Universalis
Thursday 11 December 2025    (other days)
Thursday of the 2nd week of Advent 
 or Saint Damasus I, Pope 

Using calendar: United States - New York archdiocese. 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
Verbum supérnum pródiens,
a Patre lumen éxiens,
qui natus orbi súbvenis
cursu declívi témporis:
Illúmina nunc péctora
tuóque amóre cóncrema;
audíta per præcónia
sint pulsa tandem lúbrica.
Iudéxque cum post áderis
rimári facta péctoris,
reddens vicem pro ábditis
iustísque regnum pro bonis,
Non demum artémur malis
pro qualitáte críminis,
sed cum beátis cómpotes
simus perénnes cǽlites.
Sit, Christe, rex piíssime,
tibi Patríque glória
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
in sempitérna sǽcula. 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 43:2-9
Populi calamitates

“In his omnibus superamus propter eum, qui dilexit nos” (Rom 8, 37).

Salvásti nos, Dómine, et in nómine tuo confitébimur in sǽculum.
2Deus, áuribus nostris audívimus;†
  patres nostri annuntiavérunt nobis*
  opus, quod operátus es in diébus eórum, in diébus antíquis.
3Tu manu tua gentes depulísti et plantásti illos*
  afflixísti pópulos et dilatásti eos.
4Nec enim in gládio suo possedérunt terram,*
  et bráchium eórum non salvávit eos;
sed déxtera tua et bráchium tuum et illuminátio vultus tui,*
  quóniam complacuísti in eis.
5Tu es rex meus et Deus meus,*
  qui mandas salútes Iacob.
6In te inimícos nostros proiécimus,*
  et in nómine tuo conculcávimus insurgéntes in nos.
7Non enim in arcu meo sperábo,*
  et gládius meus non salvábit me.
8Tu autem salvásti nos de affligéntibus nos*
  et odiéntes nos confudísti.
9In Deo gloriábimur tota die*
  et in nómine tuo confitébimur in sǽculum.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Salvásti nos, Dómine, et in nómine tuo confitébimur in sǽculum.

Psalm 43 (44)
In time of defeat

It was you who saved us, Lord: we will praise your name without ceasing.
Our own ears have heard, O God,
  and our fathers have proclaimed it to us,
  what you did in their days, the days of old:
how with your own hand you swept aside the nations
  and put us in their place,
  struck them down to make room for us.
It was not by their own swords that our fathers took over the land,
  it was not their own strength that gave them victory;
but your hand and your strength,
  the light of your face,
  for you were pleased in them.
You are my God and my king,
  who take care for the safety of Jacob.
Through you we cast down your enemies;
  in your name we crushed those who rose against us.
I will not put my hopes in my bow,
  my sword will not bring me to safety;
for it was you who saved us from our afflictions,
  you who set confusion among those who hated us.
We will glory in the Lord all the day,
  and proclaim your name for all ages.
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.
It was you who saved us, Lord: we will praise your name without ceasing.

How to listen

Ps 43:10-17

Parce, Dómine, et ne des hereditátem tuam in oppróbrium.
10Nunc autem reppulísti et confudísti nos*
  et non egrediéris, Deus, cum virtútibus nostris.
11Convertísti nos retrórsum coram inimícis nostris,*
  et, qui odérunt nos, diripuérunt sibi.
12Dedísti nos tamquam oves ad vescéndum*
  et in géntibus dispersísti nos.
13Vendidísti pópulum tuum sine lucro,*
  nec dítior factus es in commutatióne eórum.
14Posuísti nos oppróbrium vicínis nostris,*
  subsannatiónem et derísum his, qui sunt in circúitu nostro.
15Posuísti nos similitúdinem in géntibus,*
  commotiónem cápitis in pópulis.
16Tota die verecúndia mea contra me est,*
  et confúsio faciéi meæ coopéruit me
17a voce exprobrántis et obloquéntis,*
  a fácie inimíci et ultóris.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Parce, Dómine, et ne des hereditátem tuam in oppróbrium.

Psalm 43 (44)

Spare us, Lord, do not let your people be put to shame.
But now, God, you have spurned us and confounded us,
  so that we must go into battle without you.
You have put us to flight in the sight of our enemies,
  and those who hate us plunder us at will.
You have handed us over like sheep sold for food,
  you have scattered us among the nations.
You have sold your people for no money,
  not even profiting by the exchange.
You have made us the laughing-stock of our neighbours,
  mocked and derided by those who surround us.
The nations have made us a by-word,
  the peoples toss their heads in scorn.
All the day I am ashamed,
  I blush with shame
as they reproach me and revile me,
  my enemies and my persecutors.
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.
Spare us, Lord, do not let your people be put to shame.

