris.
  Lucem corpóream sensu tange corpóreo, et toto mentis afféctu illud verum lumen ampléctere quod illúminat omnem hóminem veniéntem in hunc mundum, et de quo dicit Prophéta: Accédite ad eum, et illuminámini, et vultus vestri non erubéscent. Si enim templum Dei sumus, et Spíritus Dei hábitat in nobis, plus est quod fidélis quisque in suo habet ánimo, quam quod mirátur in cælo.
  Non ítaque vobis, dilectíssimi, hoc aut indícimus, aut suadémus, ut despiciátis ópera Dei, aut contrárium áliquid fídei vestræ, in iis quæ Deus bonus bona cóndidit, æstimétis; sed ut omni creaturárum spécie et univérso huius mundi ornátu rationabíliter et temperánter utámini: Quæ enim vidéntur, sicut ait Apóstolus, temporália sunt; quæ autem non vidéntur ætérna sunt.
  Unde quia ad præséntia sumus nati, ad futúra autem renáti, non temporálibus bonis déditi, sed ætérnis simus inténti; et ut spem nostram possímus própius intuéri, cogitémus quid natúræ nostræ grátia divína contúlerit. Audiámus Apóstolum dicéntem: Mórtui enim estis, et vita vestra abscóndita est cum Christo in Deo. Cum autem Christus apparúerit vita vestra, tunc et vos apparébitis cum ipso in glória, qui vivit et regnat cum Patre et Spíritu Sancto per ómnia sǽcula sæculórum. Amen.
Second Reading
From a sermon of Saint Leo the Great, pope

Recognise the dignity of your nature

Our Lord Jesus Christ, born true man without ever ceasing to be true God, began in his person a new creation and by the manner of his birth gave man a spiritual origin. What mind can grasp this mystery, what tongue can fittingly recount this gift of love? Guilt becomes innocence, old becomes new, strangers are adopted and outsiders are made heirs. Rouse yourself, man, and recognise the dignity of your nature. Remember that you were made in God’s image; though corrupted in Adam, that image has been restored in Christ.
  Use creatures as they should be used: the earth, the sea, the sky, the air, the springs and rivers. Give praise and glory to their Creator for all that you find beautiful and wonderful in them. See with your bodily eyes the light that shines on earth, but embrace with your whole soul and all your affections the true light which enlightens every man who comes into this world. Speaking of this light the prophet said: Draw close to him and let his light shine upon you and your face will not blush with shame. If we are indeed the temple of God and if the Spirit of God lives in us, then what every believer has within himself is greater than what he admires in the skies.
  Our words and exhortations are not intended to make you disdain God’s works or think there is anything contrary to your faith in creation, for the good God has himself made all things good. What we do ask is that you use reasonably and with moderation all the marvellous creatures which adorn this world; as the Apostle says: The things that are seen are transient but the things that are unseen are eternal.
  For we are born in the present only to be reborn in the future. Our attachment, therefore, should not be to the transitory; instead, we must be intent upon the eternal. Let us think of how divine grace has transformed our earthly natures so that we may contemplate more closely our heavenly hope. We hear the Apostle say: You are dead and your life is hidden with Christ in God. But when Christ your life appears, then you will also appear in glory with him, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen.
Responsorium
Ps 143 (144), 9; 117 (118), 28
℟. Deus, cánticum novum cantábo tibi;* In psaltério decachórdo psallam tibi.
℣. Deus meus es tu, et confitébor tibi; Deus meus, et exaltábo te.* In psaltério.
Responsory
℟. To you, O God, will I sing a new song;* to you I will play on the ten-stringed harp.
℣. You are my God, I thank you. My God, I praise you.* To you I will play on the ten-stringed harp.
Oremus.
  Famíliam tuam, quǽsumus, Dómine, contínua pietáte custódi, ut, quæ in sola spe grátiæ cæléstis innítitur, tua semper protectióne muniátur.
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.
Guard your family, Lord,
  with constant loving care,
for in your divine grace
  we place our only hope.
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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