Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord.
Thursday 30 May 2019

John 6: 60-62

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend
you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit
gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.

Luke 24:50-53

50 When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed
them. 51 While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven. 52 Then they
worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy. 53 And they stayed continually at the
temple,praising God.

Acts 1:1-11

1 In my first book I told you, Theophilus, about everything Jesus began to do and teach 2 until
the day he was taken up to heaven after giving his chosen apostles further instructions through
the Holy Spirit. 3 During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles
from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked
to them about the Kingdom of God.
4 Once when he was eating with them, he commanded them, “Do not leave Jerusalem until the
Father sends you the gift he promised, as I told you before. 5 John baptized with[b] water, but in
just a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
6 So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord, has the time come for you
to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”
7 He replied, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not
for you to know. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will
be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in
Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
9 After saying this, he was taken up into a cloud while they were watching, and they could no
longer see him. 10 As they strained to see him rising into heaven, two white-robed men
suddenly stood among them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring
into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from
heaven in the same way you saw him go!”