Ps 43:18-26

Exsúrge, Dómine, et rédime nos propter misericórdiam tuam.
18Hæc ómnia venérunt super nos, nec oblíti sumus te;*
  et iníque non égimus in testaméntum tuum.
19Et non recéssit retro cor nostrum,*
  nec declinavérunt gressus nostri a via tua;
20sed humiliásti nos in loco vúlpium*
  et operuísti nos umbra mortis.
21Si oblíti fuérimus nomen Dei nostri*
  et si expandérimus manus nostras ad deum aliénum,
22nonne Deus requíret ista?*
  Ipse enim novit abscóndita cordis.
23Quóniam propter te mortificámur tota die,*
  æstimáti sumus sicut oves occisiónis.
24Evígila quare obdórmis, Dómine?*
  Exsúrge et ne repéllas in finem.
25Quare fáciem tuam avértis,*
  oblivísceris inópiæ nostræ et tribulatiónis nostræ?
26Quóniam humiliáta est in púlvere ánima nostra,*
  conglutinátus est in terra venter noster.
Exsúrge, Dómine, ádiuva nos*
  et rédime nos propter misericórdiam tuam.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Exsúrge, Dómine, et rédime nos propter misericórdiam tuam.

Psalm 43 (44)

Arise, Lord! Redeem us because of your love.
All this happened to us,
  but not because we had forgotten you.
We were not disloyal to your covenant;
  our hearts did not turn away;
  our steps did not wander from your path;
and yet you brought us low,
  with horrors all about us:
  you overwhelmed us in the shadows of death.
If we had forgotten the name of our God,
  if we had spread out our hands before an alien god —
would God not have known?
  He knows what is hidden in our hearts.
It is for your sake that we face death all the day,
  that we are reckoned as sheep to be slaughtered.
Awake, Lord, why do you sleep?
  Rise up, do not always reject us.
Why do you turn away your face?
  How can you forget our poverty and our tribulation?
Our souls are crushed into the dust,
  our bodies dragged down to the earth.
Rise up, Lord, and help us.
  In your mercy, redeem 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.
Arise, Lord! Redeem us because of your love.
℣. Audíte verbum Dómini, gentes.
℟. Et annuntiáte illud in fínibus terræ.
℣. Listen to the word of the Lord, you nations.
℟. Make it known to coasts and islands far away.
Lectio prior
De libro Isaíæ prophétæ 26, 7-21

Canticum iustorum. Promissio resurrectionis

7«Sémita iusti recta est;
rectum callem iusti complánas.
8Et in sémita iudiciórum tuórum, Dómine,
  sperávimus in te;
ad nomen tuum et ad memoriále tuum
  desidérium ánimæ.
9Anima mea desíderat te in nocte,
sed et spíritu meo in præcórdiis meis te quæro.
Cum resplendúerint iudícia tua in terra,
iustítiam discent habitatóres orbis.
10Fit misericórdia ímpio,
non discet iustítiam;
in terra probitátis iníque gerit
et non videt maiestátem Dómini.
11Dómine, exaltáta est manus tua, et non vídent;
vídeant confúsi zelum tuum in pópulum,
et ignis hóstium tuórum devorábit eos.
12Dómine, dabis pacem nobis;
ómnia enim ópera nostra operátus es nobis.
13Dómine Deus noster,
  possedérunt nos dómini absque te;
tantum in te recordémur nóminis tui.
14Mórtui non revivíscent,
defúncti non resúrgent;
proptérea visitásti et contrivísti eos
et perdidísti omnem memóriam eórum.
15Auxísti gentem, Dómine,
auxísti gentem, glorificátus es;
elongásti omnes términos terræ.
16Dómine, in angústia quæsiérunt te,
fudérunt incantatiónem, castigátio tua in eis.
17Sicut quæ cóncipit,
  cum appropinquáverit ad partum
dolens clamat in dolóribus suis,
sic facti sumus a fácie tua, Dómine.
18Concépimus et parturívimus,
quasi pepérimus ventum.
Salútes non fécimus in terra,
ídeo non nati sunt habitatóres terræ.
19Revivíscent mórtui tui, interfécti mei resúrgent.
Expergiscímini et laudáte, qui habitátis in púlvere,
quia ros lucis ros tuus,
et terra defúnctos suos edet in lucem.
20Vade, pópulus meus, intra in cubícula tua,
claude óstia tua super te,
abscóndere módicum ad moméntum,
donec pertránseat indignátio.
21Ecce enim Dóminus egrediétur de loco suo,
ut vísitet iniquitátem habitatóris terræ contra eum;
et revelábit terra sánguinem suum
et non opériet ultra interféctos suos».
First ReadingIsaiah 26:7-21

