Universalis
Friday 21 March 2025    (other days)
Friday of the 2nd week of Lent 

Using calendar: New Zealand. You can pick a diocese or region.

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.
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.
Hymnus
Nunc tempus acceptábile
fulget datum divínitus,
ut sanet orbem lánguidum
medéla parsimóniæ.
Christi decóro lúmine
dies salútis émicat,
dum corda culpis sáucia
refórmat abstinéntia.
Hanc mente nos et córpore,
Deus, tenére pérfice,
ut appetámus próspero
perénne pascha tránsitu.
Te rerum univérsitas,
clemens, adóret, Trínitas,
et nos novi per véniam
novum canámus cánticum. Amen.
Hymn
Lord, who throughout these forty days
for us didst fast and pray,
teach us with thee to mourn our sins,
and close by thee to stay.
As thou with Satan didst contend
and didst the victory win,
O give us strength in thee to fight,
in thee to conquer sin.
As thou didst hunger bear, and thirst,
so teach us, gracious Lord,
to die to self, and chiefly live
by thy most holy word.
And through these days of penitence,
and through thy Passiontide,
yea, evermore in life and death,
Jesus, with us abide.
Abide with us, that so, this life
of suffering overpast,
an Easter of unending joy
we may attain at last.

Ps 37:2-5
Obsecratio peccatoris in extremo periculo constituti

“Stabant omnes noti eius a longe” (Lc 23, 49).

Ne in ira tua corrípias me, Dómine.
2Dómine, ne in furóre tuo árguas me,*
  neque in ira tua corrípias me,
3quóniam sagíttæ tuæ infíxæ sunt mihi,*
  et descéndit super me manus tua.
4Non est sánitas in carne mea a fácie indignatiónis tuæ,*
  non est pax óssibus meis a fácie peccatórum meórum.
5Quóniam iniquitátes meæ supergréssæ sunt caput meum*
  et sicut onus grave gravant me nimis.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Ne in ira tua corrípias me, Dómine.

Psalm 37 (38)
The plea of a sinner in great peril

Do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.
Lord, do not rebuke me in your wrath,
  do not ruin me in your anger:
for I am pierced by your arrows
  and crushed beneath your hand.
In the face of your anger
  there is no health in my body.
There is no peace for my bones,
  no rest from my sins.
My transgressions rise higher than my head:
  a heavy burden, they weigh me down.
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.
Do not punish me, Lord, in your rage.

How to listen

Ps 37:6-13

Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum.
6Putruérunt et corrúpti sunt livóres mei*
  a fácie insipiéntiæ meæ.
7Inclinátus sum et incurvátus nimis;*
  tota die contristátus ingrediébar.
8Quóniam lumbi mei impléti sunt ardóribus,*
  et non est sánitas in carne mea.
9Afflíctus sum et humiliátus sum nimis,*
  rugiébam a gémitu cordis mei.
10Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum,*
  et gémitus meus a te non est abscónditus.
11Palpitávit cor meum, derelíquit me virtus mea,*
  et lumen oculórum meórum, et ipsum non est mecum.
12Amíci mei et próximi mei procul a plaga mea stetérunt,*
  et propínqui mei de longe stetérunt.
13Et láqueos posuérunt, qui quærébant ánimam meam,†
  et, qui requirébant mala mihi, locúti sunt insídias*
  et dolos tota die meditabántur.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Dómine, ante te omne desidérium meum.

Psalm 37 (38)

O Lord, you know all my longing.
My wounds are corruption and decay
  because of my foolishness.
I am bowed down and bent,
  bent under grief all day long.
For a fire burns up my loins,
  and there is no health in my body.
I am afflicted, utterly cast down,
  I cry out from the sadness of my heart.
Lord, all that I desire is known to you;
  my sighs are not hidden from you.
My heart grows weak, my strength leaves me,
  and the light of my eyes – even that has gone.
My friends and my neighbours
  keep far from my wounds.
Those closest to me keep far away,
  while those who would kill me set traps,
  those who would harm me make their plots:
  they plan mischief all through the day.
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, you know all my longing.

