Readings

Proper readings

First Reading
Acts 1:15–17, 20–26

The lot fell upon Matthias, and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Peter stood up in the midst of the brothers and sisters
   (there was a group of about one hundred and twenty persons in the one place).
He said, “My brothers and sisters,
   the Scripture had to be fulfilled
   which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand
   through the mouth of David,
   concerning Judas,
   who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus.
Judas was numbered among us
   and was allotted a share in this ministry.
For it is written in the Book of Psalms:

      Let his encampment become desolate,
         and may no one dwell in it.
and:
      May another take his office.

Therefore, it is necessary that one of the men
   who accompanied us the whole time
   the Lord Jesus came and went among us,
   beginning from the baptism of John
   until the day on which he was taken up from us,
   become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
So they proposed two, Joseph called Barsabbas,
   who was also known as Justus, and Matthias.
Then they prayed,
   “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all,
   show which one of these two you have chosen
   to take the place in this apostolic ministry
   from which Judas turned away to go to his own place.”
Then they gave lots to them, and the lot fell upon Matthias,
   and he was counted with the Eleven Apostles.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 113:1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8

R. :

℟. (8) The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Praise, you servants of the Lord,
   praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
   both now and forever.

℟. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

From the rising to the setting of the sun
   is the name of the Lord to be praised.
High above all nations is the Lord;
   above the heavens is his glory.

℟. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Who is like the Lord, our God, who is enthroned on high
   and looks upon the heavens and the earth below?

℟. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

He raises up the lowly from the dust;
   from the dunghill he lifts up the poor
To seat them with princes,
   with the princes of his own people.

℟. The Lord will give him a seat with the leaders of his people.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Acclamation before the Gospel
See Jn 15: 16

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

I chose you from the world,
to go and bear fruit that will last, says the Lord.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Jn 15:9–17

It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to John

Jesus said to his disciples:
“As the Father loves me, so I also love you.
Remain in my love.
If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love,
   just as I have kept my Father’s commandments
   and remain in his love.

“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you
   and your joy might be complete.
This is my commandment: love one another as I love you.
No one has greater love than this,
   to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
You are my friends if you do what I command you.
I no longer call you slaves,
   because a slave does not know what his master is doing.
I have called you friends,
   because I have told you everything I have heard from my Father.
It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you
   and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain,
   so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.
This I command you: love one another.”

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.

Weekday readings

First Reading
Acts 1:1-11

As the Apostles were looking on, Jesus was lifted up.

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

In the first book, Theophilus,
   I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught
   until the day he was taken up,
   after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit
   to the apostles whom he had chosen.
He presented himself alive to them
   by many proofs after he had suffered,
   appearing to them during forty days
   and speaking about the kingdom of God.
While meeting with the them,
   he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem,
   but to wait for “the promise of the Father
   about which you have heard me speak;
   for John baptized with water,
   but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

When they had gathered together they asked him,
   “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons
   that the Father has established by his own authority.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you,
   and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem,
   throughout Judea and Samaria,
   and to the ends of the earth.”
When he had said this, as they were looking on,
   he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight.
While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going,
   suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them.
They said, “Men of Galilee,
   why are you standing there looking at the sky?
This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven
   will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

The word of the Lord.

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

R. :

℟. (6) God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

All you peoples, clap your hands,
   shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
   is the great king over all the earth.

℟. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy;
   the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praise to God, sing praise;
   sing praise to our king, sing praise.

℟. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

For king of all the earth is God;
   sing hymns of praise.
God reigns over the nations,
   God sits upon his holy throne.

℟. God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.
  or:
℟. Alleluia.

Second Reading
Eph 1:17-23 or Heb 9:24-28; 10:19-23

God seated Jesus at his right hand in the heavens.

A reading from the Letter to the Hebrews

Christ did not enter into a sanctuary made by hands,
   a copy of the true one, but heaven itself,
   that he might now appear before God on our behalf.
Not that he might offer himself repeatedly,
   as the high priest enters each year into the sanctuary
   with blood that is not his own;
   if that were so, he would have had to suffer repeatedly
   from the foundation of the world.
But now once for all he has appeared at the end of the ages
   to take away sin by his sacrifice.
Just as it is appointed that human beings die once,
   and after this the judgment,
   so also Christ, offered once to take away the sins of many,
   will appear a second time, not to take away sin
   but to bring salvation to those who eagerly await him.

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since through the blood of Jesus
   we have confidence of entrance into the sanctuary
   by the new and living way he opened for us through the veil,
   that is, his flesh,
   and since we have “a great priest over the house of God,”
   let us approach with a sincere heart and in absolute trust,
   with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience
   and our bodies washed in pure water.
Let us hold unwaveringly to our confession that gives us hope,
   for he who made the promise is trustworthy.

The word of the Lord.

Acclamation before the Gospel
Mt 28:19a, 20b

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Go and teach all nations, says the Lord;
I am with you always, until the end of the world.

℟. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Lk 24:46-53

And he blessed them, and was taken up to heaven.

✠ A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke

Jesus said to his disciples:
   “Thus it is written that the Messiah would suffer
   and rise from the dead on the third day
   and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,
   would be preached in his name to all the nations,
   beginning from Jerusalem.
You are witnesses of these things.
And 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.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany,
   raised his hands, and blessed them.
As he blessed them he parted from them
   and was taken up to heaven.
They did him homage
   and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,
   and they were continually in the temple praising God.

At the end of the Gospel, the Deacon, or the Priest, acclaims:

The Gospel of the Lord.

All reply:

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Then he kisses the book, saying quietly:

Through the words of the Gospel
may our sins be wiped away.

The Creed is said.