Solemnity of the ASCENSION of the Lord
A. Absent, Yet Present
B. I Go;
Now I Send You Readings: Acts 1:1-11; Ps 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9
Eph 1:17-23; Mt 28:16-20
Greeting
Be my witnesses to the ends of the earth, says the Lord. Know
that I am with you always, till the end of time. May
the Lord Jesus be always with you R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the
Celebrant
A. Absent, Yet Present
Today we celebrate the
Solemnity of the Ascension: the Lord Jesus returns to the glory of the Father.
There is an apparent contradiction in this leaving of Jesus: while
leaving, he assures us that he is staying with us. These are his last words in
Matthew's gospel, just as Matthew had assured us in his first chapter that
Jesus is our God-with-us. Jesus' going to heaven is really no farewell: He was
God-with-us in his life on earth, close to people, especially the poor and the
weak. He is now with us, but in another way, through his Spirit, in the Church,
for we are his body, in the signs of bread and wine, wherever people meet in
his name, as we are doing at this moment, in the poor and the weak of our day
too. Our prayer today is: Stay with us, Lord.
B. I Go; Now I Send
You
This day of the Lord's
Ascension is for us a feast of joy for we celebrate the Lord Jesus in his
glory. He had to leave this earth so as not to be any longer the privileged
companion of just a small group of apostles and disciples. Once he was
glorified in heaven, he would belong to everyone willing to accept him as their
Lord. From now on we, his people, have to be his shape and face, his heartbeat,
his helping hand, his smile, his strength that often looks powerless. Don't be
afraid: He has promised to be with us until the end of time, as he is here with
us now in this eucharist.
Penitential Act
Jesus has given us a task
to do. Let us ask forgiveness that
we have not measured up to his expectations
and not relied on his presence. (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, you lived
among people and have gone away to the Father's glory. You
will return, for your love is without end:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Jesus Christ, you still
live among us through your Spirit of strength and love, for
your love is without end: Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus, we do not see
you, but you have given us people and a mission of truth and goodness, for your
love is without end: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, forgive
us our sadness and our sins. Help us to seek the will of the Father and
lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that
the Spirit of the risen Lord may guide us (PAUSE)
God our Father, our
risen Lord Jesus Christ lives now in your presence. When we keep looking for
him in the clouds, make us turn to the task he has given us to do here on earth
and learn to recognize his face in our brothers and sisters. And when we are
too attached to this earth, remind us that in your own good time you
will complete Jesus' works in us and take us to your joy and glory for ever and
ever. R/ Amen.
Liturgy of the Word
First Reading Introduction: Why Are You Looking into the Sky? At his
ascension, Jesus entrusts his work to the apostles. The Holy Spirit will give
them the strength to bear witness to Christ the Lord to the whole world. Second
Reading Introduction: Christ Went Ahead of Us to Heaven Christ saved us
once and for all and he leads us into the sanctuary of heaven. This is our firm
hope.
Gospel Introduction:
Jesus Leaves Us A Mission
Jesus is gone physically,
but he has left us a task: to bring his message of Good News to all. He stays
with us in this mission.
General Intercessions
Jesus our Risen Lord, lives for ever to pray for us and with us to the Father.
Through him, let us pray then for the needs of the Church and of the world. Let
us say: R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
- For the leaders and
members of the Church, that they may accept and carry out their mission to live
the Good News and to proclaim it to all peoples and cultures, let us
pray: R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
- For people who stare to
heaven and hope in God's help, that their prayers may be heard: but that they
also look to people and commit themselves to them in goodness and compassion,
let us pray: R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
- For those engaged in social
action, that they may work untiringly to bring genuine justice even to the
least in a spirit of reconciliation and love, let us pray: R/ Lord,
your kingdom come.
- For the dying, that
they may join Jesus our Lord into the home of the Father and share in his
glory, Let us pray: R/ Lord, your kingdom come.
- For our Christian communities, that Christ
may be alive among us and give us his Spirit to build up and confirm one
another in hope and a spirit of service, let us pray: R/ Lord, your
kingdom come.
God of hope and life, you
have not abandoned your Son in death but given him life and glory. In you we
trust through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
God our Father, here in
these signs of bread and wine your Son Jesus keeps his promise to be
with us always, even to the end of time.
May he live and grow in us, and
animate us by the power of the Holy Spirit
to be his body to the world and to
make disciples of all nations. Let Jesus bring our prayer before you and
hear us, for he lives with you for ever. R/ Amen.
Introduction to the
Eucharistic Prayer
Let us with joy give
thanks to the Father that Jesus, though raised up to heaven, is still with us
through his Holy Spirit here in this Eucharist, in the Church, and in the
people around us.
Invitation to the
Lord's Prayer
The Lord Jesus is now
living in the glory of the Father in heaven; there
he pleads for us. Through him, and in his words, we
pray to God. R/ Our Father...
Deliver Us
Deliver us, Lord, from
every evil and give us always the peace and joy of
your presence among us. Keep us free from doubt and discouragement and
let your Son walk by our side that, together with him, we may
build up among us his new world of friendship and hope, and so
prepare the coming in glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ . R/ For
the kingdom...
Invitation to
Communion
This is the Lord who
said: Know that I am with you always until
the end of time. This is his risen and glorious body. Happy
are we that he is our bread on our journey to the Father. R/
Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God, we
thank you for trusting us so much that you have entrusted to us the
very mission of your Son, to be his presence to the world. May we
reign with him by learning from him to serve, May
people see that Christ is alive because we are his body to the world. We ask
you this through Christ our Lord . R/ Amen.
Blessing
The Lord Jesus tells us, as he
told the apostles: "Be my witnesses to the whole
world." Let us not just stare at heaven but be
his message of hope to people on earth by the way we live his gospel. And
let us ask for God's blessing. May we bring the Lord's message to our
time and to our people. R/ Amen. May he
go about doing good through us and may we make him visible today. R/ Amen.
May he stay with us through
his Spirit now and till the end of time. R/ Amen.
And may almighty God
bless you all, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
R/ Amen.
Go in peace to love and
serve the Lord in the people around you. R/ Thanks be to God.
