Daily Readings - Sun May 13 2018

¹In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,²until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.³To them he presented himself alive after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.⁴And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me;⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"⁷He said to them, "It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."⁹And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.¹⁰And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes,¹¹and said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven."

First Reading - Ephesians 1.17-23 or Ephesians 4.1-7, 11-13

Ephesians

Chapter 1

¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might²⁰that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places,²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.²²And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Ephesians

Chapter 4

¹I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,²with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,³eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.⁴There is one body and one Spirit--just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call--⁵one Lord, one faith, one baptism,⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.⁷But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.¹¹And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,¹²to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,¹³until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

Mark

Chapter 16

¹⁵And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.¹⁶Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.¹⁷And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;¹⁸they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."¹⁹So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.²⁰And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the profound mystery of Christ’s ascension and the mission that follows. In the first reading from Acts, we witness the moment when Jesus, after appearing to his disciples for forty days, is taken up into heaven. The disciples are left standing there, gazing upward, until two angels remind them that their attention should not remain fixed on the heavens but should instead focus on the task ahead: spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. This moment marks the end of Jesus’ physical presence among them, but it is also the beginning of a new era—the era of the Holy Spirit, who would empower them to fulfill their mission. The second reading from Ephesians deepens our understanding of this mission. Paul prays that the Ephesians may have the “eyes of their hearts” enlightened to know the hope to which they are called and the immense power that is theirs through Christ. This power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at the right hand of the Father, far above all other powers and authorities. The reading reminds us that our hope is rooted in Christ’s triumph and that we are called to live in the light of this victory, even as we await his final return. In the Gospel, Mark gives us Jesus’ final command to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.” This is the Great Commission, a call to share the good news of salvation with all people. The signs that accompany believers—such as healing, casting out demons, and speaking new languages—are not ends in themselves but means of confirming the truth of the Gospel. The reading ends with the assurance that the Lord Jesus, now seated at the right hand of God, continues to work through his disciples, empowering them to fulfill their mission. These readings challenge us to live with our eyes fixed on the horizon of God’s plan, trusting in the power of the Holy Spirit to guide and strengthen us. Just as the disciples were called to move beyond their grief and awe at the Ascension, we too are called to move beyond our fears and doubts, embracing the mission to which we have been called. Let us ask for the grace to be faithful witnesses, sharing the love and hope of Christ with a world that so desperately needs it. May we remember that we are not alone in this task, for the Lord is always with us, confirming his word through the signs of his presence and power.