2026-05-17 Ascension of Our Lord
2026-05-17 Ascension of Our Lord Acts 1:1-11 by St Luke Acts opens with a prologue (verses 1–5), which parallels the Gospel’s prologue (Luke 1:1–4), by addressing an otherwise unknown person, Theophilus (either Luke’s benefactor or a shorthand term for any believer, since the name means “lover of God”). The Korahites were descendants of Korah, a Levite who famously led a rebellion against Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 16). While the earth swallowed Korah and his followers, Scripture notes a significant detail: "However, the sons of Korah did not die" (Numbers 26:11). Jesus orders the disciples to stay in Jerusalem “to wait for the promise of the Father,” which is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit they will experience 10 days later, on the day of Pentecost. “This power will have a purpose, to make these ordinary people into Jesus’ witnesses first to the Samaritans, their kinfolk who have a deep inter-generational hatred for each other, then to the Gentile acro...