Daily Readings - Sun Jun 01 2025
Acts
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 Hebrews 9.24-28; 10.19-23
Ephesians
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.
Hebrews
24For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf.25Nor was it to offer himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own,26for then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.27And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,28so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus,20by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh,21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,22let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.23Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Luke
46and said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead,47and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.48You are witnesses of these things.49And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high."50Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them.51While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven.52And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,53and were continually in the temple blessing God.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the mystery of Christ’s ascension and its profound implications for our lives as followers of Jesus. 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 be directed toward the mission that lies before them. 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 Church, empowered by the Holy Spirit.
The second reading from Ephesians helps us understand the spiritual significance of this event. Paul prays that we may have the “eyes of our hearts” enlightened to know the hope of God’s calling and the immense power that has been given to us through Christ. This power is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead and seated him at the right hand of the Father. It is a power that is not just for Jesus but for us as well, as we are united to him in his body, the Church. This passage reminds us that our lives are caught up in the grand drama of God’s plan, and we are called to live in the light of this truth.
The Gospel from Luke brings us back to the moment of Jesus’ departure. Before ascending, Jesus reminds the disciples that they are witnesses of his resurrection and that they are to preach repentance and forgiveness in his name to all nations. He then blesses them and is taken up into heaven, leaving them with a sense of joy and wonder. The disciples, filled with joy, return to Jerusalem and spend their days in the temple praising God. This is the pattern of Christian life: we are called to be witnesses of Christ’s love and redemption, and we are to live with hearts full of joy and gratitude, even as we await his return.
These readings remind us that our faith is not just about looking back to what Christ has done but also about living in the present with hope and purpose. Like the disciples, we are called to be witnesses of Christ’s resurrection and to share the Good News with the world. The ascension of Jesus is not an end but a beginning—the beginning of the Church’s mission, empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us ask for the grace to live as witnesses of Christ’s love, to trust in God’s plan, and to always remember that we are part of something much bigger than ourselves. May our hearts be filled with the same joy and hope that filled the disciples as they returned to Jerusalem, ready to share the message of salvation with the world.