GospelLuke 10:25-37There was a scholar of the law who stood up to test Jesus and said,"Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"Jesus said to him, "What is written in the law?How do you read it?"He said in reply,"You shall love the Lord, your God,with all your heart,with all your being,with all your strength,and with all your mind,and your neighbor as yourself."He replied to him, "You have answered correctly;do this and you will live."But because he wished to justify himself, he said to Jesus,"And who is my neighbor?"Jesus replied,"A man fell victim to robbersas he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.A priest happened to be going down that road,but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.Likewise a Levite came to the place,and when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side.But a Samaritan traveler who came upon himwas moved with compassion at the sight.He approached the victim,poured oil and wine over his wounds and bandaged them.Then he lifted him up on his own animal,took him to an inn, and cared for him.The next day he took out two silver coinsand gave them to the innkeeper with the instruction,'Take care of him.If you spend more than what I have given you,I shall repay you on my way back.'Which of these three, in your opinion,was neighbor to the robbers' victim?"He answered, "The one who treated him with mercy."Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise."

GospelLuke 10:1-12, 17-20 At that time the Lord appointed seventy-two otherswhom he sent ahead of him in pairsto every town and place he intended to visit.He said to them,"The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;so ask the master of the harvestto send out laborers for his harvest.Go on your way;behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;and greet no one along the way.Into whatever house you enter, first say,'Peace to this household.'If a peaceful person lives there,your peace will rest on him;but if not, it will return to you.Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,for the laborer deserves his payment.Do not move about from one house to another.Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,eat what is set before you,cure the sick in it and say to them,'The kingdom of God is at hand for you.'Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,go out into the streets and say,'The dust of your town that clings to our feet,even that we shake off against you.'Yet know this: the kingdom of God is at hand.I tell you,it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day than for that town."The seventy-two returned rejoicing, and said,"Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name."Jesus said, "I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.Behold, I have given you the power to 'tread upon serpents' and scorpionsand upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,but rejoice because your names are written in heaven."

GospelMatthew 16:13-19When Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippihe asked his disciples,“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”Simon Peter said in reply,“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.And so I say to you, you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church,and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

GospelLuke 9:11b-17Jesus spoke to the crowds about the kingdom of God,and he healed those who needed to be cured.As the day was drawing to a close,the Twelve approached him and said,"Dismiss the crowdso that they can go to the surrounding villages and farmsand find lodging and provisions;for we are in a deserted place here."He said to them, "Give them some food yourselves."They replied, "Five loaves and two fish are all we have,unless we ourselves go and buy food for all these people."Now the men there numbered about five thousand.Then he said to his disciples,"Have them sit down in groups of about fifty."They did so and made them all sit down.Then taking the five loaves and the two fish,and looking up to heaven,he said the blessing over them, broke them,and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd.They all ate and were satisfied.And when the leftover fragments were picked up,they filled twelve wicker baskets.

GospelJohn 16:12-15Jesus said to his disciples:"I have much more to tell you, but you cannot bear it now.But when he comes, the Spirit of truth,he will guide you to all truth.He will not speak on his own,but he will speak what he hears,and will declare to you the things that are coming.He will glorify me,because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.Everything that the Father has is mine;for this reason I told you that he will take from what is mineand declare it to you."

GospelJohn 20:19-23On the evening of that first day of the week,when the doors were locked, where the disciples were,for fear of the Jews,Jesus came and stood in their midstand said to them, "Peace be with you."When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side.The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord.Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you.As the Father has sent me, so I send you."And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them,"Receive the Holy Spirit.Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them,and whose sins you retain are retained."

GospelLuke 24:46-53Jesus said to his disciples:“Thus it is written that the Christ would sufferand rise from the dead on the third dayand that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins,would be preached in his nameto 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 cityuntil 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 themand was taken up to heaven.They did him homageand then returned to Jerusalem with great joy,and they were continually in the temple praising God.WALK OF FAITH 1. How is God calling me to move from contemplation to action in my faith journey?The disciples did not stayed gazing up to Jesus ascension, but returned to their lives with joy sharing the gospel. In what ways is the Holy Spirit prompting you to step out and witness in your daily life?2. What does Jesus' Ascension reveal about my ultimate destiny and purpose?Christ's ascension to heaven opens up the path for us to share with Him in His glory. How does this truth shape your understanding of your life's direction and goals?3. In a moment of silence, ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you in what areas of your life do you need to trust in the Holy Spirit's guidance more fully?Before ascending, Jesus promised the Holy Spirit to empower the disciples. Where are you being invited to surrender control and rely more deeply on the Holy Spirit's lead?Find this Sunday readings at: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060125-Ascension.cfm

GospelJohn 14:23-29Jesus said to his disciples:“Whoever loves me will keep my word,and my Father will love him,and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him.Whoever does not love me does not keep my words;yet the word you hear is not minebut that of the Father who sent me.“I have told you this while I am with you.The Advocate, the Holy Spirit,whom the Father will send in my name,will teach you everythingand remind you of all that I told you.Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.Not as the world gives do I give it to you.Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid.You heard me tell you,‘I am going away and I will come back to you.’If you loved me,you would rejoice that I am going to the Father;for the Father is greater than I.And now I have told you this before it happens,so that when it happens you may believe.”