Jesus reassures His followers of His constant presence as they navigate life.

Until you have tried a real with Jesus Christ and asking him to come into your heart !

I will give them a heart to know me,That I am the Lord.

 

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊    

Acts 1:1-11

In the first part of

My work, Theophilus, I wrote of all that Jesus did and taught, from the beginning until the day when he ascended to heaven.

But first he had instructed, through the Holy Spirit, the apostles he had chosen.

After his passion, he presented himself to them, giving many signs that he was alive;

over a period of forty days he appeared to them and taught them concerning the kingdom of God.

Once, when he had been eating with them, he told them,

"Do not leave Jerusalem but wait for the fulfillment of the Father's promise about which I have spoken to you:

John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit within a few days."

 

When they had come together, they asked him, "Is it now that you will restore the kingdom of Israel?"

And he answered, "It is not for you to know the time and the steps that the Father has fixed 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, even to the ends of the earth."

 

After Jesus said this, he was taken up before their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight.

While they were still looking up to heaven, where he went, suddenly,

two men dressed in white stood beside them and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking up at the sky?

This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will return in the same way as you have seen him go there."

 

Ps 47:2-3, 6-7,8-9

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

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Ephesians 1:17-23

May the God of Christ Jesus our Lord, the Father of glory, reveal himself to you, and give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation,

that you may know him. May he enlighten your inner vision, that you may appreciate the things we hope for, since we were called by God.

May you know how great is the inheritance, the glory, God sets apart for his saints; may you understand,

with what extraordinary power, he acts in favor of us who believe.

 

He revealed his almighty power in Christ when he raised him from the dead,

and had him sit at his right hand in heaven, far above all rule, power, authority, dominion,

or any other supernatural force that could be named, not only in this world, but in the world to come as well.

Thus has God put all things under the feet of Christ and set him above all things, as head of the church,

which is his body, the fullness of him, who fills all in all.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

 

Matthew 28:16-20

As for the eleven disciples, they went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.

When they saw Jesus, they bowed before him, although some doubted."

"All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations. Baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son

and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.

I am with you always, even to the end of the world."

 

Gospel Reflection ：

Lectio Divina

You will be my witnesses.

Read: Before ascending to heaven, the Lord Jesus told his disciples that,

with the coming of the Holy Spirit, they would be his witnesses to the ends of the earth.

In the second reading, Paul prays for the Ephesians that they may live out their faith in the Lord,

who now sits at the right hand of the Father. In the gospel,

Jesus gave a similar call to teach and make disciples of all nations.

 

Reflect: "You will be my witnesses." We are called to be the Lord's witnesses in our private and public lives:

Christian witnesses and teachers in our homes, workplaces, and community,

following the Lord's command wherever we go. We don't need to become priests or religious brothers and sisters.

You and I can witness to the Lord through our love when others need us, our patience when they annoy us,

our forgiveness when we are wronged, our honesty amid corruption, and our perseverance when we want to give up.

Our lives express much more eloquently than our words when it comes to witnessing and teaching.

Witnessing for Jesus and teaching others about Him means sharing our faith and love with them.

It involves giving them the one treasure we possess: the Lord.

 

Pray: Let me be your faithful witness, Lord so that others may see you in me.

 

Act: Share your time, talent, or resources with someone in need today.