Universalis
Wednesday 4 December 2024    (other days)
Wednesday of the 1st week of Advent 
 or Saint John Damascene, Priest, Doctor 

Using calendar: United States - Boston. 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 17:2-7
Gratiarum actio pro salute et victoria

In illa hora factus est terræmotus magnus” (Ap 11, 13).

Díligam te, Dómine, virtus mea.
2Díligam te, Dómine, fortitúdo mea.*
  3Dómine, firmaméntum meum et refúgium meum et liberátor meus;
Deus meus, adiútor meus, et sperábo in eum;*
  protéctor meus et cornu salútis meæ et suscéptor meus.
4Laudábilem invocábo Dóminum,*
  et ab inimícis meis salvus ero.
5Circumdedérunt me fluctus mortis,*
  et torréntes Bélial conturbavérunt me;
6funes inférni circumdedérunt me,*
  præoccupavérunt me láquei mortis.
7In tribulatióne mea invocávi Dóminum,*
  et ad Deum meum clamávi;
exaudívit de templo suo vocem meam,*
  et clamor meus in conspéctu eius introívit in aures eius.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Díligam te, Dómine, virtus mea.

Psalm 17 (18)
Thanksgiving for salvation and victory

I love you, Lord, my strength.
I will love you, Lord, my strength:
  Lord, you are my foundation and my refuge,
  you set me free.
My God is my help: I will put my hope in him,
  my protector, my sign of salvation,
  the one who raises me up.
I will call on the Lord – praise be to his name –
  and I will be saved from my enemies.
The waves of death flooded round me,
  the torrents of Belial tossed me about,
the cords of the underworld wound round me,
  death’s traps opened before me.
In my distress I called on the Lord,
  I cried out to my God:
from his temple he heard my voice,
  my cry to him came to his ears.
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 love you, Lord, my strength.

Ps 17:8-20

Salvum me fecit Dóminus, quóniam vóluit me.
8Commóta est et contrémuit terra;†
  fundaménta móntium concússa sunt et commóta sunt,*
  quóniam irátus est.
9Ascéndit fumus de náribus eius,†
  et ignis de ore eius dévorans;*
  carbónes succénsi processérunt ab eo.
10Inclinávit cælos et descéndit,*
  et calígo sub pédibus eius.
11Et ascéndit super cherub et volávit,*
  ferebátur super pennas ventórum.
12Et pósuit ténebras latíbulum suum,†
  in circúitu eius tabernáculum eius,*
  tenebrósa aqua, nubes áeris.
13Præ fulgóre in conspéctu eius nubes transiérunt,*
  grando et carbónes ignis.
14Et intónuit de cælo Dóminus,†
  et Altíssimus dedit vocem suam:*
  grando et carbónes ignis.
15Et misit sagíttas suas et dissipávit eos,*
  fúlgura iecit et conturbávit eos.
16Et apparuérunt fontes aquárum,*
  et reveláta sunt fundaménta orbis terrárum
ab increpatióne tua, Dómine,*
  ab inspiratióne spíritus iræ tuæ.
17Misit de summo et accépit me*
  et assúmpsit me de aquis multis;
18erípuit me de inimícis meis fortíssimis†
  et ab his, qui odérunt me,*
  quóniam confortáti sunt super me.
19Oppugnavérunt me in die afflictiónis meæ,*
  et factus est Dóminus fulciméntum meum;
20et edúxit me in latitúdinem,*
  salvum me fecit, quóniam vóluit me.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Salvum me fecit Dóminus, quóniam vóluit me.

Psalm 17 (18)

The Lord saved me because he loved me.
The earth moved and shook,
  at the coming of his anger the roots of the mountains rocked
  and were shaken.
Smoke rose from his nostrils,
  consuming fire came from his mouth,
  from it came forth flaming coals.
He bowed down the heavens and descended,
  storm clouds were at his feet.
He rode on the cherubim and flew,
  he travelled on the wings of the wind.
He made dark clouds his covering;
  his dwelling-place, dark waters and clouds of the air.
The cloud-masses were split by his lightnings,
  hail fell, hail and coals of fire.
The Lord thundered from the heavens,
  the Most High let his voice be heard,
  with hail and coals of fire.
He shot his arrows and scattered them,
  hurled thunderbolts and threw them into confusion.
The depths of the oceans were laid bare,
  the foundations of the globe were revealed,
at the sound of your anger, O Lord,
  at the onset of the gale of your wrath.
He reached from on high and took me up,
  he lifted me from the many waters.
He snatched me from my powerful enemies,
  from those who hate me, for they were too strong for me.
They attacked me in my time of trouble,
  but the Lord was my support.
He led me to the open spaces,
  he was my deliverance, for he held me in favour.
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 saved me because he loved me.

