Universalis
Tuesday 20 May 2025    (other days)
Tuesday of the 5th week of Eastertide 
 or Saint Bernardine of Siena, Priest 

Using calendar: Philippines. 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
Hic est dies verus Dei,
sancto serénus lúmine,
quo díluit sanguis sacer
probrósa mundi crímina.
Fidem refúndit pérditis
cæcósque visu illúminat;
quem non gravi solvit metu
latrónis absolútio?
Opus stupent et ángeli,
pœnam vidéntes córporis
Christóque adhæréntem reum
vitam beátam cárpere.
Mystérium mirábile,
ut ábluat mundi luem,
peccáta tollat ómnium
carnis vítia mundans caro,
Quid hoc potest sublímius,
ut culpa quærat grátiam,
metúmque solvat cáritas
reddátque mors vitam novam?
Esto perénne méntibus
paschále, Iesu, gáudium
et nos renátos grátiæ
tuis triúmphis ággrega.
Iesu, tibi sit glória,
qui morte victa prǽnites,
cum Patre et almo Spíritu,
in sempitérna sǽcula. Amen.
Hymn
Love’s redeeming work is done,
fought the fight, the battle won.
Lo, our Sun’s eclipse is o’er!
Lo, he sets in blood no more!
Vain the stone, the watch, the seal!
Christ has burst the gates of hell;
death in vain forbids him rise;
Christ has opened paradise.
Lives again our victor King;
where, O death, is now thy sting?
Dying once, he all doth save;
where thy victory, O grave?
Soar we now where Christ has led,
following our exalted Head;
made like him, like him we rise,
ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
Hail the Lord of earth and heaven!
Praise to thee by both be given:
thee we greet triumphant now;
hail, the Resurrection thou!

Ps 9B:1-11
Gratiarum actio

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

Iudicábit Dóminus in iustítia páuperes, allelúia.
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, allelúia.

Psalm 9B (10)
Thanksgiving

The Lord will protect the rights of the oppressed. Alleluia.
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. Alleluia.

How to listen

Ps 9B:12-18

Tu, Dómine, labórem et dolórem consíderas, allelúia.
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, allelúia.

Psalm 9B (10)

Lord, you have seen our trouble and our sorrow. Alleluia.
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. Alleluia.

Ps 11:2-8
Invocatio contra superbos

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

Elóquia Dómini elóquia casta; argéntum igne examinátum, allelúia.
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, allelúia.

Psalm 11 (12)
A prayer against the proud

The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined. Alleluia.
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. Alleluia.
℣. Christus resúrgens ex mórtuis iam non móritur, allelúia.
℟. Mors illi ultra non dominábitur, allelúia.
℣. Christ has risen from the dead: he will never die again, alleluia.
℟. No more has death any power over him, alleluia.
Lectio prior
De libro Apocalýpsis beáti Ioánnis apóstoli 20, 1-15

Ultima pugna draconis

Ego Ioánnes 1vidi ángelum descendéntem de cælo habéntem clavem abýssi et caténam magnam in manu sua. 2Et apprehéndit dracónem, serpéntem antíquum, qui est Diábolus et Sátanas, et ligávit eum per annos mille, 3et misit eum in abýssum et clausit et signávit super illum, ut non sedúcat ámplius gentes, donec consumméntur mille anni; post hæc opórtet illum solvi módico témpore. 4Et vidi thronos, et sedérunt super eos, et iudícium datum est illis; et ánimas decollatórum propter testimónium Iesu et propter verbum Dei, et qui non adoravérunt béstiam neque imáginem eius nec accepérunt charactérem in fróntibus et in mánibus suis; et vixérunt et regnavérunt cum Christo mille annis. 5Céteri mortuórum non vixérunt, donec consumméntur mille anni. Hæc est resurréctio prima. 6Beátus et sanctus, qui habet partem in resurrectióne prima! In his secúnda mors non habet potestátem, sed erunt sacerdótes Dei et Christi et regnábunt cum illo mille annis.
  7Et cum consummáti fúerint mille anni, solvétur Sátanas de cárcere suo 8et exíbit sedúcere gentes, quæ sunt in quáttuor ángulis terræ, Gog et Magog, congregáre eos in prœ́lium, quorum númerus est sicut aréna maris. 9Et ascendérunt super latitúdinem terræ et circumiérunt castra sanctórum et civitátem diléctam. Et descéndit ignis de cælo et devorávit eos; 10et Diábolus, qui seducébat eos, missus est in stagnum ignis et súlphuris, ubi et béstia et pseudoprophéta, et cruciabúntur die ac nocte in sǽcula sæculórum.
  11Et vidi thronum magnum cándidum et sedéntem super eum, a cuius aspéctu fugit terra et cælum, et locus non est invéntus eis. 12Et vidi mórtuos, magnos et pusíllos, stantes in conspéctu throni; et libri apérti sunt. Et álius liber apértus est, qui est vitæ; et iudicáti sunt mórtui ex his, quæ scripta erant in libris secúndum ópera ipsórum. 13Et dedit mare mórtuos, qui in eo erant, et mors et inférnus dedérunt mórtuos, qui in ipsis erant; et iudicáti sunt sínguli secúndum ópera ipsórum. 14Et mors et inférnus missi sunt in stagnum ignis. Hæc mors secúnda est, stagnum ignis. 15Et si quis non est invéntus in libro vitæ scriptus, missus est in stagnum ignis.
First Reading
Apocalypse 20:1-15

