Texts taken from the Missalette “On Your Word” May-June 2024

Ascension of the Lord (solemnity) (B)
proper

MASS OF THE DAY

FIRST READING

From the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:1-11)
In the first account, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up into heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. He showed himself to them alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, «the one, he said, that you have heard from me: John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit». So when they had come together, they asked him: «Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?». But he replied: «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 watching, 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 in white garments stood beside them and 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 go into heaven». – The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the First Reading

Jesus is the Lord, but he continues to remain the Teacher. Even now that he has risen, he eats with his disciples and instructs them about the kingdom of God, which is nothing other than Christ’s presence among his people. This presence will be what the apostles, with the gift of the Holy Spirit, will be sent to proclaim. From the very beginning, the Book of Acts emphasizes and recalls Christ’s effective presence in the life of the Church, which does not cease with his ascension into heaven but takes on new features. Without a doubt, the ascension marks a certain distancing of Jesus and yet inaugurates a new presence: if previously Jesus lived with his disciples, now he lives in them. Through the ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Jesus becomes even more intimate, and his disciples (the Church) truly become witnesses, becoming a “quasi-sacrament” of his presence here on earth. As the Catechism teaches us, «as a sacrament, the Church is Christ’s instrument. In his hands she is the instrument of the redemption of all, the universal sacrament of salvation».

SECOND READING

From the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Ephesians (Eph 4:1-13)
Brothers and sisters, I, a prisoner for the sake of the Lord, urge you to live in a manner worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with one another in love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. One body and one spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism. One God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says: «He ascended on high and took captives captive; he gave gifts to men». But what does “he ascended” mean except that he had first descended into the lower regions of the earth? The one who descended is the same one who also ascended far above all the heavens, so that he might fill all things. And he gave some to be apostles, others to be prophets, others to be evangelists, others to be pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature adulthood, to the measure of the full stature of Christ. – The Word of the Lord.

Commentary on the Second Reading

Paul is in chains for Jesus, although the true chains holding him are those of love. The Apostle lives bound to the Lord by the bond of love, and from this profound communion flows his exhortation, which has nothing moralistic about it. He reminds us of the beauty and greatness of the calling we have received and urges us to conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of it. The first necessary virtue is humility, characteristic of following Christ, which helps us overcome the temptation present at the beginning, namely pride, which always arises and drives people to want to be like God, but without God. Then comes gentleness, which leads us back to Jesus, meek and humble of heart. Third is patience. According to Scripture, God is patient; indeed, he never tires of granting us his forgiveness, knowing that we will fall again. Everything serves the purpose of unity, because when it is lost, the face of God is also disfigured. Having ascended into heaven, the Lord draws us to himself and lavishly distributes his gifts, which we need in order to reach mature adulthood.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Mark (Mk 16:15-20)
At that time, [Jesus appeared to the Eleven] and said to them: «Go into all the world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages, they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover». The Lord Jesus, after speaking with them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. Then they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the Word through the signs that accompanied it. – The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the Day

Jesus’ ascension into heaven is the second of the glorious mysteries that we contemplate in the prayer of the Rosary: it concerns the outcome of Jesus’ earthly life. From that moment he sits at the right hand of the Father, as we affirm in the profession of faith, and he is the Lord of heaven and earth, the Beginning and the End of history, the center of every person’s life. Ascending into heaven, the Word of God made man does not discard the humanity he assumed, as though it were merely a stage costume, but carries it with him into the bosom of the Father. Indeed, Jesus brings our humanity into heaven; that is why, instead of despairing because he will no longer appear as he did during the forty days after Easter, we celebrate. Jesus’ ascension concerns us closely because this mystery resounds for all of us as a great proclamation of hope: an eternal dwelling in heaven has been prepared for us by God. On this day we are given a promise of future immortality. Lifting our gaze to heaven does not cause us to escape our commitment here below; on the contrary, it keeps our feet firmly planted on the ground, but our hearts turned toward the Lord, certain that our life will never again be taken from us, but transformed.