Ps 17:21-30

Tu, Dómine, accénde lucérnam meam; illuminábis ténebras meas.
21Et retríbuet mihi Dóminus secúndum iustítiam meam*
  et secúndum puritátem mánuum meárum reddet mihi,
22quia custodívi vias Dómini,*
  nec ímpie recéssi a Deo meo.
23Quóniam ómnia iudícia eius in conspéctu meo,*
  et iustítias eius non réppuli a me;
24et fui immaculátus cum eo*
  et observávi me ab iniquitáte.
25Et retríbuit mihi Dóminus secúndum iustítiam meam*
  et secúndum puritátem mánuum meárum in conspéctu oculórum eius.
  26Cum sancto sanctus eris*
  et cum viro innocénte ínnocens eris
27et cum elécto eléctus eris*
  et cum pervérso cállidus eris.
28Quóniam tu pópulum húmilem salvum fácies*
  et óculos superbórum humiliábis.
29Quóniam tu accéndis lucérnam meam, Dómine;*
  Deus meus illúminat ténebras meas.
30Quóniam in te aggrédiar hóstium turmas*
  et in Deo meo transíliam murum.
Glória Patri et Fílio*
  et Spirítui Sancto.
Sicut erat in princípio et nunc et semper*
  et in sǽcula sæculórum.
Amen.
Tu, Dómine, accénde lucérnam meam; illuminábis ténebras meas.

Psalm 17 (18)

You, O Lord, are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness.
The Lord rewards me according to my uprightness,
  he repays me according to the purity of my hands,
for I have kept to the paths of the Lord
  and have not departed wickedly from my God.
For I keep all his decrees in my sight,
  and I will not reject his judgements;
I am stainless before him,
  I have kept myself away from evil.
And so the Lord has rewarded me according to my uprightness,
  according to the purity of my hands in his sight.
You will be holy with the holy,
  kind with the kind,
with the chosen you will be chosen,
  but with the crooked you will show your cunning.
For you will bring salvation to a lowly people
  but make the proud ashamed.
For you light my lamp, O Lord;
  my God brings light to my darkness.
For with you I will attack the enemy’s squadrons;
  with my God I will leap over their wall.
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.
You, O Lord, are my lamp, my God who lightens my darkness.

℣. Dómine Deus noster, convérte nos.
℟. Et osténde fáciem tuam et salvi érimus.
℣. Lord our God, turn our hearts back to you.
℟. Let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

Lectio prior
De libro Isaíæ prophétæ 5, 1-7

Contra vineam Domini

1Cantábo dilécto meo
cánticum amíci mei de vínea sua:
Vínea facta est dilécto meo
in colle pingui;
2et sæpívit eam
et lápides elégit ex illa
et plantávit in ea vites eléctas
et ædificávit turrim in médio eius
et tórcular exstrúxit in ea;
et exspectávit, ut fáceret uvas,
et fecit labrúscas.
3Nunc ergo, habitátor Ierúsalem
et vir Iudæ,
iudicáte inter me et víneam meam.
4Quid est quod débui ultra fácere víneæ meæ
et non feci ei?
Cur exspectávi, ut fáceret uvas,
et fecit labrúscas?
5Et nunc osténdam vobis
quid ego fáciam víneæ meæ:
áuferam sæpem eius,
et erit in direptiónem;
díruam macériam eius,
et erit in conculcatiónem.
6Et ponam eam desértam:
non putábitur et non fodiétur,
et ascéndent vepres et spinæ;
et núbibus mandábo,
ne pluant super eam imbrem.
7Vínea enim Dómini exercítuum domus Israel est,
et vir Iudæ germen eius delectábile;
et exspectávi, ut fáceret iudícium, et ecce iníquitas,
et iustítiam, et ecce nequítia.
First ReadingIsaiah 5:1-7

Against the Lord’s vineyard

Let me sing to my friend
the song of his love for his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
He dug the soil, cleared it of stones
and planted choice vines in it.
In the middle he built a tower,
he dug a press there too.
He expected it to yield grapes,
but sour grapes were all that it gave.
And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
I ask you to judge
between my vineyard and me.
What could I have done for my vineyard
that I have not done?
I expected it to yield grapes.
Why did it yield sour grapes instead?
Very well, I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on,
and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on.
I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug;
overgrown by the briar and the thorn.
I will command the clouds
to rain no rain on it.
Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts
is the House of Israel,
and the men of Judah
that chosen plant.
He expected justice, but found bloodshed,
integrity, but only a cry of distress.
Responsorium
Ps 79 (80), 14. 15. 3. 16. 15
℟. Exterminávit víneam tuam aper de silva et singuláris ferus depástus est eam; vide, Dómine, et éxcita poténtiam tuam,* Prótege eam quam plantávit déxtera tua.
℣. Dómine Deus virtútum, réspice de cælo et vide et vísita víneam istam.* Prótege.
ResponsoryPs 80:13-15,3
℟. Your vine is ravaged by the boar of the forest, devoured by the beasts of the field. Look, Lord, and rouse up your might,* lest what your right hand has planted be destroyed.
℣. Lord God of hosts, look down from heaven and see; visit this vine,* lest what your right hand has planted be destroyed.

