Universalis
Tuesday 26 September 2023    (other days)
Tuesday of week 25 in Ordinary Time 
 or Saints Cosmas and Damian, Martyrs 

Using calendar: United States - Newark. 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
Consors patérni lúminis,
lux ipse lucis et dies,
noctem canéndo rúmpimus:
assíste postulántibus.
Aufer ténebras méntium,
fuga catérvas dǽmonum,
expélle somnoléntiam
ne pigritántes óbruat.
Sic, Christe, nobis ómnibus
indúlgeas credéntibus,
ut prosit exorántibus
quod præcinéntes psállimus.
Sit, Christe, rex piíssime,
tibi Patríque glória
cum Spíritu Paráclito,
in sempitérna sǽcula. Amen.
Hymn
Worship, glory, praise and honour
To our God, high-throned above:
We, with many generations
Join to praise thy name of love.
In the scriptures, by the Spirit,
May we see the Saviour’s face,
Hear his word and heed his calling,
Know his will and grow in grace.

Ps 9B:1-11
Gratiarum actio

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

Iudicábit Dóminus in iustítia páuperes.
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.

Psalm 9B (10)
Thanksgiving

The Lord will protect the rights of the oppressed.
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.

Ps 9B:12-18

Tu, Dómine, labórem et dolórem consíderas.
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.

Psalm 9B (10)

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

Ps 11:2-8
Invocatio contra superbos

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

Elóquia Dómini elóquia casta; argéntum igne examinátum.
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.

Psalm 11 (12)
A prayer against the proud

The words of the Lord are words without alloy, silver from the furnace, seven times refined.
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.
℣. Díriget Dóminus mansuétos in iudício.
℟. Docébit mites vias suas.
℣. The Lord guides the humble in the right path.
℟. He teaches his way to the poor.
Lectio prior
De libro Ezechiélis prophétæ 36, 16-36

Futura restitutio populi Dei in corpore, corde, spiritu

16Factum est verbum Dómini ad me dicens: 17«Fili hóminis, domus Israel habitavérunt in humo sua et polluérunt eam in viis suis et in opéribus suis; iuxta immundítiam menstruátæ facta est via eórum coram me. 18Et effúdi indignatiónem meam super eos pro sánguine, quem fudérunt super terram, et in idólis suis polluérunt eam. 19Et dispérsi eos in gentes, et ventiláti sunt in terras; iuxta vias eórum et iuxta ópera eórum iudicávi eos. 20Et ingréssi sunt ad gentes, ad quas introiérunt, et polluérunt nomen sanctum meum, cum dicerétur de eis: “Pópulus Dómini iste est, et de terra eius egréssi sunt”. 21Et pepérci nómini meo sancto, quod pollúerat domus Israel in géntibus, ad quas ingréssi sunt.
  22Idcírco dices dómui Israel: Hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: Non propter vos ego fáciam, domus Israel, sed propter nomen sanctum meum, quod polluístis in géntibus, ad quas intrástis; 23et sanctificábo nomen meum magnum, quod pollútum est inter gentes, quod polluístis in médio eárum, ut sciant gentes quia ego Dóminus, ait Dóminus Deus, cum sanctificátus fúero in vobis coram eis. 24Tollam quippe vos de géntibus et congregábo vos de univérsis terris et addúcam vos in terram vestram; 25et effúndam super vos aquam mundam, et mundabímini ab ómnibus inquinaméntis vestris, et ab univérsis idólis vestris mundábo vos. 26Et dabo vobis cor novum et spíritum novum ponam in médio vestri et áuferam cor lapídeum de carne vestra et dabo vobis cor cárneum; 27et spíritum meum ponam in médio vestri et fáciam, ut in præcéptis meis ambulétis et iudícia mea custodiátis et operémini. 28Et habitábitis in terra, quam dedi pátribus vestris, et éritis mihi in pópulum, et ego ero vobis in Deum. 29Et salvábo vos ex univérsis inquinaméntis vestris et vocábo fruméntum et multiplicábo illud et non impónam vobis famem. 30Et multiplicábo fructum ligni et genímina agri, ut non portétis ultra oppróbrium famis in géntibus. 31Et recordabímini viárum vestrárum pessimárum operúmque non bonórum, et displicébunt vobis iniquitátes vestræ et scélera vestra. 32Non propter vos ego fáciam, ait Dóminus Deus, notum sit vobis; confundímini et erubéscite super viis vestris, domus Israel.
  33Hæc dicit Dóminus Deus: In die, qua mundávero vos ex ómnibus iniquitátibus vestris et inhabitári fécero urbes et instaurávero ruinósa, 34et terra desérta fúerit excúlta, quæ quondam erat desoláta in óculis omnis viatóris, 35dicent: “Terra illa incúlta facta est ut hortus Eden, et civitátes desértæ et destitútæ atque destrúctæ munítæ inhabitántur”. 36Et scient gentes, quæcúmque derelíctæ fúerint in circúitu vestro, quia ego Dóminus ædificávi dissipáta plantavíque incúlta; ego Dóminus locútus sum et fácio».
First Reading
Ezekiel 36:16-36 ©

