Submitted by
S. Daly

Age Group
8-14

Aim
To celebrate Ascension Day

Faith Group
Catholic
Christian

Resources
Hosts, wine, water, candles, Paschal candle, chalice, ciborium, cloths, altar frontal showing a scene from the Gospel (possibly a paint and cloth collage showing a hill with Jesus at the top and the backviews of the eleven apostles below), large sheets of paper showing the responses for the Psalm and Prayers of the Faithful

Time of Year
A Thursday in May forty days after Easter, in the Easter season (Date depends on the date of Easter Sunday)

Other Details
This is a Mass for a Catholic school but can be adapted and used as another type of service/assembly

Script
Entrance Hymn - Peace is Flowing (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 595)

Priest - First Prayer
God our Father, today we are remembering how Jesus, your Son, went back to you. When we are sad about our friends who have to go away, help us to be brave, and to remember that we are never really alone, because you are there always. We make our prayer through Jesus, who lives for ever and ever...

Child - First Reading
This reading comes from some of St. Paul's letters.
It gives us a word picture of Jesus our leader.

"The most important thing about Jesus was that he made God real. That's what we mean when we call him God's Son.
Yet he never did anything for his own pleasure.
He is our example and we must follow him.
These were the marks of his character. He cared for people - for everybody. He was a very happy man. People who couldn't get on with each other found it possible to be friends in his presence. He never gave up. He was very kind, a really good man, and he could always be relied on. He was gentle, yet master of himself.
What people remembered about him was his graciousness."

This is the Word of the Lord.

Child - Responsorial Psalm
The response is: We will follow our God.
1. We will not do wrong.
We will do what is right.
Response...

2. We will tell the truth.
We will not tell lies.
Response...

3. We will be good to our brother.
We will not hurt our neighbour.
Response...

Child - Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, Alleluia.
We praise the Lord.
He guides us along the right path.
Alleluia.

One child from each class stands with a candle around the Paschal candle for the Gospel reading.

Priest - Gospel
Jesus and his friends were on the Mount of Olives, outside Jerusalem. The time had come for the final goodbye. It was nearly six weeks after Jesus's resurrection.

"Very soon," Jesus said, "God will send you his Spirit. He will help you to speak out bravely. You are to tell the people in Jerusalem, and Judea and Samaria - and the whole world - what I have done. Tell them the good news that everyone who trusts in me and is truly sorry for the wrong he's done will be forgiven. I will give him a new life!"

When he had said this, Jesus was taken up to heaven. As they watched, a cloud hid him. Suddenly, two men dressed in white were standing with them.
"Jesus has gone back to be with God," they said. "But one day he will return."

Put out the candles - including the Easter Candle.

Prayers of the Faithful
Priest - We have many leaders. Some show us the wav to go, others help us to work better. When Jesus went away he did not leave us alone - he is with us through his Holy Spirit.

Hymn - O Lord, hear my prayer (Taize) (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 542)

Children - Let us now pray for all our leaders. The response is: hear our prayer.
1. We pray for our Holy Father, Pope (name), who leads us to follow Jesus, and our bishop, Bishop (name), and for priests who help us to grow into Christians.
Lord in your goodness... hear our prayer.

2. We pray for our parents and family, who help us to grow in your love, and for our teachers, who show us the way to the Father.
Lord in your goodness... hear our prayer.

3. We pray for our friends who help us and the leaders of our country, who help us to work together.
Lord in your goodness... hear our prayer.

4. We ask Mary to help carry our prayers to Heaven. Hail Mary...

Hymn - O Lord, hear my prayer (Taize) (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 542)

Offertory Hymn - Take our Bread by J. Wise (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 678)

Priest - Second Prayer
God our Father, here are our gifts of bread and wine.
We offer you too, especially today, all the times of sadness when we have to go away from our friends or they go from us. Help us to be brave. We give you also the happiness of coming back when we meet those we love again. Help us to remember that one day there will be no more going or coming, because we shall all be happy with you for ever, through your Son, Jesus, who lives...

Hymn - Caribbean Our Father (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 584)

Priest - Third Prayer
God our Father, during this Mass we have come very close to you, through meeting your Son, Jesus, in Communion.
Now we go out to share our life with other people.
Help us to remember that Jesus is with us always in his special way. He promised that he would be. We'll go now, to try to make the world a better place, to make your kingdom come, through Jesus your Son, who lives...

Hymn - This is the day (Celebration Hymnal for Everyone number 731)