Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord (B)

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Acts 1.1-11

The first book I wrote, Theophilus,
concerned all that Jesus
began both to do and to teach,
until the day in which
he was received up,
after he had given commandment
through the Holy Spirit
to the Apostles whom he had chosen.

To these he also showed himself alive
after he suffered,
by many proofs,
appearing to them over a period of forty days,
and speaking about the Kingdom of God.
Being assembled together with them,
he commanded them,
“Do not depart from Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father,
which you heard from me.
For John indeed baptized in water,
but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit
not many days from now.”

Therefore when they had come together,
they asked him,
“Lord, are you now restoring
the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them,
“It is not for you to know
times or seasons which the Father
has set within his own authority.
But you will receive power
when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.
You will be witnesses to me
in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria,
and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”

When he had said these things,
as they were looking, he was taken up,
and a cloud received him out of their sight.
While they were looking steadfastly
into the sky as he went,
behold, two men stood by them in white clothing,
who said, “You men of Galilee,
why do you stand looking into heaven?
This Jesus, who was received up from you into heaven
will come back in the same way
as you saw him going into heaven.”

Responsorial – Psalm 47.2-3, 6-7, 8-9 Resp. 6

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. or R. Alleluia!

O clap your hands, all you nations.
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
For the Lord Most High is awesome.
He is a great King over all the earth.

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. or R. Alleluia!

God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
Sing praise to God, sing praises.
Sing praises to our King, sing praises.

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. or R. Alleluia!

For God is the King of all the earth.
Sing praises with understanding.
God reigns over the nations.
God sits on his holy throne.

R. God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. or R. Alleluia!

Reading 2 – Ephesians 1.17-23

Brothers and sisters:
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ,
the Father of glory,
give to you a spirit
of wisdom and revelation
in the knowledge of him;
having the eyes of your hearts
enlightened that you may know
what is the hope of his calling,
and what are the riches of the glory
of his inheritance in the saints,
and what is the exceeding greatness
of his power toward us who believe,
according to that working
of the strength of his might
which he worked 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 every name that is named,
not only in this age,
but also in that which is to come.
He put all things in subjection under his feet,
and gave him to be head over all things
for the Church, which is his body,
the fullness of him who fills all in all.

OR Ephesians 4.1-13

Brothers and sisters,
I, the prisoner in the Lord,
beg you to walk in a manner
worthy of the calling
with which you were called,
with all lowliness and humility, with patience,
bearing with one another in love;
being eager to keep
the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

There is one body, and one Spirit,
even as you also were called
in 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 us all.

But to each one of us was the grace given
according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high,
he led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
Now this, “He ascended”,
what is it but that he also first descended
into the lower parts of the earth?
He who descended is the one
who also ascended far above all the heavens,
that he might fill all things.

He gave some to be apostles;
and some, prophets; and some, evangelists;
and some, pastors and teachers;
for the perfecting of the saints,
to the work of serving,
to the building up of the body of Christ;
until we all attain to the unity of the faith,
and of the knowledge of the Son of God,
to a full-grown man,
to the measure of the stature
of the fullness of Christ.

Gospel – Mark 16.15-20

Jesus said to his disciples:
“Go into all the world,
and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.
The one who believes and is baptized
will be saved;
but the one who disbelieves
will be condemned.

These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will cast out demons;
they will speak with new languages;
they will take up serpents;
and if they drink any deadly thing,
it will in no way hurt them;
they will lay hands on the sick,
and they will recover.”

So then the Lord Jesus,
after he had spoken to them,
was received up into heaven,
and sat down at the right hand of God.
They went out, and preached everywhere,
the Lord working with them,
and confirming the word by the signs that followed.

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