ACTS 1: 1 – 11

In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To them he presented himself alive after his passion by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days, and speaking of the kingdom of God. And while staying with them he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me, for John baptised with water, but before many days you shall be baptised with the Holy Spirit.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

The Word of the Lord.

 
RESPONSORIAL PSALM
Psalm 47: 2 – 3, 6 – 7, 8 – 9 (R.) 6

R/. God has gone 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, is awesome,
the great king over all the earth. R.

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! R.

God is king of all the earth.
Sing praise with all your skill.
God reigns over the nations.
God sits upon his holy throne. R.

 
SECOND READING
“The measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ”
EPHESIANS 4: 1 – 13

Brethren: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy for the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all the and through all and in all.  But grace was given to each of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.
Therefore, it is said, “When he ascended on high the led a  host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.” (In saying, “He ascended.” What does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth?  He who descended is he who also ascended for above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
And his gifts were that some should be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers, for the equipment of the saints, for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

The Word of the Lord

 
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Matthew 28: 19a, 20b

Alleluia.
Go and make disciples of all nations, says the Lord; I am with you always, to the close of the age.
Alleluia.

 
GOSPEL
“He was taken up to heaven and sat down at the right hand of God”
MARK 16: 15 – 20

At that time: (Jesus appearing to the Eleven) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation.  He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe:  in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.  And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the sign that attended it. Amen.

The Gospel of the Lord
GOSPEL REFLECTION: The End is the Beginning —or— Deepening Your Understanding

Jesus said to his disciples: “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:15–16)

We celebrate today one more step in the completion of the mission of the Son of God. Humanity had sinned at the beginning of time and fallen from Original Innocence. God immediately began to prepare the world for the gift of eternal redemption by establishing a covenant with Noah, Abraham and Moses. He raised up various prophets and kings to further prepare His people for what was to come. And then, when the time was right, God entered our world through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Jesus, the Son of God, eventually entered into His public ministry, teaching, performing miracles, gathering the faithful to Himself, dying, rising and then appearing to His disciples in preparation for the Ascension. The Ascension completes the mission of the Son of God. Today we honor that definitive moment when God the Son, in His transformed and resurrected Human nature, ascends by His own power to the Father, bringing with Himself our humanity so that all humanity may ascend with Him.

As we celebrate the Ascension of Jesus, we must first see all that led up to that moment and seek to unite ourselves with all of those preceding events. We must listen to the words of the patriarchs and prophets of the Old Testament. We must especially listen to the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament and embrace His words without hesitation. And we must unite ourselves with His own death, dying to sin, so that we may also share in His Resurrection. Today, we must further see the invitation we are all given to ascend with Jesus to the Father. We must understand that where Jesus has gone, we are invited to follow if we only believe, embrace and live all that took place leading up to this glorious moment.

The Ascension was the end of Jesus’ life on Earth but also the beginning of our sharing in the life of Heaven. As Jesus ascended, He commissioned His disciples to go forth and “preach the gospel to every creature.” They were to preach to all about the saving plan of God that began at the time of Adam and Eve and was completed with the Ascension.

Reflect, today, upon your calling to not only share in this glorious moment of Jesus’ Ascension but also your calling to go forth and to do all you can to draw others into this new life. Reflect upon Jesus, Who also speaks to you today to invite you to bring others to that mountain. By teaching friends, family and all with whom God has entrusted to you to share the Gospel, you fulfill Christ’s mission to “go into the whole world” to gather the scattered people into the one fold of Christ so as to ascend with Him one day into eternity.

PRAYER:
My ascended Lord, all things throughout history were but a preparation for the moment when You drew fallen humanity into Heaven to be with Your Father forever. Help me to always heed Your holy words, so that I, too, will share in Your Ascension. Use me, dear Lord, to also go forth and to draw many others to You so that the Kingdom will be filled with all those whom You have called. Jesus, I trust in You.

12 Chivabvu – May; Zuvaguruguru Kwazvo rokukwira kwaTenzi kudenga

Chiverengo chokutanga: Mabasa 1,1-11

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mubhuku
raMabasa Avapositori

Teofiro, mubhuku rangu rokutanga, ndakanyora
nezvose zvakatanga kuitwa nokudzidziswa naJesu
kusvikira pazuva raakakwidzwa kudenga. Ipapo,
maiva mushure mokunge ataurira, nokuna Mweya
Mutsvene, vapositori vaakanga asarudza, zvinofanira kuitwa. Mushure mokutambudzika kwake,
akazviratidza kwavari kuti mupenyu nezvinhu
zvakawanda zvinoita kuti munhu abvume kuti
ichokwadi sezvizvi zvinoti: kuzviratidza kwavari
kwamazuva makumi mana uye kutaura nezvo umambo hwaMwari.
Paakanga achinavo, akavati vasabve muJerusaremu asi kuti vamirire chitsidzo chaBaba chiya
chavakanzwa achiti, “Makandinzwa ndichiti,
Johani akaombeka nemvura, asi kusati kwapera
mazuva mazhinji, muchaombekwa naMweya
Mutsvene.”
Saizvozvo pavakanga vaungana vakamubvunza
vachiti, “Tenzi, panguva ino ndipo here pamuchadzosera pakare umambo kuIsiraeri?” Iye akati,
“Hazvisi zvenyu kuziva misi nenguva dzakatemwa
naBaba nesimba ravo. 8Asi imi muchagamuchira
simba kana Mweya Mutsvene auya pamuri uye
muchava zvapupu zvangu muJerusaremu nomuJudhea yose nomuSamaria kusvika kwakaperera
nyika.”
Paakapedza kutaura izvi akasimudzwa vakatarisa
kudaro, gore richimukwidza kudenga rikaita kuti
asaonekwe kwavari. 10Vachiri kunan’anidza kudenga, paaienda; havo varume vaviri vakamira pavari
vakapfeka magemenzi machena. Vakati, “Ko, imi
vanhu veGarirea makamirirei makatarira kudenga?
Jesu iyeyu atorwa pamuri achienda kudenga
achauya nenzira imwecheteyo sokumuona
kwamaita achienda kudenga.”

