The Ascension of the Lord

Acts 1:1-11 (JB)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Why are you standing here looking into the sky? Jesus has been taken into heaven.

In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’

Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’

As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Acts 1:1-11 (NRSV)

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

In the first book, Theophilus,

I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning

until the day when he was taken up to heaven,

after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit

to the apostles whom he had chosen.

After his suffering he presented himself alive to them

by many convincing proofs,

appearing to them during forty days

and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem,

but to wait there for the promise of the Father.

“This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me;

for John baptized with water,

but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit

not many days from now.”

So when they had come together, they asked him,

“Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods

that the Father has set by his own authority.

But you will receive power

when the Holy Spirit has come upon you;

and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,

in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

When he had said this, as they were watching,

he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven,

suddenly two men in white robes stood by them.

They said, “Men of Galilee,

why do you stand looking up toward heaven?

This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven,

will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 46:2-3, 6-9 (JB)

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy:

a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

or

R. Alleluia.

All peoples, clap your hands,

cry to God with shouts of joy!

For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,

great king over all the earth. R.

God goes up with shouts of joy;

the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.

Sing praise for God, sing praise,

sing praise to our king, sing praise. R.

God is king of all the earth.

Sing praise with all your skill.

God is king over the nations;

God reigns on his holy throne. R.

Ephesians 1:17-23 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians

He made Jesus to sit at his right hand in heaven.

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet, and made him as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Hebrews 9:24-28, 10:19-23 (JB)

A reading from the letter to the Hebrews

Christ has entered heaven.

It is not as though Christ has entered a man-made sanctuary which was only modelled on the real one; but it was heaven itself, so that he could appear in the actual presence of God on our behalf. And he does not have to offer himself again and again, like the high priest going into the sanctuary year after year with the blood that is not his own, or else he would have had to suffer over and over again since the world began. Instead of that, he has made his appearance once and for all, now at the end of the last age, to do away with sin by sacrificing himself. Since men only die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, too, offers himself only once to take the faults of many on himself, and when he appears a second time, it will not be to deal with sin but to reward with salvation those who are waiting for him.

In other words, brothers, through the blood of Jesus we have the right to enter the sanctuary, by a new way which he had opened for us, a living opening through the curtain, that is to say, his body. And we have the supreme high priest over all the house of God. So as we go in, let us be sincere in heart and filled with faith, our mind sprinkled and free from any trace of bad conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us keep firm in the hope we profess, because the one who made the promise is faithful.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ephesians 1:17-23 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Ephesians

I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation

as you come to know him,

so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened,

you may know what is the hope to which he has called you,

what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints,

and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power

for us who believe, according to the working of his great power.

God put this power to work in Christ

when he raised him from the dead

and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,

far above all rule and authority and power and dominion,

and above every name that is named,

not only in this age but also in the age to come.

And he has put all things under his feet

and has made him the head over all things for the church,

which is his body,

the fullness of him who fills all in all.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Matthew 28:19, 20 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Go and teach all people my gospel.

I am with you always, until the end of the world.

Alleluia!

Matthew 28:19, 20 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

Go and teach all people my gospel;

I am with you always, until the end of the world.

Alleluia!

Luke 24:46-53 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

While blessing them, he was taken to heaven.

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘You see how it is written that the Christ would suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that, in his name, repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be preached to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses to this.

‘And now I am sending down to you what the Father has promised. Stay in the city then, until you are clothed with the power from on high.’ Then he took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Luke 24:46-53 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to the disciples,

“These are my words that I spoke to you

while I was still with you-

that everything written about me in the law of Moses,

the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled.”

Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures,

and he said to them,

‘Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer

and to rise from the dead on the third day,

and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed

in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

You are witnesses to these things.

“And see, I am sending upon you what my Father promised;

so stay here in the city

until you have been clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany,

and, lifting up his hands, he blessed them.

While he was blessing them,

he withdrew from them and was carried up into heaven.

And they worshipped him,

and returned to Jerusalem with great joy;

and they were continually in the temple blessing God.

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.