From: Lk 24:46-53
Jesus’ Last Instructions And Leave-Taking
[46] And (Jesus) said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer
and on the third day rise from the dead, [47] and that repentance and forgiveness
of sins should be preached in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem.
[48] You are witness of these things. [49] And behold, I send the promise of my
Father upon you; but say in the city, until you are clothed with power from on
high.”
The Ascension of Our Lord
[50] Then he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands be blessed
them. [51] While he blessed them, he parted from them, and was carried up into
heaven. [52] And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
[53] and were continually in the temple blessing God.
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Commentary:
44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in
Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as
proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.; St Luke does not usually
argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epi-
logue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ’s statement to the effect that
everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of
Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah.
44-49. St. Matthew stresses that the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in
Christ, because his immediate audience was Jews, who would accept this as
proof that Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.; St Luke does not usually
argue along these lines because he is writing for Gentiles; however, in this epi-
logue he does report, in a summarized way, Christ’s statement to the effect that
everything foretold about him had come true. By doing so he shows the unity of
Old and New Testaments and that Jesus is truly the Messiah.
St. Luke also refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit (cf. Jn 14:16-17, 26; 15:26;
16:7ff), whose fulfilment on the day of Pentecost he will narrate in detail in the
Book of Acts (cf. Acts 2:1-4).
46.From St. Luke’s account we have seen how slow the apostles were to grasp
Jesus’ prophecy of his death and resurrection (cf. 9:45; 18:34). Now that the pro-
phecy is fulfilled Jesus reminds them that it was necessary for the Christ to suf-
fer and to rise from the dead (cf. Acts 2:1-4).
The Cross is a mystery, in our own life as well as in Christ’s “Jesus suffers to car-
ry out the will of the Father. And you, who also want to carry out the most holy
will of God, following the steps of the Master, can you complain if you meet suffe-
ring on the way? (St. J. Escriva, The Way, 213) 49.
“I send the promise of my Father upon you,” that is, the Holy Spirit who, some
days later, at Pentecost, would come down upon them in the cenacle (cf. Acts
2:1-4) as the Father’s gift to them (cf. Lk 11:13).
50-53 St. Luke, who will report our Lord’s ascension in the Acts of the Apostles,
here gives a summary account of this mystery which marks the end of Jesus’s
visible presence on earth. St Thomas Aquinas explains that it was inappropriate
for Christ to remain on earth after the Resurrection, whereas it was appropriate
that he should ascend into heaven, because, although his risen body was alrea-
dy a glorified one, it now receives an increase in glory due to the dignity of the
place to which it ascends (cf. Summa theologiae, 3, q. 57 a. 1).
“Our Lord’s Ascension also reminds us of another fact. The same Christ, who en-
courages us to carry out our task in the world, awaits us in heaven. In other words,
our life on earth, which we love, is not definitive. ‘Here we have no lasting city, but
we seek the city which is to come’ (Heb 13:14), a changeless home, where we
may live forever. […] Christ awaits us. We are ‘citizens of heaven’ (Phil 3:20), and
at the same time fully-fledged citizens of this earth, in the midst of difficulties, in-
justices and lack of understanding, but also in the midst of the joy and serenity
that comes from knowing that we are children of God” (St. J. Escriva, Christ is
Passing By, 126).
We have come to the end of St. Luke’s narrative. Words cannot express the
gratitude and love we feel when we reflect on Christ’s life among us. Let us offer
God our desire to be ever more faithful children and disciples of his, as we savor
this summary of Christ’s life given us by the Magisterium: “We believe in our Lord
Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. He is the eternal Word born of the Father
before time began […]. He dwelt among us full of grace and truth. He announced
and established the Kingdom of God, enabling us to know the Father. He gave us
the commandment that we should love one another as he loved us. He taught us
the way of the Gospel Beatitudes, according to which we were to be poor in spirit
and humble, bearing suffering in patience, thirsting after justice, merciful, clean of
heart, peaceful, enduring persecution for justice’s sake. He suffered under Pontius
Pilate, the Lamb of God taking to himself the sins of the world, and he died for us,
nailed to the Cross, saving us by this redeeming blood. After he had been buried
he rose from the dead of his own power, lifting us by his Resurrection to that sha-
ring in the divine life which is grace. He ascended into heaven whence he will
come again to judge the living and the dead, each according to his merits. Those
who have responded to the love and compassion of God will go into eternal life.
Those who have refused them to the end will be consigned to the fire that is never
extinguished. And of his kingdom there will be no end” (Paul VI, Creed of the Peo-
ple of God, 11f).
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Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.
Scripture readings from the Jerusalem Bible by Darton, Longman & Todd
Readings at Mass
Liturgical Colour: White.
These readings are for the Vigil Mass on the evening before the feast:
| First reading |
Acts 1:1-11 © |
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9 © |
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
| Second reading |
| Ephesians 1:17-23 © |
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
| Gospel Acclamation |
Mt28:19,20 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of all the nations.
I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
| Gospel |
| Matthew 28:16-20 © |
| Go and make disciples of all nations |
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’
These readings are for the day of the feast itself:
| First reading |
Acts 1:1-11 © |
In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. He had shown himself alive to them after his Passion by many demonstrations: for forty days he had continued to appear to them and tell them about the kingdom of God. When he had been at table with them, he had told them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for what the Father had promised. ‘It is’ he had said ‘what you have heard me speak about: John baptised with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’
Now having met together, they asked him, ‘Lord, has the time come? Are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel?’ He replied, ‘It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority, but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to the ends of the earth.’
As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight. They were still staring into the sky when suddenly two men in white were standing near them and they said, ‘Why are you men from Galilee standing here looking into the sky? Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven, this same Jesus will come back in the same way as you have seen him go there.’
| Responsorial Psalm |
| Psalm 46(47):2-3,6-9 © |
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
All peoples, clap your hands,
cry to God with shouts of joy!
For the Lord, the Most High, we must fear,
great king over all the earth.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
God goes up with shouts of joy;
the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
Sing praise for God, sing praise,
sing praise to our king, sing praise.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
God is king of all the earth,
sing praise with all your skill.
God is king over the nations;
God reigns on his holy throne.
God goes up with shouts of joy; the Lord goes up with trumpet blast.
or
Alleluia!
| Second reading |
| Ephesians 1:17-23 © |
May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit of wisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him. May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, what rich glories he has promised the saints will inherit and how infinitely great is the power that he has exercised for us believers. This you can tell from the strength of his power at work in Christ, when he used it to raise him from the dead and to make him sit at his right hand, in heaven, far above every Sovereignty, Authority, Power, or Domination, or any other name that can be named not only in this age but also in the age to come. He has put all things under his feet and made him, as the ruler of everything, the head of the Church; which is his body, the fullness of him who fills the whole creation.
| Gospel Acclamation |
Mt28:19,20 |
Alleluia, alleluia!
Go, make disciples of all the nations.
I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.
Alleluia!
| Gospel |
| Matthew 28:16-20 © |
| Go and make disciples of all nations |
The eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had arranged to meet them. When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated. Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go, therefore, make disciples of all the nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And know that I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.’