First Reading - Acts 1:1-11
In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus
did and taught until the day
he was taken up, after giving
instructions through the Holy
Spirit to the apostles whom he
had chosen.
He presented himself alive
to them by many proofs after
he had suffered, appearing to
them during forty days and
speaking about the kingdom
of God. While meeting with
them, he enjoined them not to
depart from Jerusalem, but
to wait for “the promise of the
Father about which you have
heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few
days you will be baptized with
the Holy Spirit.”
When they had gathered together, they asked him,
“Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to
Israel?”
He answered them, “It is
not for you to know the times
or seasons that the Father has
established by his own authority. But you will receive
power when the Holy Spirit
comes upon you, and you will
be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the
earth.”
When he had said this, as
they were looking on, he was
lifted up, and a cloud took him
from their sight. While they
were looking intently at the
sky as he was going, suddenly
two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
why are you standing there
looking at the sky? This Jesus,
who has been taken up from
you into heaven, will return in
the same way as you have seen
him going into heaven.”
Responsorial Psalm - Ps 47
R –God mounts his throne to
shouts of joy; a blare of
trumpets for the Lord!
* All you peoples, clap your
hands, shout to God with cries
of gladness. For the Lord, the
Most High, the awesome, is the
great king over all the earth. R.
* God mounts his throne
amid shouts of joy; the Lord,
amid trumpet blasts. Sing
praise to God, sing praise;
sing praise to our king, sing
praise. R.
* For king of all the earth
is God; sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
God sits upon his holy throne.
R.
Second Reading - Eph 1:17-23
Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the Father of
glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation, resulting
in knowledge of him. May the
eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what
is the hope that belongs to his
call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among
the holy ones, and what is the
surpassing greatness of his
power for us who believe, in
accord with the exercise of his
great might, which he worked
in Christ, raising him from the
dead and seating him at his
right hand in the heavens, far
above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,
and every name that is named
not only in this age but also in
the one to come.
He put all things beneath
his feet and gave him as head
over all things to the Church,
which is his body, the fullness
of the one who fills all things in
every way.
Gospel Acclamation
All – Alleluia! Alleluia!
“Go and teach all nations,” says the Lord. “I
am with you always, until
the end of the world.”
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Gospel - Lk 24:46-53
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Thus it is written that the
Christ would suffer and rise
from the dead on the third day
and that repentance, for the
forgiveness of sins, would be
preached in his name to all the
nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of
these things. And behold I am
sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the
city until you are clothed with
power from on high.”
Then he led them out as
far as Bethany, raised his
hands, and blessed them. As
he blessed them, he parted
from them and was taken up
to heaven.
They did him homage and
then returned to Jerusalem
with great joy, and they were
continually in the temple
praising God.