The final battle with the Dragon

Then I saw an angel come down from heaven with the key of the Abyss in his hand and an enormous chain. He overpowered the dragon, that primeval serpent which is the devil and Satan, and chained him up for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and shut the entrance and sealed it over him, to make sure he would not deceive the nations again until the thousand years had passed. At the end of that time he must be released, but only for a short while.
  Then I saw some thrones, and I saw those who are given the power to be judges take their seats on them. I saw the souls of all who had been beheaded for having witnessed for Jesus and for having preached God’s word, and those who refused to worship the beast or his statue and would not have the brand-mark on their foreheads or hands; they came to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is the first resurrection; the rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were over. Happy and blessed are those who share in the first resurrection; the second death cannot affect them but they will be priests of God and of Christ and reign with him for a thousand years.
  When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive all the nations in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, and mobilise them for war. His armies will be as many as the sands of the sea; they will come swarming over the entire country and besiege the camp of the saints, which is the city that God loves. But fire will come down on them from heaven and consume them. Then the devil, who misled them, will be thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet are, and their torture will not stop, day or night, for ever and ever.
  Then I saw a great white throne and the One who was sitting on it. In his presence, earth and sky vanished, leaving no trace. I saw the dead, both great and small, standing in front of his throne, while the book of life was opened, and other books opened which were the record of what they had done in their lives, by which the dead were judged.
  The sea gave up all the dead who were in it; Death and Hades were emptied of the dead that were in them; and everyone was judged according to the way in which he had lived. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the burning lake. This burning lake is the second death; and anybody whose name could not be found written in the book of life was thrown into the burning lake.
Responsorium
1 Cor 15, 25. 26; cf. Ap 20, 13 a. 14 b
℟. Opórtet Christum regnáre, donec ponat omnes inimícos sub pédibus eius.* Novíssima autem inimíca destruétur mors, allelúia.
℣. Tunc mors et inférnus dabunt mórtuos suos, et inférnus et mors proiciéntur in stagnum ignis.* Novíssima.
Responsory
1 Co 15:25-26; Rv 20:13-14
℟. Christ must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet,* and the last enemy to be destroyed is death, alleluia.
℣. Death and the world of the dead shall give up the dead they hold. Then they shall be thrown into the lake of fire,* and the last enemy to be destroyed is death, alleluia.
Lectio altera
Ex Commentário sancti Cyrílli Alexandríni epíscopi in Evangélium Ioánnis
(Lib. 10, 2: PG 74, 331-334)

