Free Republic

A commentary of St Augustine on Psalm 95 Then all the trees of the forest will exult before the face of the Lord, for he has come, he has come to judge the earth. He has come the first time, and he will come again. At his first coming, his own voice declared in the gospel: Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man coming upon the clouds. What does he mean by hereafter? Does he not mean that the Lord will come at a future time when all the nations of the earth will be striking their breasts in...

Pope Pius XI's encyclical "Ecclesiam Dei" In designing his Church God worked with such skill that in the fullness of time it would resemble a single great family embracing all men. It can be identified, as we know, by certain distinctive characteristics, notably its universality and unity. Continue reading on Examiner.com The Divine Office: He gave his life for the unity of the Church - Norfolk Catholic | Examiner.com

A letter of Sulpicius Severus Martin knew long in advance the time of his death and he told his brethren that it was near. Meanwhile, he found himself obliged to make a visitation of the parish of Candes. The clergy of that church were quarrelling, and he wished to reconcile them. Although he knew that his days on earth were few, he did not refuse to undertake the journey for such a purpose, for he believed that he would bring his virtuous life to a good end if by his efforts peace was restored in the church. Continue reading on...

Today's Office of Readings A sermon of St Leo the Great Although the universal Church of God is constituted of distinct orders of members, still, in spite of the many parts of its holy body, the Church subsists as an integral whole, just as the Apostle says: We are all one in Christ. No difference in office is so great that anyone can be separated, through lowliness, from the head. In the unity of faith and baptism, therefore, our community is undivided. There is a common dignity, as the apostle Peter says in these words: And you are built up...

This is an online dynamic version of the Breviarium Romanum according to the rubrics of 1961... each office of each day is constructed on the fly so that all of the appropriate prayers, hymns, psalms, commemorations, etc. are displayed with no input required from the user or needing to follow different links to obtain the required information.

The Daily Psalms: Wednesday Douay Rheims Version   MATINS: First Nocturn   Psalm 44Eructavit Cor Meus The excellence of Christ's kingdom, and the endowments of his Church. 1 Unto the end, for them that shall be changed, for the sons of Core, for understanding. A canticle for the Beloved. 2 MY heart hath uttered a good word: I speak my works to the king: My tongue is the pen of a scrivener that writeth swiftly. 3 Thou art beautiful above the sons of men: grace is poured abroad in thy lips; therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. 4 Gird...

The Daily Psalms: Saturday Douay Rheims Version   MATINS: First Nocturn   Psalm 104Confitemini Domino A thanksgiving to God, for his benefits to his people Israel. 1 Alleluia. GIVE glory to the Lord, and call upon his name: declare his deeds among the Gentiles. 2 Sing to him, yea sing praises to him: relate all his wondrous works. 3 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the Lord. 4 Seek ye the Lord, and be strengthened: seek his face evermore. 5 Remember his marvellous works which he hath done; his wonders, and the...

The Daily Psalms: Friday Douay Rheims Version   MATINS: First Nocturn   Psalm 77Attendite God's great benefits to the people of Israel, notwithstanding their ingratitude. 1 Understanding for Asaph. ATTEND, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. 2 I will open my mouth in parables: I will utter propositions from the beginning. 3 How great things have we heard and known, and our fathers have told us. 4 They have not been hidden from their children, in another generation. Declaring the praises of the Lord, and his powers, and his wonders which...

The Daily Psalms: Tuesday Douay Rheims Version   MATINS: First Nocturn   Psalm 34Judica Domine Nocentes Me David, in the person of Christ, prayeth against his persecutors: prophetically foreshewing the punishments that shall fall upon them. 1 For David himself. JUDGE thou, O Lord, them that wrong me: overthrow them that fight against me. 2 Take hold of arms and shield: and rise up to help me. 3 Bring out the sword, and shut up the way against them that persecute me: say to my soul: I am thy salvation. 4 Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek...

The Daily Psalms: Monday Douay Rheims Version   MATINS: First Nocturn   Psalm 13Dixit Insipiens The general corruption of men, before our redemption by Christ. 1 Unto the end, a psalm for David. THE fool hath said in his heart: There is no God. They are corrupt, and are become abominable in their ways: there is none that doth good, no not one. 2 The Lord hath looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there be any that understand and seek God. 3 They are all gone aside, they are become unprofitable together: there is...

The Daily Psalms: SundayDouay Rheims Version   MATINS: First Nocturn   Psalm 1Beatus Vir The happiness of the just: and the evil state of the wicked. 1 Blessed is the man who hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the chair of pestilence. 2 But his will is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he shall meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree which is planted near the running waters, which shall bring forth its fruit, in due season....

Welcome to the Maronite Podcast. This is a daily reading of the Prayers of the Faithful or Divine Office for the Antiochene Syriac Maronite Church.   The Universal Catholic Church is a communion of autonomous ritual Churches. Each Church is unique and contributes in her way to the richness and diversity of the Universal Catholic Church. Although united in the Holy Spirit by the same faith and the same seven mysteries, each Church witnesses to Christ throughout history according to her theology and spirituality using her own culture, language, music, philosophy etc. The Universal Catholic Church recognizes that the mystery...

It's taken me a week to think of it, but, on the occasion of the Pope's death, I think I'll translate a few hymns from the Office of the Dead. This one comes from Solesmes' Liber Hymnarius. If you're looking for Dies Iræ, look elsewhere; there are abundant translations on the internet. By the way, does anyone know if they sang Dies Iræ at the pope's funeral?I'll note in passing that the Italian daily Corriere della Sera is reporting that the Vatican is collecting evidence of the pope's sanctity; apparently a number of miracles had already been reported during...

Introduction V/.   Deus X in adjutórium méum inténde.R/.   Dómine, ad adjuvándum me festína.Glória Pátri, et Fílio, *    et Spirítui Sáncto. Sicut érat in princípio, et nunc, et sémper, *    et in sæcula sæculórum.  Ámen. V/.   O God, X come to my assistance.R/.   O Lord, make haste to help me.Praise the Fáther, the Són, and the Holy Spírit    bóth now ánd foréver. The God Who ís, Who wás, and ís to come    at the énd of the áges.  Amén. A brief examination of conscience is made, followed by an act of contrition such as: Confíteor Deo omnipoténti...