Universalis
Friday 6 February 2026    (other days)
Saints Paul Miki and his Companions, Martyrs 
 on Friday of week 4 in Ordinary Time

Using calendar: England - Arundel & Brighton. You can change this.

Morning Prayer (Lauds)

If this is the first Hour that you are reciting today, you should precede it with the Invitatory Psalm.
Based on the liturgy for the Common of Martyrs.
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
All hail the power of Jesus’ name;
  Let Angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem
  To crown him Lord of all.
Crown him, ye Martyrs of your God,
  Who from his altar call;
Praise him whose way of pain ye trod,
  And crown him Lord of all.
Hail him, ye heirs of David’s line,
  Whom David Lord did call;
The God Incarnate, Man Divine,
  And crown him Lord of all.
Let every tribe and every tongue
  To him their hearts enthral,
Lift high the universal song,
  And crown him Lord of all.

Psalm 50 (51)
God, have mercy on me

A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.
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.
A pure heart create for me, O God, put a steadfast spirit within me.

How to listen
CanticleTobit 13

Thanksgiving for the freeing of the people

Rejoice, O Jerusalem, since through you all men will be gathered together to the Lord.
Bless the Lord, his chosen ones: all of you, praise his greatness.
Keep feast-days of rejoicing and proclaim his holy name.
Jerusalem, holy city: he will punish you for what you have done.
Thank the Lord for his good deeds, and bless the eternal king,
  so that in you, once more, with gladness, your tabernacle may be built,
  so that in you he may make all exiles rejoice,
  so that in you he may care for the distressed
for all ages, for ever.
Your bright light will shine out to the ends of the earth:
  many nations will come to you from afar.
From the farthest corners of the world they will come to your holy name
  carrying gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.
Generation on generation, they will proclaim their joy
  and the name of the chosen city will endure for ever.
So rejoice and be glad among the children of the just,
  for they will be brought together and bless the eternal Lord.
Happy are those who love you, fortunate those who rejoice in your peace.
My soul, bless the Lord, the great King,
  for in Jerusalem his house will be built,
  to stand for ever.
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.
Rejoice, O Jerusalem, since through you all men will be gathered together to the Lord.

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

Sion, praise your God, who has sent out his word to the earth.
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, who has sent out his word to the earth.
Scripture Reading
2 Corinthians 1:3-5
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, a gentle Father and the God of all consolation, who comforts us in all our sorrows, so that we can offer others, in their sorrows, the consolation that we have received from God ourselves. Indeed, as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so, through Christ, does our consolation overflow.
Short Responsory
These were holy men: they will live for ever!
– These were holy men: they will live for ever!
The Lord himself is their reward.
– These were holy men: they will live for ever!
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
– These were holy men: they will live for ever!
CanticleBenedictus

The Messiah and his forerunner

Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
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.
Blessed are those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Prayers and intercessions
Through the martyrs who were slain for God’s word, let us give glory to our Saviour, the faithful and true witness.
– You redeemed us by your precious blood.
Through the martyrs, who bore witness to your love,
  set us free to live for you.
– You redeemed us by your precious blood.
Through the martyrs, who proclaimed your saving death,
  give us a deep and constant faith.
– You redeemed us by your precious blood.
Through the martyrs, who took up your cross,
  grant us courage for every trial.
– You redeemed us by your precious blood.
Through the martyrs, washed in the blood of the Lamb,
  give us grace to conquer our weakness.
– You redeemed us by your precious blood.
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.
Lord God, source of strength to all the saints,
  you called your martyrs Paul and his companions to undergo the cross that they might enter into life.
  Let their prayer help us to keep the faith to the end of our days.
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.
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 8 to 14 February 2025

Saint Scholastica; the Shipwreck of St Paul; Our Lady of Lourdes; Saints Cyril and Methodius, and the Basilica of San Clemente. (22 minutes)
Episode notes.

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