The future restoration of People of God

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, the members of the House of Israel used to live in their own land, but they defiled it by their conduct and actions; to me their conduct was as unclean as a woman’s menstruation. I then discharged my fury at them because of the blood they shed in their land and the idols with which they defiled it. I scattered them among the nations and dispersed them in foreign countries. I sentenced them as their conduct and actions deserved. And now they have profaned my holy name among the nations where they have gone, so that people say of them, “These are the people of the Lord; they have been exiled from his land.” But I have been concerned about my holy name, which the House of Israel has profaned among the nations where they have gone. And so, say to the House of Israel, “The Lord says this: I am not doing this for your sake, House of Israel, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I mean to display the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. And the nations will learn that I am the Lord – it is the Lord who speaks – when I display my holiness for your sake before their eyes. Then I am going to take you from among the nations and gather you together from all the foreign countries, and bring you home to your own land. I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your defilement and all your idols. I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws and sincerely respect my observances. You will live in the land which I gave your ancestors. You shall be my people and I will be your God. I shall rescue you from all your defilement. I shall summon the corn and make it plentiful, and no more bring famines on you. I shall increase the yield of fruit trees and fields so that you will no longer have the ignominy of famine among the nations. Then you will remember your evil conduct and actions. You will loathe yourselves for your sins and your filthy practices. I assure you that I am not doing this for your sake – it is the Lord who speaks. Be ashamed and blush for your conduct, House of Israel.
  The Lord says this: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will repopulate the cities and cause the ruins to be rebuilt. Waste land, once desolate for every passer-by to see, will now be farmed again. Everyone will say: This land, so recently a waste, is now like a garden of Eden, and the ruined cities once abandoned and levelled to the ground are now strongholds with people living in them. And the nations left round you will know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt what was destroyed and replanted what was ruined. I, the Lord, have spoken, and I will do it.
Responsorium
Ez 11, 19 b-20. 19 a
℟. Auferam cor lapídeum de carne eórum et dabo eis cor cárneum:* Ut in præcéptis meis ámbulent et sint mihi in pópulum et ego sim eis in Deum.
℣. Dabo eis cor áliud et spíritum novum tríbuam in viscéribus eórum.* Ut in.
ResponsoryEzk 11:19-20
℟. I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh instead, so that they may keep my laws.* Then they shall be my people and I shall be their God.
℣. I will give them a single heart and I will put a new spirit in them.* Then they shall be my people and I shall be their God.
Lectio altera
Ex Sermóne sancti Augustíni epíscopi De pastóribus (Sermo 46, 18-19: CCL 41, 544-546)

