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The Catholic Community of St. John the Evangelist

1061 S. Ellington Parkway, Lewisburg, TN 37091

The Ascension of the Lord

May 17, 2026 • Week 45

He was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. — Acts 1:9

Share the Hope

The readings for today’s celebration of the Ascension of the Lord once again remind us that as Christians we are people of hope. In the second reading Saint Paul eloquently exhorts the Ephesians to enlighten their hearts so that they will know the hope and glory that come from being people who place their trust in the Lord Jesus. In the story of the Ascension, recounted in the first reading, the Lord Jesus assures the disciples that the Holy Spirit’s power will come upon them. Finally, in the Gospel, the Lord lets the disciples know that their mission is to spread the hope of the gospel to all the nations. This wonderful feast keeps our eyes focused on the hope in which we were grounded on the day of our baptism.

— Copyright © J. S. Paluch Co., Inc.

Mass Schedule

Announcements

Parish Events & Notices

Last CCD Class — Today is the last CCD class for the school year. Have a blessed, safe summer.

First Communion Today — Pray for our First Communicants who are receiving the sacrament today.

Graduate Congratulations — Congratulations and blessings to all our youth graduating from high school and college this week. There will be a cake reception in honor of our graduates after the 9:00 AM Mass next Sunday.

Totus Tuus VBS — Totus Tuus VBS will be coming to St. John on June 21–26. This is a free program for all children of the parish. There will be registration in the parish hall after Mass next Sunday.

Bethlehem Olive Wood Sale — Our friends from Bethlehem will be at St. John next weekend, May 23 & 24, to sell handmade olive wood carvings and crafts by the Christians in the Holy Land. This is their main source of income so they are asking for your support.

Catholic Communication Campaign — Next week our special collection supports the CCC. This campaign represents a mission of love to share the gospel message of hope with people in the United States using the internet, TV, radio, and print media. Half of the money we collect remains in the Nashville Diocese to fund local communications efforts. The other half supports the communication activities of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and other projects across the United States.

Baby Bottle Campaign — The Mother’s Guild has partnered with In His Image Pregnancy Resource Center for their Baby Bottle Campaign. Please collect a baby bottle found at the entrance of the church or in the parish hall to fill with “Change for Life.” Online donations at givebutter.com/babybottle2026. Return filled bottles by June 14.

Parish Yard Sale — The Mother’s Guild will be hosting a Parish Yard Sale on Saturday, June 13, from 7:00 AM–1:00 PM. A 10’x10’ space is $15; with an 8’ table, $20 (while supplies last). See a member of the Mother’s Guild at the end of Mass to register.

Online Giving — Use the parish QR code to make your donation online.

Today’s Readings

First Reading — Jesus tells the disciples that they will be witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:1–11).

Psalm — God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord (Psalm 47).

Second Reading — May the Father of glory give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Ephesians 1:17–23).

Gospel — Jesus instructs the Eleven to baptize and teach people of all nations (Matthew 28:16–20).

Readings for the Week

Monday: Acts 19:1–8; Ps 68:2–3ab, 4–5acd, 6–7ab; Jn 16:29–33

Tuesday: Acts 20:17–27; Ps 68:10–11, 20–21; Jn 17:1–11a

Wednesday: Acts 20:28–38; Ps 68:29–30, 33–36ab; Jn 17:11b–19

Thursday: Acts 22:30; 23:6–11; Ps 16:1–2a, 5, 7–11; Jn 17:20–26

Friday: Acts 25:13b–21; Ps 103:1–2, 11–12, 19–20ab; Jn 21:15–19

Saturday: Acts 28:16–20, 30–31; Ps 11:4, 5, 7; Jn 21:20–25

Next Sunday: Acts 2:1–11; Ps 104:1, 24, 29–31, 34; 1 Cor 12:3b–7, 12–13; Jn 20:19–23

Reflecting on the Word

Our sixteen-year-old son and his friends sat down to a meal after they had helped us clean out the basement. While I worked with the kids, my husband had prepared enough pasta and meatballs to feed four growing boys. During the conversation, they brought up the challenges of certain classes at school—one found physics hard, another math, and so on. My husband said to them, “Do you know what the best way to learn is?” And they looked at him expectantly, hoping to hear a simple answer. He said, “The best way to learn is to teach someone else.” He was met with blank stares. “That makes no sense,” they seemed to be thinking. Finally, one of them asked the obvious question, “But how?”

It is when we help others learn that we learn best ourselves. Because, to teach, we have to learn the material well, and that process will show us where we are weak and give us the opportunity to strengthen. It is through others that we see ourselves most clearly. It was when the disciples went to “all nations” to proclaim the kingdom of God that they became aware of their own flaws, failings, and fragility in the faith. This is captured most poignantly in the description of the disciples “looking intently at the sky.” They are bereft and bereaved in that moment. And despite the promise of the Holy Spirit, they are suddenly faced with having to go into the world with only their own qualifications (or lack thereof) and understanding of Jesus’ teachings. A mere seven weeks after the brutal torture and execution of Jesus, they are well aware of the disparity between the general expectation of an earthly Kingdom and the heavenly kingdom that Jesus brings. They are well aware of the danger they would be in if they do as Jesus says—to go out into the world and preach that particular kin-dom that God desires to usher into the world. And yet they go into the world. They teach others and learn even as they do so. They become the saints and martyrs we now venerate by facing their own limitations and allowing the Holy Spirit to help them live the kin-dom of God even as they proclaimed it.

— Excerpted from Living the Word

Mission Statement

We, the members of Saint John the Evangelist Catholic Church, recognize and respect our diverse and multicultural character. By the grace of God, we will nurture our spiritual community through prayer, service, and example to become one family in Christ.