Ps 37:14-23

Iniquitátem meam annuntiábo tibi; ne derelínquas me, Dómine, salus mea.
14Ego autem tamquam surdus non audiébam*
  et sicut mutus non apériens os suum;
15et factus sum sicut homo non áudiens*
  et non habens in ore suo redargutiónes.
16Quóniam in te, Dómine, sperávi,*
  tu exáudies, Dómine Deus meus.
17Quia dixi: «Nequándo supergáudeant mihi;*
  dum commovéntur pedes mei, magnificántur super me».
18Quóniam ego in lapsum parátus sum,*
  et dolor meus in conspéctu meo semper.
19Quóniam iniquitátem meam annuntiábo*
  et sollícitus sum de peccáto meo.
20Inimíci autem mei vivunt et confirmáti sunt,*
  et multiplicáti sunt, qui odérunt me iníque.
21Retribuéntes mala pro bonis detrahébant mihi*
  pro eo quod sequébar bonitátem.
22Ne derelínquas me, Dómine;*
  Deus meus, ne discésseris a me.
23Festína in adiutórium meum,*
  Dómine, salus mea.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Iniquitátem meam annuntiábo tibi; ne derelínquas me, Dómine, salus mea.

Psalm 37 (38)

I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not forsake me, my saviour.
But I, like a deaf man, do not hear;
  like one who is dumb, I do not open my mouth.
I am like someone who cannot hear,
  in whose mouth there is no reply.
For in you, Lord, I put my trust:
  you will listen to me, Lord, my God.
For I have said, “Let them never triumph over me:
  if my feet stumble, they will gloat.”
For I am ready to fall:
  my suffering is before me always.
For I shall proclaim my wrongdoing:
  I am anxious because of my sins.
All the time my enemies live and grow stronger;
  they are so many, those who hate me without cause.
Returning evil for good they dragged me down,
  because I followed the way of goodness.
Do not abandon me, Lord:
  my God, do not leave me.
Hurry to my aid,
  O Lord, my saviour.
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.
I confess my guilt to you, Lord; do not forsake me, my saviour.
℣. Convertímini ad Dóminum Deum vestrum.
℟. Quia benígnus et miséricors est.
℣. Return to the Lord, your God.
℟. For he is gracious and merciful.
Lectio prior
De libro Exodi 19, 1-19; 20, 18-21

