Greeting: The Risen Lord Jesus now lives in the glory of the Father. Through the Spirit of courage and love may he always be with you. R/ And also with you.
Introduction by the Celebrant
Glorious Yet Still with Us
When someone good and close to us has died, we feel that this person is still with us and keeps inspiring and guiding us. When at his Ascension Jesus left his disciples and passed to the glory of heaven, he became to his disciples more than a memory of a great person who had died. First, he is still alive as the risen Lord; second, he is gone but he stays with us by his Spirit of strength and wisdom and love and in this way he is our companion in life. He still speaks his word to us, he still gives himself to us as our food and drink, and he is alive in our communities. Listen to him present among us here and let him nourish us with his word and his body.
An End and a New Beginning
Jesus had gone ahead of us and shown us the way in his preaching and the way he lived: this is what should inspire us, this is how we should live, like Jesus. In his death he showed us the way of faithful love. He was the first to rise from the dead and our assurance that we too will rise. In his ascension he went ahead of us to live in the joy of the Father. In all these steps he is a living invitation: Come, follow me where I go. I am waiting for you after you have continued my work. In this Eucharist we say in the Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.”
Penitential Act
Too often the Lord has not been present in our words and actions. Let us ask him to forgive us. (pause)
-Lord Jesus, you live in the Father’s glory, a glory that is rightfully yours: All praise to you, Lord! Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
-Jesus Christ, our life and our glory, you will send us your Holy Spirit: All praise to you, Lord! Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
-Lord Jesus, you will return to fulfill all our hopes: All praise to you, Lord! Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Lord, be patient with us and grant us your forgiveness. Let your Spirit guide us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening Prayer
Let us pray that the risen, glorious Lord may be always with us through his Spirit (pause)
Lord our God, your Son Jesus Christ lives in your glory to be nearer to us through his Holy Spirit and to be near to all people through us. Give us the Holy Spirit, that we may have the courage to help you save the world by serving it and by building up your kingdom of justice, truth and love, in the name of him whom we await, Jesus Christ, our risen Lord and our Savior forever. R/ Amen.
First Reading (Acts 1:1-11): 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 (Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23): 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 (Lk 24:46-53): Go and Teach All Nations My Gospel
The apostles, and the whole Church with them, are sent to bring to the whole world the Good News of Christ, who died for us and rose from the dead.
Intercessions
Our Lord Jesus Christ lives now in the glory of the Father, but we know that he is aware of our needs and can sympathize with us, having shared our human condition. And so we pray to him: R/ Lord, send us your Spirit.
– Lord, through your Spirit of courage inspire the pope and our bishops and the whole People of God to go the way of renewal without fear and to have confidence in the future. And so we pray: R/ Lord, send us your Spirit.
– Lord, accompany and move us through your Holy Spirit to live your gospel as joyful news of love, justice and peace. And so we pray: R/ Lord, send us your Spirit.
– Lord, open us to your Spirit, make us one of heart and soul, that we may build community together and do for one another what you have done for us. And so we pray: R/ Lord, send us your Spirit.
– Lord, pour out your Spirit over the leaders of nations; make them people of vision, that their foremost concern may be people and that they may create an atmosphere of human dignity and freedom in which all can develop their potential. And so we pray: R/ Lord, send us your Spirit.
– Lord, give us your Spirit of compassion, that we may respect all life and lift up our brothers and sisters in need; be with us, Lord, that we may be with them and that their hope in life may be restored. And so we pray: R/ Lord, send us your Spirit.
Lord Jesus Christ, all power has been given to you in heaven and on earth. Live in us through your Spirit, that we may be your word and your presence to the world today, for you are our living Lord, now and forever. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God, in the signs of this bread and this wine your Son Jesus will be with us soon. May he give us his Spirit of strength, that we may not keep staring at heaven except to ask for your help to do your work. May we rather face the world and commit ourselves to the task of making it your world, by the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, your Son, and our Lord forever. 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 is through his Holy Spirit here in this Eucharist, in the Church, and in the people around us.
Introduction 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, our Father: R/ Our Father...
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, that people may 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 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 us.
R/ Thanks be to God.
***
Commentary
Feast of Hope
Read:
Both the First Reading and the Gospel speak of the event of ascension of the Lord. The Letter to the Hebrews speaks of the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ that gives us hope for a share in his glory.
Reflect:
Just as the Passover marked the liberation of Israel from slavery in Egypt, the Passion and Resurrection of Christ won for us liberation from the slavery to sin. However, the Israelites had to travel for 40 long years to finally enter the Promised Land. The Ascension of Christ happens 40 days after the Resurrection, showing us where we are headed to: redeemed from slavery to sin, we are now to walk the “forties” to enter the final promise—a definitive share in the Triune life of Glory, into which Christ, as the firstborn has ascended, as a promise and hope for us. The Spirit would soon descend, to accompany us in the journey of the forties all the way to where Christ is. So, “why keep looking up at the sky?” Let’s get busy living, get busy loving, preaching and practicing repentance and forgiveness for all.
Pray:
Pray for those who live without hope to find hope in God.
Act:
Help someone to ascend from hopelessness to a life of hope.