A promise of resurrection

The path of the upright man is straight,
you smooth the way of the upright.
Following the path of your judgements,
we hoped in you, O Lord,
your name, your memory are all my soul desires.
At night my soul longs for you
and my spirit in me seeks for you;
when your judgements appear on earth
the inhabitants of the world learn the meaning of integrity.
If favour is shown to the wicked,
he does not learn the meaning of integrity.
He does evil in the land of uprightness,
he fails to see the majesty of the Lord.
O Lord, your hand is raised,
but they do not see it.
Let them see your jealous love for this people and be ashamed,
let the fire prepared for your enemies consume them.
O Lord, you are giving us peace,
since you treat us
as our deeds deserve.
O Lord our God,
other lords than you have ruled us,
but we acknowledge no-one other than you,
no other name than yours.
The dead will not come to life,
their ghosts will not rise,
for you have punished them, annihilated them,
and wiped out their memory.
Enlarge the nation, O Lord, enlarge it,
to the nation grant glory,
extend all the frontiers of the country.
Distressed, we search for you, O Lord;
the misery of oppression was your punishment for us.
As a woman with child near her time
writhes and cries out in her pangs,
so are we, O Lord, in your presence:
we have conceived, we writhe
as if we were giving birth;
we have not given the spirit of salvation to the earth,
no more inhabitants of the world are born.
Your dead will come to life,
their corpses will rise;
awake, exult,
all you who lie in the dust,
for your dew is a radiant dew
and the land of ghosts will give birth.
Go into your rooms, my people,
shut your doors behind you.
Hide yourselves a little while
until the wrath has passed.
For, see, the Lord will soon come out of his dwelling,
to punish all the inhabitants of earth for their crimes.
The earth will reveal its blood
and no longer hide its slain.
Responsorium
Cf. Is 26, 19; Dan 12, 2
℟. Exspergiscímini et laudáte, qui habitátis in púlvere, * Quia ros lucis, ros Dómini.
℣. Multi de his qui dórmiunt in terra púlveris evigilábunt. * Quia.
Responsory
Is 26:19; Dn 12:2
℟. O dwellers in the dust, awake and sing for joy,* for the dew of the Lord shall bring you light.
℣. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,* for the dew of the Lord shall bring you light.
Lectio altera
Ex Sermónibus sancti Petri Chrysólogi epíscopi
(Sermo 147: PL 52, 594-595)

Amor cupit videre Deum

Videns Deus mundum labefactári timóre, contínuo agit ut cum amóre révocet, invítet grátia, caritáte téneat et constríngat afféctu.
  Hinc est quod inveterátam malis terram ábluit ulciscénte dilúvio, et Noe novi sǽculi vocat paréntem, blando sermóne compéllit, dat familiárem fidúciam, pie de præséntibus ínstruit, consolátur per grátiam de futúris; et iam non iussit, sed participáto labóre una in arca claudit totíus sǽculi partum, ut societátis amor timórem servitútis auférret, et servarétur amóre commúni quod fúerat commúni labóre salvátum.
  Hinc est quod Abraham vocat de géntibus, auget nómine, patrem fídei facit, comitátur via, inter éxteros servat, ditat rebus, honórat triúmphis, promíssis oppígnorat, éripit iniúriis, hospitalitáte blandítur, miríficat gérmine desperáto: ut tot replétus bonis, tanta divínæ illéctus dulcédine caritátis, Deum dilígere dísceret, non timére; amándo cólere, non pavéndo.
  Hinc est quod Iacob fugiéntem solátur in somnis, redeúntem pro certámine próvocat, luctatóris constríngit ampléxu; ut amáret patrem certáminis non timéret.
  Hinc est quod Móysen pátria voce vocat, patérna allóquitur caritáte, ut sit plebis suæ liberátor, invítat.
  Sed per hæc quæ memorávimus, ubi humána corda flamma divínæ caritátis accéndit, et humánis sénsibus amóris Dei tota se fundit ebríetas, sáucia mente cœpérunt Deum carnálibus velle óculis intuéri.
  Deum, quem mundus non capit, angústus quómodo cápere póterat humánus aspéctus? Quid erit, quid débeat, quid possit, non réspicit ius amóris. Amor ignórat iudícium, ratióne caret, modum nescit. Amor non áccipit de impossibilitáte solácium, non récipit de difficultáte remédium.
  Amor, nisi ad desideráta perváserit, necat amántem; et ídeo vadit quo dúcitur, non quo débeat.
  Amor parit desidérium, gliscit ardóre, ardóre ad inconcéssa perténdit. Et quid plura? Amor quod amat non potest non vidére: hinc est quod omnes sancti ómnia quæ merúerant parva duxérunt, si Dóminum non vidérent.
  Hinc est quod amor qui cupit vidére Deum, etsi non habet iudícium, habet tamen stúdium pietátis.
  Hinc est quod Móyses audet dícere: Si invéni grátiam coram te, osténde mihi fáciem tuam.
  Hinc est quod álius dicit: Osténde fáciem tuam. Dénique et ipsi gentíles ob hoc simulácra finxérunt, ut in ipsis erróribus óculis cérnerent quod colébant.
Second Reading
From a sermon by Saint Peter Chrysologus, bishop