Promissio fœderis et apparitio Domini in Sinai

19,1Mense tértio egressiónis Israel de terra Ægýpti, in die hac venérunt in solitúdinem Sínai. 2Nam profécti de Ráphidim et perveniéntes usque in desértum Sínai, castrametáti sunt in eódem loco, ibíque Israel fixit tentória e regióne montis.
  3Móyses autem ascéndit ad Deum, vocavítque eum Dóminus de monte et ait:
«Hæc dices dómui Iacob
et annuntiábis fíliis Israel:
4Vos ipsi vidístis, quæ fécerim Ægýptiis,
quómodo portáverim vos super alas aquilárum
et addúxerim ad me.
5Si ergo audiéritis vocem meam
et custodiéritis pactum meum,
éritis mihi in pecúlium de cunctis pópulis;
mea est enim omnis terra.
6Et vos éritis mihi regnum sacerdótum
et gens sancta.
Hæc sunt verba, quæ loquéris ad fílios Israel».
7Venit Móyses et, convocátis maióribus natu pópuli, expósuit omnes sermónes, quos mandáverat Dóminus. 8Respondítque univérsus pópulus simul: «Cuncta, quæ locútus est Dóminus, faciémus». Cumque rettulísset Móyses verba pópuli ad Dóminum, 9ait ei Dóminus: «Ecce ego véniam ad te in calígine nubis, ut áudiat me pópulus loquéntem ad te et tibi quoque credat in perpétuum».
  Nuntiávit ergo Móyses verba pópuli ad Dóminum, 10qui dixit ei: «Vade ad pópulum et sanctífica illos hódie et cras; lavéntque vestiménta sua 11et sint paráti in diem tértium. In die enim tértio descéndet Dóminus coram omni plebe super montem Sínai. 12Constituésque términos pópulo per circúitum et dices: Cavéte, ne ascendátis in montem nec tangátis fines illíus; omnis, qui tetígerit montem, morte moriétur. 13Manus non tanget eum, sed lapídibus opprimétur aut confodiétur iáculis; sive iuméntum fúerit, sive homo, non vivet. Cum cœ́perit clángere búcina, tunc ascéndant in montem». 14Descendítque Móyses de monte ad pópulum et sanctificávit eum; cumque lavíssent vestiménta sua, 15ait ad eos: «Estóte paráti in diem tértium; ne appropinquétis uxóribus vestris».
  16Iamque advénerat tértius dies, et mane inclarúerat; et ecce cœpérunt audíri tonítrua ac micáre fúlgura et nubes densíssima operíre montem, clangórque búcinæ veheméntius perstrepébat; et tímuit pópulus, qui erat in castris. 17Cumque eduxísset eos Móyses in occúrsum Dei de loco castrórum, stetérunt ad radíces montis. 18Totus autem mons Sínai fumábat, eo quod descendísset Dóminus super eum in igne, et ascénderet fumus ex eo quasi de fornáce. Et trémuit omnis mons veheménter. 19Et sónitus búcinæ paulátim crescébat in maius; Móyses loquebátur, et Deus respondébat ei cum voce.
  20,18Cunctus autem pópulus vidébat voces et lámpades et sónitum búcinæ montémque fumántem; et pertérriti ac pavóre concússi stetérunt procul 19dicéntes Móysi: «Lóquere tu nobis, et audiémus; non loquátur nobis Deus, ne moriámur». 20Et ait Móyses ad pópulum: «Nolíte timére; ut enim probáret vos, venit Deus, et ut timor illíus esset in vobis, ne peccarétis». 21Stetítque pópulus de longe; Móyses autem accéssit ad calíginem, in qua erat Deus.
First Reading
Exodus 19:1-19,20:18-21

The promise of the Covenant and a manifestation of the Lord at Sinai

Three months after they came out of the land of Egypt… on that day the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai. From Rephidim they set out again; and when they reached the wilderness of Sinai, there in the wilderness they pitched their camp; there facing the mountain Israel pitched camp.
  Moses then went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, ‘Say this to the House of Jacob, declare this to the sons of Israel, “You yourselves have seen what I did with the Egyptians, how I carried you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself. From this you know that now, if you obey my voice and hold fast to my covenant, you of all the nations shall be my very own for all the earth is mine. I will count you a kingdom of priests, a consecrated nation.” Those are the words you are to speak to the sons of Israel.’ So Moses went and summoned the elders of the people, putting before them all that the Lord had bidden him. Then all the people answered as one, ‘All that the Lord has said, we will do.’ And Moses took the people’s reply back to the Lord.
  The Lord said to Moses, ‘I am coming to you in a dense cloud so that the people may hear when I speak to you and may trust you always.’
  And Moses took the people’s reply back to the Lord. The Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to the people and tell them to prepare themselves today and tomorrow. Let them wash their clothing and hold themselves in readiness for the third day, because on the third day the Lord will descend on the mountain of Sinai in the sight of all the people. You will mark out the limits of the mountain and say, “Take care not to go up the mountain or to touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain will be put to death. No one must lay a hand on him: he must be stoned or shot down by arrow, whether man or beast; he must not remain alive.” When the ram’s horn sounds a long blast, they are to go up the mountain.’
  So Moses came down from the mountain to the people and bade them prepare themselves; and they washed their clothing. Then he said to the people, ‘Be ready for the third day; do not go near any woman.’
  Now at daybreak on the third day there were peals of thunder on the mountain and lightning flashes, a dense cloud, and a loud trumpet blast, and inside the camp all the people trembled. Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God; and they stood at the bottom of the mountain. The mountain of Sinai was entirely wrapped in smoke, because the Lord had descended on it in the form of fire. Like smoke from a furnace the smoke went up, and the whole mountain shook violently. Louder and louder grew the sound of the trumpet. Moses spoke, and God answered him with peals of thunder.
  All the people shook with fear at the peals of thunder and the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the smoking mountain; and they kept their distance. ‘Speak to us yourself,’ they said to Moses, ‘and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we shall die.’ Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid; God has come to test you, so that your fear of him, being always in your mind, may keep you from sinning.’ So the people kept their distance while Moses approached the dark cloud where God was.
Responsorium
Ex 19, 5 a. 6; 1 Petr 2, 9 a
℟. Si audiéritis vocem meam et custodiéritis pactum meum, éritis mihi in pecúlium de cunctis pópulis;* Et éritis mihi regnum sacerdótum et gens sancta.
℣. Vos genus eléctum, regále sacerdótium, gens sancta, pópulus in acquisitiónem.* Et éritis.
Responsory
Ex 19:5-6; 1 P 2:9
℟. If you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my own possession among all peoples,* and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
℣. You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a consecrated nation, a people set apart,* and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Lectio altera
Ex Tractátu sancti Irenǽi epíscopi Advérsus hǽreses (Lib. 4, 16, 2-5: SCh 100, 564-572)

