1 st Reading: Acts 1:1-11 The Promise of the Holy Spirit 1 In   the   first   book,   Theophilus,   I   wrote   about all    that    Jesus    did    and    taught    from    the beginning 2 until   the   day   when   he   was   taken up     to     heaven,     after     giving     instructions through    the    Holy    Spirit    to    the    apostles whom   he   had   chosen. 3 After   his   suffering he   presented   himself   alive   to   them   by   many convincing   proofs,   appearing   to   them   over the   course   of   forty   days   and   speaking   about the   kingdom   of   God. 4 While   staying   with them,     he     ordered     them     not     to     leave Jerusalem,   but   to   wait   there   for   the   promise of   the   Father.   ‘This’,   he   said,   ‘is   what   you have    heard    from    me; 5 for    John    baptized with   water,   but   you   will   be   baptized   with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’ The Ascension of Jesus 6 So    when    they    had    come    together,    they asked   him,   ‘Lord,   is   this   the   time   when   you will    restore    the    kingdom    to    Israel?’ 7 He replied,   ‘It   is   not   for   you   to   know   the   times or   periods   that   the   Father   has   set   by   his   own authority. 8 But   you   will   receive   power   when the   Holy   Spirit   has   come   upon   you;   and   you will   be   my   witnesses   in   Jerusalem,   in   all Judea   and   Samaria,   and   to   the   ends   of   the earth.’ 9 When   he   had   said   this,   as   they   were watching,   he   was   lifted   up,   and   a   cloud   took him   out   of   their   sight. 10 While   he   was   going and   they   were   gazing   up   towards   heaven, suddenly   two   men   in   white   robes   stood   by them. 11 They   said,   ‘Men   of   Galilee,   why   do you   stand   looking   up   towards   heaven?   This Jesus,   who   has   been   taken   up   from   you   into heaven,   will   come   in   the   same   way   as   you saw him go into heaven.’ Gospel: Luke 24:44-53 44 Then    he    said    to    them,    ‘These    are    my words   that   I   spoke   to   you   while   I   was   still with   you—that   everything   written   about   me in   the   law   of   Moses,   the   prophets,   and   the psalms   must   be   fulfilled.’ 45 Then   he   opened their    minds    to    understand    the    scriptures, 46 and   he   said   to   them,   ‘Thus   it   is   written, that   the   Messiah   is   to   suffer   and   to   rise   from the    dead    on    the    third    day, 47 and    that repentance   and   forgiveness   of   sins   is   to   be proclaimed    in    his    name    to    all    nations, beginning     from     Jerusalem. 48 You     are witnesses   of   these   things. 49 And   see,   I   am sending      upon      you      what      my      Father promised;   so   stay   here   in   the   city   until   you have    been    clothed    with    power    from    on high.’ The Ascension of Jesus 50 Then   he   led   them   out   as   far   as   Bethany, and,   lifting   up   his   hands,   he   blessed   them. 51 While   he   was   blessing   them,   he   withdrew from   them   and   was   carried   up   into   heaven. 52 And   they   worshipped   him,   and   returned   to Jerusalem   with   great   joy; 53 and   they   were continually in the temple blessing God.