Love desires to see God

When God saw the world falling to ruin because of fear, he immediately acted to call it back to himself with love. He invited it by his grace, preserved it by his love, and embraced it with compassion.
  Thus, when the earth had grown old in evil, God sent the flood both to punish and to release it. He called Noah to be the father of a new era, urged him with gentle words, and showed his trust in him. He instructed him about the present and reassured him about the future. God did not just issue orders but shared in the work of shutting into the ark all that was to be born into the world in the future. Thus by sharing in love he took away servile fear, and he protected with shared love whatever their shared labour had saved.
  Thus God called Abraham out of the heathen world, lengthened his name from ‘Abram’, and made him our father in faith. He accompanied him on his journeys, protected him in foreign lands, enriched him with possessions, and honoured him with victories. He made promises to him, saved him from harm, accepted his hospitality, and astonished him by giving him the offspring he had despaired of. Abraham was favoured with so many good things and drawn by God’s sweet love so that he would learn to love, not fear: love, not fear was to inspire him to worship.
  Thus when Jacob was fleeing, God comforted him with a dream and roused him to combat upon his return. He hugged him in a wrestler’s grip so that he would love the one who had given battle and not fear him.
  Thus God called Moses as a father would. It was with fatherly affection that he invited him to become the liberator of his people.
  But in all the events we have recalled, the flame of God’s love set human hearts on fire and intoxicated human senses. Wounded by love, men longed to see God with their bodily eyes.
  How could our narrow human vision perceive one whom the whole world cannot contain? What will be, what ought to be, what can be – the law of love does not care about these things. Love does not have judgement, reason, strategy. Love refuses to be consoled when its goal proves impossible, refuses to be cured if its goal is difficult to achieve.
  Love destroys the lover if he cannot obtain what he loves. It goes where it is led, not where it ought to go. Love gives birth to desire, it bursts into flame and that fire draws it to seek forbidden things. What more is there to say?
  Love cannot accept not seeing the thing that it loves. That is why the saints counted whatever they deserved as being nothing if it did not mean that they could see the Lord.
  Thus although a love that desires to see God may not be desiring something reasonable, but still its desire is a truly good thing.
  Thus it was that Moses dared to say: If I have found favour in your eyes, show me your face.
  Thus it was that the psalmist said: Show me your face. Even the pagans were obeying the same impulse when they made their idols: even though they were mistaken, they knew that they had to see with their eyes what they worshipped with their hearts.
Responsorium
Cf. Is 66, 13; 1 Reg 11, 36; Is 66, 14; 46, 13
℟. Sicut mater consolátur fílios suos, ita consolábor vos, dicit Dóminus: et de Ierúsalem civitáte, quam elégi, véniet vobis auxílium:* Et vidébitis et gaudébit cor vestrum.
℣. Dabo in Sion salútem et in Ierúsalem glóriam meam. * Et vidébitis.
Responsory
℟. As a mother comforts her sons, so will I comfort you, says the Lord; and help will come to you from Jerusalem, the city I have chosen.* At the sight your heart will rejoice.
℣. I will give salvation to Zion; Israel shall have sight of my glory.* At the sight your heart will rejoice.
Oremus.
  Excita, Dómine, corda nostra ad præparándas Unigéniti tui vias, ut per eius advéntum purificátis tibi méntibus servíre mereámur.
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.
Clear a pathway, Lord, in our hearts
  to make ready for your only Son,
so that when he comes
  we may serve you in sincerity of heart.
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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