Testamentum Domini

Móyses in Deuteronómio ait ad pópulum: Dóminus Deus tuus testaméntum dispósuit in Horeb; et non pátribus vestris dispósuit Dóminus testaméntum hoc, sed ad vos.
  Quare ígitur pátribus non dispósuit testaméntum? Quóniam lex non est pósita iustis; iusti autem patres, virtútem decálogi conscríptam habéntes in córdibus et animábus suis, diligéntes scílicet Deum qui fecit eos et abstinéntes erga próximum ab iniustítia; propter quod non fuit necésse admonéri eos correptóriis lítteris, quóniam habébant in semetípsis iustítiam legis.
  Cum autem hæc iustítia et diléctio quæ erat erga Deum cessísset in obliviónem et exstíncta esset in Ægýpto, necessário Deus propter multam suam erga hómines benevoléntiam semetípsum ostendébat per vocem.
  Et edúxit de Ægýpto pópulum in virtúte, uti rursus fíeret homo discípulus et sectátor Dei; et affligébat indício audiéntes, ut non contémneret eum qui se fecit.
  Et manna cibávit eum, uti rationálem accíperet escam, quemádmodum et Móyses in Deuteronómio ait: Et cibávit te manna, quod non sciébant patres tui, uti cognóscas quóniam non in pane solo vivet homo, sed in omni verbo Dei quod procédit de ore eius vivet homo.
  Et erga Deum dilectiónem præcipiébat et eam quæ ad próximum est iustítiam insinuábat, ut neque iniústus neque indígnus sit Deo, prǽstruens hóminem per decálogum in suam amicítiam et eam quæ circa próximum est concórdiam; quæ quidem ipsi próderant hómini, nihil tamen indigénte Deo ab hómine.
  Hæc autem gloriósum quidem faciébant hóminem, id quod déerat ei adimpléntia, id est amicítiam Dei, Deo autem præstábant nihil; nec enim indigébat Deus dilectióne hóminis.
  Déerat autem hómini glória Dei, quam nullo modo póterat percípere, nisi per eam obsequéntiam quæ est erga eum. Et propter hoc íterum Móyses ait eis: Elige vitam, ut vivas tu et semen tuum: dilígere Dóminum Deum tuum, exaudíre vocem eius et apprehéndere eum; quóniam hæc est vita tua et longitúdo diérum tuórum.
  In quam vitam prǽstruens hóminem, decálogi quidem verba ipse per semetípsum ómnibus simíliter Dóminus locútus est; et ídeo simíliter pérmanent apud nos, extensiónem et augméntum, sed non dissolutiónem accipiéntia per carnálem eius advéntum.
  Servitútis autem præcépta separátim per Móysen præcépit pópulo, apta illórum eruditióni sive castigatióni, quemádmodum ipse Móyses ait: Et mihi præcépit Dóminus in témpore illo docére vobis iustificatiónes et iudícia.
  Hæc ergo quæ in servitútem et in signum data sunt illis circumscrípsit novo libertátis testaménto; quæ autem naturália et liberália et commúnia ómnium auxit et dilatávit, sine invídia lárgiter donans homínibus per adoptiónem Patrem scire Deum et dilígere eum ex toto corde et sine aversatióne sequi eius Verbum.
Second Reading
From the treatise "Against the Heresies" by St Irenaeus

