When is the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord?

The Ascension of the Lord is one of the most important solemnities of the Catholic liturgical year. In many countries, it is a holy day of obligation. This means that the obligation to attend Mass is the same as for any Sunday of the year.

This article is a practical guide to the Mass of the Ascension: when it is celebrated, what it is like, what readings it has, and where to find schedules in your parish. If you wish to delve deeper into its meaning, you can read our article: The Ascension: what it is and what it means.

When is the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord in 2026?

The Ascension of the Lord is celebrated forty days after Easter Sunday, following the biblical account in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 1:3). Forty days after a Sunday always falls on a Thursday — hence the traditional name “Ascension Thursday.” In 2026, that date is Thursday, May 14.

However, canonical norms allow Episcopal Conferences to transfer the solemnity to the Seventh Sunday of Easter to facilitate the participation of the faithful. In many Spanish-speaking countries, the Mass of the Ascension is celebrated on Sunday, May 17.

To confirm the exact date in your diocese, consult the official page of your Episcopal Conference or use the Mass Times app.

Is the Mass of the Ascension a holy day of obligation?

Yes, in countries where Thursday is maintained (such as Mexico and Italy), the Ascension is a holy day of obligation. This means that the obligation to attend Mass on that day is equivalent to that of any Sunday of the year.

In countries where it is transferred to Sunday (such as Spain, Argentina, and Chile), the obligation is fulfilled on that Sunday, like any other Sunday of Easter.

What if I cannot attend Mass on Ascension Day? If there is a serious impediment (illness, essential work, absence of an accessible church), there is no moral obligation. If in doubt, it is best to consult with your parish priest.

What is the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord like?

The Mass of the Ascension is a solemn Mass with specific characteristics that distinguish it from an ordinary celebration.

• White liturgical color:

White is the color of joy, glory, and light. It is used for all solemnities of the Lord during the Easter Season.

• Entrance Antiphon Acts 1:11

After the initial greeting, the priest recites the following antiphon taken from the Acts of the Apostles:

“Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking up at the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.” Alleluia.

• Collect Prayer:

Grant us, almighty God,

to exult with joy and give you thanks in this liturgy of praise,

because the ascension of Jesus Christ, your Son, is already our victory,

and where he, who is our head, has preceded us,

we also hope to arrive,

as members of his body.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ.

• Proper Readings

The readings for this day are not those of Ordinary Time. They are specific texts assigned to the solemnity that narrate the account of the Ascension and develop its theological meaning.

• Gloria and Creed

As a solemnity, the Mass includes the Gloria hymn and the profession of faith, the Creed, in which the Ascension is explicitly proclaimed: “He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.”

In the Eucharistic liturgy, the priest recites the following prayer over the offering:

We present our sacrifice to you, Lord,
to celebrate the glorious ascension of your Son;
may participation in this mystery
raise our spirit to the goods of heaven.
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• Next, the priest recites the Preface of the Ascension:

This preface is said on the day of the Ascension of the Lord; it may also be said on the days after the Ascension until the Saturday before Pentecost in those Masses that do not have their own preface.

V/. The Lord be with you.
R/. And with your spirit.

V/. Lift up your hearts.
R/. We lift them up to the Lord.

V/. Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
R/. It is right and just.

It is truly right and just,
our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere
to give you thanks,
Lord, Holy Father,
almighty and eternal God.

For Jesus, the Lord,
the King of glory, conqueror of sin and death,
has ascended [today] before the astonished gaze of angels
to the highest heaven,
as mediator between God and men,
as judge of the living and the dead.
He has not gone to abandon this world,
but has willed to precede us as our head
so that we, members of his Body,
may live with the ardent hope
of following him into his kingdom.

Therefore,
with this outpouring of paschal joy,
the whole world overflows with gladness,
and also the heavenly choirs,
the angels and archangels,
sing without ceasing the hymn of your glory:

Holy, Holy, Holy…

• Communion Antiphon Mt 28:20

Before Communion, the priest recites the following antiphon:

“Know that I am with you always, until the end of the world.” Alleluia.

• Prayer after Communion:

After purifying the sacred vessels and before the final blessing, the priest prays:

Almighty and eternal God,

who, while we still live on earth,

give us a share in the goods of heaven,

make us ardently desire to be with Christ,

in whom our human nature

has been so extraordinarily exalted

that it participates in your very glory.

Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

• Finally, the priest blesses the people with the solemn blessing:

• Festive Character

The Ascension is a feast of joy, not of mourning. The liturgy celebrates the glorification of Christ and his triumph and universal lordship.

For guidance on the proper hymns for this celebration, you can consult this guide to hymns for the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord.

What are the readings for the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord in 2026?

In 2026, Cycle A of the lectionary corresponds, centered on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. The readings for the solemnity are:

First Reading: Acts 1:1-11

The account of the Ascension according to Saint Luke: Jesus instructs the apostles for forty days, promises them the Holy Spirit, is lifted up before their eyes, and a cloud takes him from their sight. Two men dressed in white announce his return:

In my first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.

On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”

Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”

He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Psalm 47 (46)

“God ascends amid shouts of joy, the Lord, amid trumpet blasts.” An enthronement hymn that celebrates God’s universal lordship and is liturgically applied to the triumph of Christ:

Clap your hands, all you nations;
shout to God with cries of joy;
for the Lord, the Most High, is awesome,
the great King over all the earth. R.

God ascends amid shouts of joy,
the Lord, amid trumpet blasts.
Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises. R.

For God is the King of all the earth;
sing to him a psalm of praise.
God reigns over the nations;
God is seated on his holy throne. R.

Second Reading: Ephesians 1:17-23

Saint Paul prays that the faithful may understand “the hope to which they have been called” and recognize the power of God who raised Christ and made him head over all things:

Brothers and sisters:
I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength

he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.

The Word of the Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 28:16-20

The missionary mandate of the risen Jesus: “Go and make disciples of all nations.” The solemnity of the Ascension concludes with the sending forth, with a mission.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

The Word of the Lord.

For a complete guide to the celebration with the order of the Mass, detailed readings, and suggestions for the liturgical script, you can consult this script for the Mass of the Ascension of the Lord.

Hymn for the Ascension of the Lord

O Jesus, joy of hearts,
O Sower of human salvation,
You who redeemed the world you created
And are the chaste light of those who love you.

What mercy moves you to the utmost
To bear our heavy guilt,
And to die, despite your innocence,
To save us from bitter death?

You shatter the chaos of hell,
You free those held captive there,
And after achieving so noble a triumph
You ascend to the right hand of the Most High.

May your own mercy constrain you
To fully repair our harm,
And to allow us to behold your face,
And to enrich us with its holy radiance.

You who are the path and guide to heaven,
Be the goal of our hearts,
The comfort of all our tears
And the sweet reward of our human lives.

Do you want to experience the Ascension with fervor? Here are some articles that may help you do so:

• What Is the Easter Season and How Long Does It Last?: Complete guide to the Easter Season: meaning, Sundays, liturgical signs, Via Lucis, Regina Coeli, and the 2026 celebrations calendar.
• The Ascension: what it is and what it means: The Ascension of the Lord: what it means, when it is celebrated in 2026 according to your country, and why it underpins Christian hope in eternal life.