Ego sum vitis, vos palmites

Quod opórteat dilectióni erga se inhærére, et quantum ex eo quod ei coniúncti sumus cómmodi nobis evéniat volens osténdere, vitem quidem Dóminus seípsum esse dicit; qui autem ei sunt uníti, atque ínsiti quodámmodo et infíxi, et iam facti sunt natúræ ipsíus consórtes, participáto nempe Sancto Spíritu (sanctus enim Christi Spíritus nos ei coniúngit), hos palmítibus cómparat.
  Eórum enim, qui ad vitem accédunt, adhǽsio voluntátis est atque propósiti; eius autem coniúnctio nobíscum, afféctus et habitúdinis. Ex bono quippe propósito nos ad Christum accéssimus per fidem; genus autem ipsíus facti sumus, adoptiónis dignitátem ab eo consecúti. Etenim, iuxta sanctum Paulum, qui adhǽret Dómino, unus spíritus est.
  Sicut ergo álibi per vocem Prophétæ basis et fundaméntum nominátus est (super ipsum enim nos ædificámur, et lápides nuncupáti sumus vivéntes ac spiritáles in sacerdótium sanctum, in habitáculum Dei in Spíritu, nec álio modo póssumus in hoc ædificári, nisi Christus nobis fundaméntum fúerit), hic quoque eódem sensu vitem seípsum esse ait, pálmitum, qui ex ea sunt, quasi matrem et alúmnam.
  Regeneráti enim sumus ex ipso et in ipso, in Spíritu, ad feréndum fructum vitæ, non véteris illíus et exsolétæ, sed eius quæ novitáte vitæ constat et erga ipsum caritáte. Conservámur autem in esse, ipsi quodámmodo insérti, et trádito nobis sancto mandáto mórdicus inhæréntes, et nobilitátis bonum serváre studéntes, id est, non sinéntes prorsus inhabitántem in nobis Spíritum vel mínimum contristári, per quem habitáre in nobis Deus intellégitur.
  Quómodo enim simus in Christo, et is in nobis, ipse nobis sápiens Ioánnes osténdit, dicens: In hoc cognóscimus quóniam in eo manémus, et ipse in nobis, quóniam de Spíritu suo dedit nobis.
  Quemádmodum enim radix naturálem suam qualitátem palmítibus impértit, sic unigénitum Dei Verbum Dei ac Patris suǽque natúræ quandam véluti cognatiónem sanctis ínserit, Spíritum lárgiens iis potíssimum qui uníti sunt ei per fidem, et omnímodam sanctitátem, eósque ad pietátem alit, omnísque virtútis ac bonitátis cognitiónem in iis operátur.
Second Reading
From a commentary on the gospel of John by Saint Cyril of Alexandria, bishop

I am the vine, you are the branches

The Lord calls himself the vine and those united to him branches in order to teach us how much we shall benefit from our union with him, and how important it is for us to remain in his love. By receiving the Holy Spirit, who is the bond of union between us and Christ our Saviour, those who are joined to him, as branches are to a vine, share in his own nature.
  On the part of those who come to the vine, their union with him depends upon a deliberate act of the will; on his part, the union is effected by grace. Because we had good will, we made the act of faith that brought us to Christ, and received from him the dignity of adoptive sonship that made us his own kinsmen, according to the words of Saint Paul: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.
  The prophet Isaiah calls Christ the foundation, because it is upon him that we as living and spiritual stones are built into a holy priesthood to be a dwelling place for God in the Spirit. Upon no other foundation than Christ can this temple be built. Here Christ is teaching the same truth by calling himself the vine, since the vine is the parent of its branches, and provides their nourishment.
  From Christ and in Christ, we have been reborn through the Spirit in order to bear the fruit of life; not the fruit of our old, sinful life but the fruit of a new life founded upon our faith in him and our love for him. Like branches growing from a vine, we now draw our life from Christ, and we cling to his holy commandment in order to preserve this life. Eager to safeguard the blessing of our noble birth, we are careful not to grieve the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, and who makes us aware of God’s presence in us.
  Let the wisdom of John teach us how we live in Christ and Christ lives in us: The proof that we are living in him and he is living in us is that he has given us a share in his Spirit. Just as the trunk of the vine gives its own natural properties to each of its branches, so, by bestowing on them the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, the only-begotten Son of the Father, gives Christians a certain kinship with himself and with God the Father because they have been united to him by faith and determination to do his will in all things. He helps them to grow in love and reverence for God, and teaches them to discern right from wrong and to act with integrity.
ResponsoriumIo 15, 4. 16 b
℟. Manéte in me et ego in vobis:* Sicut palmes non potest ferre fructum a semetípso, nisi mánserit in vite, sic nec vos, nisi in me manséritis, allelúia.
℣. Ego pósui vos, ut eátis et fructum afferátis et fructus vester máneat.* Sicut.
Responsory
℟. Dwell in me, as I in you.* No branch can bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains united with the vine: no more can you bear fruit, unless you remain united with me, alleluia.
℣. I appointed you to go and bear much fruit, the kind of fruit that endures.* No branch can bear fruit by itself, but only if it remains united with the vine: no more can you bear fruit, unless you remain united with me, alleluia.
Oremus.
  Deus, qui ad ætérnam vitam in Christi resurrectióne nos réparas, da pópulo tuo fídei speíque constántiam, ut non dubitémus implénda, quæ te nóvimus auctóre promíssa.
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 our God,
  in the resurrection of Christ
  you create us anew for eternal life.
Grant your people firmness in faith and constancy in hope:
  let us never doubt that you will fulfil
  what we know you have promised.
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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