Ecclesia, tamquam vitis, crescendo ubique diffusa

In omnem montem et in omnem collem et in omnem fáciem terræ dispérsæ sunt. Quid est: In omnem fáciem terræ dispérsæ sunt? Omnia terréna sectántes, ea quæ in fáciem terræ lucent, ipsa amant, ipsa díligunt. Nolunt mori, ut abscondátur vita eórum in Christo. Super omnem fáciem terræ, dilectióne terrenórum, et quia errántes oves sunt per totam fáciem terræ. Divérsis locis sunt: una mater supérbia omnes péperit, sicut una mater nostra cathólica omnes christiános fidéles toto orbe diffúsos.
  Non ergo mirum, si supérbia parit discissiónem, cáritas unitátem. Tamen ipsa cathólica mater, ipse pastor in ea ubíque quærit errántes, confórtat infírmos, curat lánguidos, álligat confráctos, álios ab istis, álios ab illis non se ínvicem sciéntibus. Sed tamen illa omnes novit, quia cum ómnibus fusa est.
  Illa sic est tamquam vitis, crescéndo ubíque diffúsa; illi sic sunt tamquam sarménta inutília, agrícolæ falce præcísa mérito sterilitátis suæ, ut vitis putarétur, non ut amputarétur. Sarménta ergo illa ubi præcísa sunt, ibi remansérunt. Vitis autem crescens, per ómnia, et sarménta sua novit quæ in illa mansérunt, et iuxta se quæ de illa præcísa sunt.
  Inde tamen révocat errántes, quia et de ramis fractis dicit Apóstolus: Potens est enim Deus íterum insérere illos. Sive dicas oves errántes a grege, sive dicas ligna præcísa de vite, nec ad revocándas oves, nec rursus ad inserénda ligna minus idóneus est Deus, quia ille summus pastor, ille verus agrícola. Et in omnem fáciem terræ dispérsæ sunt; et non fuit qui requíreret, non fuit qui revocáret, sed in illis pastóribus malis; non fuit, sed homo, qui requíreret.
  Proptérea, pastóres, audíte sermónem Dómini: Vivo ego, dicit Dóminus Deus. Vidéte unde cœpit. Tamquam iuráto est Dei, testificátio vitæ suæ: Vivo ego, dicit Dóminus. Mórtui sunt pastóres, sed secúræ sunt oves; vivit Dóminus. Vivo ego, dicit Dóminus Deus. Qui autem pastóres mórtui sunt? Sua quæréntes, non quæ Iesu Christi. Erunt ergo et inveniéntur pastóres non quæ sua sunt quæréntes, sed quæ Iesu Christi? Erunt plane et inveniéntur plane, nec desunt nec déerunt.
Second Reading
St Augustine's sermon On Pastors

The church, like a vine, grows and spreads everywhere

They are straying across the mountains and the high hills, they have been scattered over all the face of the earth. What does this mean, scattered over all the face of the earth? That they attach themselves to earthly things, the things that glitter on the face of the earth: they love and desire them. They do not want to die and be hidden away in Christ. Over all the face of the earth not only because they love earthly things but because across all the earth there are sheep astray. They are everywhere, but one thing, pride, is the mother of them all, just as Christians who are spread over all the world have one mother, the Church.
  So it is not to be wondered at that pride gives birth to dissension while love generates unity. The Church is the mother of all, and everywhere the shepherd in her seeks those who are astray, strengthens those who are weak, cares for the sick and puts the broken together again. Many of them are not even known to one another, but she knows them all because she is merged with them all.
  She is like a vine that has grown and sprouted everywhere. Those in love with earthly things are like sterile shoots pruned away by the grower’s knife because of their sterility, cut away so that the vine should not have to be cut down. And those sterile shoots, once they are pruned away, lie on the ground and stay there. But the vine grows over all, and it knows those shoots that remain part of it, and it knows the cut-off shoots that lie next to it.
  But from where they lie she calls them back, for as St Paul says of the broken branches, God has the power to graft them back again. Whether you speak of sheep straying away from the flock or branches cut off from the vine, God is equally able to call back the lost sheep and to graft back the lost branches: the Lord, the true vine-dresser. They have been scattered over all the face of the earth and no-one misses them, no-one calls them back – no-one among the bad shepherds. No-one misses them – that is, no man does.
  Well then, shepherds, hear the words of the Lord. As I live, says the Lord God… See how he starts. It is like an oath sworn by God, calling his very life to witness. As I live, says the Lord God. The shepherds are dead but the sheep are safe. As I live, says the Lord God. What shepherds are dead? Those who have sought their own interests rather than Christ’s. So what of the shepherds who seek Christ’s interests and not their own? Of course there will be such shepherds, of course they will be found: there is no lack of them and there never will be.
Responsorium
2 Cor 3, 4. 6. 5
℟. Fidúciam habémus per Christum ad Deum,* Qui et idóneos nos fecit minístros Novi Testaménti, non lítteræ sed Spíritus.
℣. Non quod sufficiéntes simus cogitáre áliquid a nobis, quasi ex nobis, sed sufficiéntia nostra ex Deo est.* Qui et.
Responsory
℟. We have confidence in God through Christ.* It is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant which consists not of a written law, but of the Spirit.
℣. There is nothing in us which allows us to claim that we are capable of doing this work. The capacity we have comes from God.* It is he who made us capable of serving the new covenant which consists not of a written law, but of the Spirit.
Oremus.
  Deus, qui sacræ legis ómnia constitúta in tua et próximi dilectióne posuísti, da nobis, ut, tua præcépta servántes, ad vitam mereámur perveníre perpétuam.
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.
Father,
  you summed up the whole law
  as love of you and of our neighbour.
Grant that by keeping this commandment of love,
  we may come to 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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