Ascension  of  the  Lord "I am with you always, to the close of the age" Entrance Antiphon Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking in the sky? The Lord will return, just as you have seen him ascend, alleluia. Introduction The liturgy today reminds us of the parting message of Jesus and the assurance of his continued presence with us till the end of the times. After completing his mission, Jesus ascends to his heavenly Father, leaving us with a mission – the mission to witness to his life and love. PENITENTIAL RITE We are assured by Jesus that he will be with us through his Spirit in the fulfilment of his mission entrusted to us. Hence let us ask ourselves: how do we bear witness to Christ in our daily lives? Do we follow other ways and voices than that of the Holy Spirit? (Pause) Glory to God in the highest, and peace to his people on earth. Lord God, heavenly King, almighty God and Father, we worship you, we give you thanks, we praise you for your glory. Lord, Jesus Christ, only Son of the Father, Lord God, Lamb of God, you take away the sin of the world: have mercy on us; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, receive our prayer. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen. OPENING PRAYER Let us pray. God our Father, make us joyful in the ascension of your Son Jesus Christ. May we follow him into the new creation, for his ascension is our glory and our hope. We ask this… FIRST READING (St Luke after the completion of his Gospel, presents in the opening words of Acts of the Apostles the entrusting of Christ’s mission to the apostles through a special action of the Holy Spirit.) A reading from the Acts of the Apostles (1:1-11) In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptized with water, but before many days you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.” This is the Word of the Lord PSALM (46) Response: God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast. 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. 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. 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. SECOND READING (St Paul earnestly prays that Christians may draw wisdom and power from the great riches Jesus has inherited for us by his death, resurrection and glory with the Father.) A reading from the Letter of St Paul to the Ephesians (1:17-23) May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power in us who believe, according to the working of his great might which he accomplished in Christ when he raised him from the dead and made him sit 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 that which is 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. This is the Word of the Lord ACCLAMATION (Mt 28:19-20) Alleluia, alleluia! Go, make disciples of all nations; I am with you always, to the close of the age. Alleluia! GOSPEL (Jesus commissions his eleven disciples and gives them the power to go and make disciples of all nations, with the assurance that he would be with them till the end.) A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St Matthew (28:16-20) The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age.” This is the Gospel of the Lord (Homily) I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL Cel: Dear brothers and sisters, God the Father sent his only Son Jesus to redeem the world. Today, he leaves us with a mission and promises to be with us through his Spirit. Let us pray with faith and trust as we pray: Response: Lord, be with us. 1. Lord, be with our Holy Father Benedict XVI, bishops, priests and the religious that they may faithfully carry out their great responsibility of proclaiming, teaching and baptising. 2. Lord, be with the missionaries all over the world, especially with those who are facing threat and opposition in their work. May they be strengthened and supported by your powerful presence. 3. Lord, be with all our political and social leaders that they endeavour to protect the rights of the poor and the oppressed, and ensure economic security for them. 4. Lord, be with all the unbelievers who have not heard the Good News of salvation that they may come to know the joy, peace and liberation in Jesus. Cel: God our loving Father, you glorified your Son Jesus and made him sit at your right hand to be our eternal mediator in heaven. Hear our prayers that we may be faithful to the mission he has given us and be received into your eternal home at the end of time. We ask this… Prayer over the gifts Lord, receive our offering as we celebrate the ascension of Christ your Son. May his gifts help us rise with him to the joys of heaven, where he lives and reigns for ever and ever. PREFACE (26) Father, all-powerful and ever-living God, we do well always and everywhere to give you thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Today the Lord Jesus, the king of glory, the conqueror of sin and death, ascended to heaven while the angels sang his praises. Christ, the mediator between God and man, judge of the world and Lord of all, has passed beyond our sight, not to abandon us but to be our hope. Christ is the beginning, the head of the Church; where he has gone, we hope to follow. The joy of the resurrection and ascension renews the whole world, while the choirs of heaven sing for ever to your glory: All: Holy, holy, holy… Communion antiphon I, the Lord, am with you always, until the end of the world, alleluia. Prayer after communion Father, in this eucharist we touch the divine life you give to the world. Help us to follow Christ with love to eternal life where he is Lord for ever and ever. Liturgy and Life A priest, Walter Ciszek by name, was in Russia for 23 years, five years of which were spent in the dreaded Lubyanka prison in Moscow and ten of which were spent in the harsh Siberian slave labour camp. He was finally released in 1963. After his release he wrote a book, “He Leadeth Me” in which he confesses: “I was able to endure the inhuman condition in which I found myself because I experienced somehow the presence of God. I never lost my faith that God was with me, even in the worst circumstances.” What was true of Fr Walter Ciszek is true of each of us: Jesus is with us in the power of His Spirit. These days we are especially conscious of the cost and importance of power: how to harness power from sun, from water, from wind, from wave etc. We speak of the power of the people, of party, of unions, of media etc. Today Scripture speaks of the Power from God, by which Jesus was raised up from the dead, and the same Power that made him sit at the right hand of the Father in heaven (First Reading). This same Power is available to us as Jesus promises in the Gospel: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” He fulfils this promise chiefly at our baptism and confirmation. This power enables us to give powerful witness to Christ in our Christian lives. This power is also abundantly available to us to face various sufferings and difficulties and to live our faith and gospel values. This power also helps us in our fight against the evil powers and dark forces of hell. It fills us with enlightenment and wisdom, with joy and serenity. This power assists us to repent, to forgive our enemies and to love everyone. The power of God becomes active through prayer and especially the prayer of praise. As we begin to praise God we experience God’s power filling our lives removing our weaknesses and transforming us into people of power. What a great gift and what a great privilege? What of the power of God within us on which peace and happiness in this life and eternal life in the next depend? Probably most of us rarely think of it, which is a fatal mistake. Thus, our Lord’s ascension is important to us, because it confirms his claim to be God’s own Son; it completes the cycle of incarnation-redemption-glorification; it gives us hope that one day we too will be with them in heaven. But in the meantime he has not left us as orphans. Although he is not visibly with us, he dwells within us by the power of the Holy Spirit. That is what he meant when he said: “I am with you till end of time” (Mt 28:20). Yes, Jesus is still with us. – Vima Dasan SJ May 2008        READINGS OF THE WEEK          (Psalter Week 2) 5 Mon (W) Acts 19:1-8; Ps 68:2-3ab, 4-5acd, 6-7ab; Jn 16:29-33 6 Tue (W) Acts 20:17-27; Ps 68:10-11, 20-21; Jn 17:1-11a 7 Wed (W) Acts 20:28-38; Ps 68:29-30, 33-35a, 35bc-36ab; Jn 17:11b-19 8 Thu (W) Acts 22:30; 23:6-11; Ps 16:1-2a and 5, 7-8, 9-10, 11; Jn 17:20-26 9 Fri (W) Acts 25:13b-21; Ps 103:1-2, 11-12, 19-20ab; Jn 21:15-19 10 Sat (W) Acts 28:16-20, 30-31; Ps 11:4, 5 and 7; Jn 21:20-25