Daily Readings - Sun Jun 01 2025
Acts
1In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach2until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit."6So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?"7He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.8But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."9After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.10They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them.11"Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."
First Reading - Ephesians 1.17-23 or Hebrews 9.24-28; 10.19-23
Ephesians
17I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.18I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,19and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength,20which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms,21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.22And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,23which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.
Hebrews
24For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence.25Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.26Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.27Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,28so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
19Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus,20by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,21and since we have a great priest over the house of God,22let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.23Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.
Luke
46He told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day,47and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.48You are witnesses of these things.49I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high."50When he had led them out to the vicinity of Bethany, he lifted up his hands and blessed them.51While he was blessing them, he left them and was taken up into heaven.52Then they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy.53And they stayed continually at the temple, praising 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.