May 24, 2009, Ascension of the Lord

First Reading

Acts 1:1-11

 

In the first book, Theophilus,

I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught

until the day he was taken up,

after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit

to the apostles whom he had chosen.

He presented himself alive to them

by many proofs after he had suffered,

appearing to them during forty days

and speaking about the kingdom of God.

While meeting with the them,

he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,

but to wait for "the promise of the Father

about which you have heard me speak;

for John baptized with water,

but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."

 

When they had gathered together they asked him,

"Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"

He answered them, "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 looking on,

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 dressed in white garments stood beside them.

They 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 going into heaven."

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 47:2-3, 6-9

 

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Alleluia.

 

All you peoples, clap your hands,

shout to God with cries of gladness,

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,

is the great king over all the earth.

 

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Alleluia.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;

the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praise to God, sing praise;

sing praise to our king, sing praise.

 

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Alleluia.

 

For king of all the earth is God;

sing hymns of praise.

God reigns over the nations,

God sits upon his holy throne.

 

R. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord. Alleluia.

 

Second Reading

Ephesians 1:17-23

 

Brothers and sisters:

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory,

give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation

resulting in knowledge of him.

May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened,

that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call,

what are the riches of glory

in his inheritance among the holy ones,

and what is the surpassing greatness of his power

for us who believe,

in accord with the exercise of his great might,

which he worked in Christ,

raising him from the dead

and seating him at his right hand in the heavens,

far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion,

and every name that is named

not only in this age but also in the one to come.

And he put all things beneath his feet

and gave him as head over all things to the church,

which is his body,

the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way.

 

Gospel

Mark 16:15-20

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

"Go into the whole world

and proclaim the gospel to every creature.

Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;

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 with their hands,

and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.

They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

 

So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,

was taken up into heaven

and took his seat at the right hand of God.

But they went forth and preached everywhere,

while the Lord worked with them

and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.

May 10, 2009 - Fifth Sunday of Easter

First Reading

Acts 9:26-31

 

When Saul arrived in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples,

but they were all afraid of him,

not believing that he was a disciple.

Then Barnabas took charge of him and brought him to the apostles,

and he reported to them how he had seen the Lord,

and that he had spoken to him,

and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

He moved about freely with them in Jerusalem,

and spoke out boldly in the name of the Lord.

He also spoke and debated with the Hellenists,

but they tried to kill him.

And when the brothers learned of this,

they took him down to Caesarea

and sent him on his way to Tarsus.

 

The church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria was at peace.

It was being built up and walked in the fear of the Lord,

and with the consolation of the Holy Spirit it grew in numbers

 

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 22:26-28, 30-32

 

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. Alleluia.

 

I will fulfill my vows before those who fear the LORD.

The lowly shall eat their fill;

they who seek the LORD shall praise him:

"May your hearts live forever!"

 

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. Alleluia.

 

All the ends of the earth

shall remember and turn to the LORD;

all the families of the nations

shall bow down before him.

 

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. Alleluia.

To him alone shall bow down

all who sleep in the earth;

before him shall bend

all who go down into the dust.

 

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. Alleluia.

And to him my soul shall live;

my descendants shall serve him.

Let the coming generation be told of the LORD

that they may proclaim to a people yet to be born

the justice he has shown.

 

R. I will praise you, Lord, in the assembly of your people. Alleluia.

 

As soon as I lie down, I fall peacefully asleep,

for you alone, O LORD,

bring security to my dwelling.

 

R. Lord, let your face shine on us. Alleluia.

 

Second Reading

1 John 3:18-24

 

Children, let us love not in word or speech

but in deed and truth.

Now this is how we shall know that we belong to the truth

and reassure our hearts before him

in whatever our hearts condemn,

for God is greater than our hearts and knows everything.

Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us,

we have confidence in God

and receive from him whatever we ask,

because we keep his commandments and do what pleases him.

And his commandment is this:

we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ,

and love one another just as he commanded us.

Those who keep his commandments remain in him, and he in them,

and the way we know that he remains in us

is from the Spirit he gave us.

 

Gospel

John 15:1-8

 

Jesus said to his disciples:

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine grower.

He takes away every branch in me that does not bear fruit,

and every one that does he prunes so that it bears more fruit.

You are already pruned because of the word that I spoke to you.

Remain in me, as I remain in you.

Just as a branch cannot bear fruit on its own

unless it remains on the vine,

so neither can you unless you remain in me.

I am the vine, you are the branches.

Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit,

because without me you can do nothing.

Anyone who does not remain in me

will be thrown out like a branch and wither;

people will gather them and throw them into a fire

and they will be burned.

If you remain in me and my words remain in you,

ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you.

By this is my Father glorified,

that you bear much fruit and become my disciples."

 

Readings taken from: Lectionary for Mass, Vol. 1, Cycle A. National Conference of Catholic Bishop.