Shoko raTenzi

Rwiyo rwokutsinhira: Nziyo 47,1-2.5-8. (D – 5)

(D) – Tenzi Mwari anokwira kumusoro
achipururudzirwa,
achipembererwa nebhosvo.

Uchirai imi marudzi ose avanhu. Daidzirai kuna
Mwari muimbe kwazvo norufaro
nokuti TENZI, Wokumusoro soro anotyisa
kwazvo. Ndiye mambo mukuru wapasi pose.

(D) – Tenzi Mwari anokwira kumusoro
achipururudzirwa,
achipembererwa nebhosvo.

Mwari anokwira pamusoro achipururudzirwa,
TENZI achipembererwa nebhosvo.
Imbirai Mwari, muchimurumbidza,
muimbirei, muchimurumbidza.
Imbai muchirumbidza Mambo wedu,
muimbirei muchimurumbidza.

(D)- Tenzi Mwari anokwira kumusoro
achipururudzirwa,
achipembererwa nebhosvo.

Mwari ndiye mambo wapasi pose,
muimbirei muchimurumbidza norumbo.
8Mwari ndiye anotonga vechirudzi,
Mwari anogara pachigaro, chake chokutonga
chinoera.

(D) Tenzi Mwari anokwira kumusoro achipururudzirwa, achipembererwa nebhosvo

Chiverengo chechipiri: VaEfeso 4,1-13

Inzwai chiverengo chinobva mutsamba
yaPauro kuvaEfeso

1Hama dzangu, ini musungwa akasungirwa Tenzi
ndinokukumbirai kuti mugare upenyu hunowirirana noupenyu hwamakadaidzirwa. 2 Ivai nemwoyo wokuzvirereka, nemwoyo munyoro, nemwoyo
murefu muchiitirirana zvine rudo, 3muine shungu
dzokuchengetedza Mweya wokubatana kwamakaita
makasunganidzwa norugare. 4Kunongova nomuviri mumwechete, naMweya mumwechete sokudaidzirwa kwamakaitwa chitarisiro chimwechete
pamakadaidzwa. 5Kuna Tenzi mumwechete nechitendero chimwechete, noruombeko rumwechete.
6 Kuna Mwari mumwechete, Baba vedu tose vari
pamusoro pavose vanoshanda, nomuna vose uye
muna vose.
7Mumwe nomumwe wedu akapiwa nyasha zvichienderana nokukura kwechipo chaakapiwa naKristu. 8 Saizvozvo zvinonzi,
“Paakakwira kumusoro akatungamirira gurusvusvu ravasungwa, akapa zvipo kuvanhu.”
9Ko, kuti akakwira kumusoro kunoreva kuti kudii?
Kunorevawo kuti akambodzika pasi pasi penyika.
Iye akadzika ndiyewo akakwira kumusoro-soro
kwamatenga ose kuti azadze zvinhu zvose. Zvipo
zvake zvaiva zvokuti vamwe vave vapositori, vamwewo vave vaporofita, uye vamwe vave vaparidzi
veShoko Rakanaka, vamwe vari vafudzi, vamwe
vari vadzidzisi, kuti vatsvene vawaniswe ruzivo
rwebasa rezvokwaMwari kuti muviri waKristu
uumbwe kusvikira tose tave vamwechete
muchitendero nomukuziva Mwanakomana
waMwari kusvikira tave vanhu vabve zano,
kusvikira tava nechimiro chaKristu chizere.
Shoko raTenzi

Kupemberera Shoko Rakanaka: Mateu 28,19.20

Areruya, Areruya Tenzi anoti: Endai
mundodzidzisa marudzi ose avanhu,
ndinemi nguva dzose kusvikira kuguma
kwapasi. Areruya.

Shoko Rakanaka: Mariko 16,15-20

Inzwai Shoko Rakanaka rakanyorwa
naMariko

Mushure mukumuka muvafi, Jesu akati kuvadzidzi vake,
“Endai kunyika dzapasi pose mundoparidza
Shoko Rakanaka kuzvisikwa zvose.
Anenge atenda akaombekwa achaponeswa, asi
uyo asingatendi achapiwa mhosva.
Hezvino zviratidzo zvichava navanotenda:
Vachadzinga mweya yakaipa nezita rangu.
Vachataura nendimi itsva,
vachabata nyoka namaoko.
Kunyange vakanwa chinouraya
hachizovakuvadzi kwete.
Vachaisa maoko pavarwere, vachibva vapora.”
Kuzoti Jesu apedza kutaura kwavari, akakwidzwa
kudenga kwaakandogara kurudyi rwaMwari. Ivo
vakaenda vakandoparidza kwose kwose, Tenzi
achivabatsira, achitsinhira shoko ravo nezviratidzo zvairisimbisa.Ameni.

Shoko rakanaka raTenzi