Lectio altera
Ex Sermónibus sancti Bernárdi abbátis
(Sermo 5 in Adventu Domini,1-3: Opera omnia, Edit. cisterc. 4 [1966], 188-190)

Veniet in nos Verbum Dei

Tríplicem Dómini advéntum nóvimus. Tértius quidam advéntus est médius inter illos. Illi enim duo manifésti sunt, sed non iste. In prióre quidem in terris visus et cum homínibus conversátus est, quando, sicut ipse testátur, et vidérunt, et odérunt. In posterióre vero vidébit omnis caro salutáre Dei nostri, et vidébunt in quem transfixérunt. Médius occúltus est, in quo soli eum in seípsis vident elécti, et salvæ fiunt ánimæ eórum. In primo ergo venit in carne et infirmitáte, in hoc médio in spíritu et virtúte, in último in glória et maiestáte.
  Advéntus síquidem iste médius, via quædam est per quam a primo veniátur ad últimum: in primo Christus fuit redémptio nostra, in último apparébit vita nostra, in isto réquies est et consolátio nostra.
  Sed ne cui forte inventítia videántur quæ de hoc advéntu médio dícimus, ipsum audíte: Si quis díligit me, inquit, sermónes meos servábit, et Pater meus díliget eum, et ad eum veniémus. Legi enim álibi: Qui timet Deum, fáciet bona; sed plus áliquid dictum séntio de diligénte, quia sermónes servábit. Ubi ergo servándi sunt? Haud dúbium quin in corde, sicut ait Prophéta: In corde meo abscóndi elóquia tua, ut non peccem tibi.
  Hoc modo custódi verbum Dei: Beáti enim qui custódiunt illud. Ergo traiciátur in víscera quædam ánimæ tuæ; tránseat in affectiónes tuas et in mores tuos. Cómede bonum, et delectábitur in crassitúdine ánima tua. Ne obliviscáris comédere panem tuum, ne exaréscat cor tuum, sed ádipe et pinguédine repleátur ánima tua.
  Si sic verbum Dei serváveris, haud dúbium quin ab eo servéris. Véniet enim ad te Fílius cum Patre, véniet Prophéta magnus, qui renovábit Ierúsalem et ille nova facit ómnia. Hoc enim fáciet hic advéntus, ut, sicut portávimus imáginem terréni, sic portémus et imáginem cæléstis. Sicut fuit vetus Adam effúsus per totum hóminem, et totum occupávit, ita modo totum obtíneat Christus, qui totum creávit, totum redémit, totum et glorificábit.
Second Reading
From a sermon of St Bernard of Clairvaux

The word of the Lord will come to us

We know that the coming of the Lord is threefold: the third coming is between the other two and it is not visible in the way they are. At his first coming the Lord was seen on earth and lived among men, who saw him and hated him. At his last coming All flesh shall see the salvation of our God, and They shall look on him whom they have pierced. In the middle, the hidden coming, only the chosen see him, and they see him within themselves; and so their souls are saved. The first coming was in flesh and weakness, the middle coming is in spirit and power, and the final coming will be in glory and majesty.
  This middle coming is like a road that leads from the first coming to the last. At the first, Christ was our redemption; at the last, he will become manifest as our life; but in this middle way he is our rest and our consolation.
  If you think that I am inventing what I am saying about the middle coming, listen to the Lord himself: If anyone loves me, he will keep my words, and the Father will love him, and we shall come to him. Elsewhere I have read: Whoever fears the Lord does good things – but I think that what was said about whoever loves him was more important: that whoever loves him will keep his words. Where are these words to be kept? In the heart certainly, as the Prophet says I have hidden your sayings in my heart so that I do not sin against you. Keep the word of God in that way: Blessed are those who keep it. Let it penetrate deep into the core of your soul and then flow out again in your feelings and the way you behave; because if you feed your soul well it will grow and rejoice. Do not forget to eat your bread, or your heart will dry up. Remember, and your soul will grow fat and sleek.
  If you keep God’s word like this, there is no doubt that it will keep you, for the Son will come to you with the Father: the great Prophet will come, who will renew Jerusalem, and he is the one who makes all things new. For this is what this coming will do: just as we have been shaped in the earthly image, so will we be shaped in the heavenly image. Just as the old Adam was poured into the whole man and took possession of him, so in turn will our whole humanity be taken over by Christ, who created all things, has redeemed all things, and will glorify all things.
Responsorium
Cf. Ps 28 (29), 11; Is 40, 10
℟. Ecce Dóminus véniet cum splendóre descéndens et virtus eius cum eo * Visitáre pópulum suum in pace et constitúere super eum vitam sempitérnam.
℣. Ecce Dóminus noster cum virtúte véniet.* Visitáre.
Responsory
℟. The Lord will come down with glory and power,* to visit his people in peace and bestow on them eternal life.
℣. See, the Lord comes with might,* to visit his people in peace and bestow on them eternal life.

Oremus.
  Prǽpara, quǽsumus, Dómine Deus noster, corda nostra divína tua virtúte, ut, veniénte Christo Fílio tuo, digni inveniámur ætérnæ vitæ convívio et cibum cæléstem, ipso ministránte, percípere 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.
Prepare our hearts, Lord,
  by the power of your grace.
When Christ comes,
  may he find us worthy
  to receive from his hand the bread of heaven
  at the feast of eternal life.
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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