The covenant of the Lord

In the book of Deuteronomy Moses says to the people: The Lord your God made a covenant on Horeb; he made this covenant, not with your fathers but with you. Why did God not make this covenant with their fathers? Because the law is not aimed at the righteous. Their fathers were righteous: they had the power of the Decalogue implanted in their hearts and in their souls. That is, they loved the God who made them and did nothing unjust against their neighbour. For this reason they did not need to be admonished by written rebukes: they had the righteousness of the law in their hearts.
  When this righteousness and love for God had passed into oblivion and had been extinguished in Egypt, God had necessarily to reveal himself through his own voice, out of his great love for men. He led the people out of Egypt in power, so that man might once again become God’s disciple and follower. He made them afraid as they listened, to warn them not to hold their Creator in contempt.
  He fed them with manna, that they might receive spiritual food. In the book of Deuteronomy Moses says: He fed you with manna, which your fathers did not know, that you might understand that man will not live by bread alone but by every word of God coming from the mouth of God.
  He commanded them to love himself and trained them to practise righteousness towards their neighbour, so that man might not be unrighteous or unworthy of God. Through the Decalogue he prepared man for friendship with himself and for harmony with his neighbour. This was to man’s advantage, though God needed nothing from man.
  This raised man to glory, for it gave him what he did not have, friendship with God. But it brought no advantage to God, for God did not need man’s love. Man did not possess the glory of God, nor could he attain it by any other means than through obedience to God. This is why Moses said to the people: Choose life, that you may live and your descendants too; love the Lord your God, hear his voice and hold fast to him, for this is life for you and length of days.
  This was the life that the Lord was preparing man to receive when he spoke in person and gave the words of the Decalogue for all alike to hear. These words remain with us as well; they were extended and amplified through his coming in the flesh, but not annulled.
  God gave to the people separately through Moses the commandments that enslave: these were precepts suited to their instruction or their condemnation. As Moses said: The Lord commanded me at that time to teach you precepts of righteousness and of judgement. The precepts that were given them to enslave and to serve as a warning have been cancelled by the new covenant of freedom. The precepts that belong to man’s nature and to freedom and to all alike have been enlarged and broadened. Through the adoption of sons God has enabled man so generously and bountifully to know him as Father, to love him with his whole heart, and to follow his Word unfailingly.
Responsorium
℟. Móyses, fámulus Dómini, ieiunávit quadragínta diébus et quadragínta nóctibus,* Ut legem Dómini mererétur accípere.
℣. Ascéndens Móyses in montem Sínai ad Dóminum, fuit ibi quadragínta diébus et quadragínta nóctibus.* Ut legem Dómini mererétur accípere.
Responsory
℟. Moses, the servant of the Lord, fasted for forty days and forty nights,* so that he might be prepared to receive the Law of the Lord.
℣. Moses went up to the mountain of Sinai to the Lord, and stayed there for forty days and forty nights,* so that he might be prepared to receive the Law of the Lord.
Oremus.
  Da, quǽsumus, omnípotens Deus, ut, sacro nos purificánte pæniténtiæ stúdio, sincéris méntibus ad sancta ventúra fácias perveníre.
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.
Purify us, almighty God,
  through our whole-hearted endeavour to renew our lives,
so that we may approach the coming festival
  with single-minded devotion.
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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