Readings for Thursday, May 29 2014

Reading 1, Acts 1:1-11

¹ In my earlier work, Theophilus, I dealt with everything Jesus had done and taught from the beginning

² until the day he gave his instructions to the apostles he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven.

³ 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.

⁴ While 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:

⁵ John baptised with water but, not many days from now, you are going to be baptised with the Holy Spirit.'

⁶ Now having met together, they asked him, 'Lord, has the time come for you to restore the kingdom to Israel?'

⁷ He replied, 'It is not for you to know times or dates that the Father has decided by his own authority,

⁸ but you will receive the power of the Holy Spirit which will come on you, and then you will be my witnesses not only in Jerusalem but throughout Judaea and Samaria, and indeed to earth's remotest end.'

⁹ As he said this he was lifted up while they looked on, and a cloud took him from their sight.

¹⁰ They were still staring into the sky as he went, when suddenly two men in white were standing beside them,

¹¹ and they said, 'Why are you Galileans standing here looking into the sky? ThisJesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come back in the same way as you have seen him go to heaven.'

Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

² For Yahweh, the Most High, is glorious, the great king over all the earth.

³ He brings peoples under our yoke and nations under our feet.

⁶ Let the music sound for our God, let it sound, let the music sound for our king, let it sound.

⁷ For he is king of the whole world; learn the music, let it sound for God!

⁸ God reigns over the nations, seated on his holy throne.

⁹ The leaders of the nations rally to the people of the God of Abraham. The shields of the earth belong to God, who is exalted on high.

Gospel, Matthew 28:16-20

¹⁶ Meanwhile the eleven disciples set out for Galilee, to the mountain whereJesus had arranged to meet them.

¹⁷ When they saw him they fell down before him, though some hesitated.

¹⁸ Jesus came up and spoke to them. He said, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

¹⁹ Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

²⁰ and teach them to observe all the commands I gave you. And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time.'

Reading 2, Ephesians 1:17-23

¹⁷ May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a spirit ofwisdom and perception of what is revealed, to bring you to full knowledge of him.

¹⁸ May he enlighten the eyes of your mind so that you can see what hope his call holds for you, how rich is the glory of the heritage he offers among his holy people,

¹⁹ and how extraordinarily great is the power that he has exercised for us believers; this accords with the strength of his power

²⁰ at work in Christ, the power which he exercised in raising him from the dead and enthroning him at his right hand, in heaven,

²¹ far above every principality, ruling force, power or sovereignty, or any other name that can be named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.

²² He has put all things under his feet, and made him, as he is above all things, the head of the Church;

²³ which is his Body, the fullness of him who is filled, all in all.

REFLECTION
SOURCE: One Bread One Body
THEME: PREPARE THE WAY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (see Lk 3:4)

"A leading man of the synagogue, Crispus, along with his whole household, put his faith in the Lord." –Acts 18:8

Tomorrow begins the Pentecost Novena, nine days of intense prayer in preparation to receive the Holy Spirit in fullness at Pentecost. Today is the traditional feast of the Ascension of Jesus, Who left this earth in body and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven. Jesus commended His followers to the Holy Spirit, for "within a short time" (Jn 16:16) they would be baptized in the Holy Spirit. The apostles were initially stunned and even grieved when Jesus ascended into heaven and left this earth. Yet they devoted themselves to intense prayer. "Within a short time," they received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

The Spirit made all the difference. Many thousands were converted, including the most unlikely synagogue leaders such as Crispus (Acts 18:8), and persecutors like Saul of Tarsus, etc. Who in your mind is the most unlikely to change and convert? "For God all things are possible" (Mt 19:26). Pray the Pentecost Novena and "receive the Holy Spirit" (Jn 20:22).

PRAYER: Father, give me the commitment of the apostles as they prepared for the initial Pentecost novena.

PROMISE: "The Lord has made His salvation known: in the sight of the nations He has revealed His justice." –Ps 98:2

PRAISE: "Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done wondrous deeds; His right hand has won victory for Him, His holy arm" (Ps 98:1).

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