  THE ASCENSION. FIRST READING.
then said Jesus unto OUR blessed Lord Jesus did not stay with His apostles as He did before His death and rising. They did not see Him after that first day for a whole week; and they could not make Thomas, who had not been there when He came, believe that it was true that any man could come again from the grave. He said He should never believe that it was the Lord Himself, unless he could put his fingers into the prints of the nails, and his hand into the wound in the side. The next Sunday evening, Thomas and the other ten were all in the upper room together, when Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger, and behold My hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing." Then Thomas knew Him indeed, and could only say, "My Lord and my God." And the Lord answered, "Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." And that is the blessing for all of us, who JESUS CONVINCING THOMAS OF HIS RESURRECTION.—John 20:26-29. QUESTIONS.
SECOND READING.
OUR Lord told His apostles to go into Galilee; and there some of them went out fishing on the lake, as they used to do; but they fished all night, and caught nothing. In the dawn of morning, they saw One standing on the bank, and He said, "Children, have ye any meat?" They said, "No." Then He said, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship." And directly the net was full of a hundred and fifty-three fishes, all large and good, and it did not break! JESUS APPEARS TO HIS DISCIPLES AT THE SEA OF TIBERIAS.—John 21:1-7. Then John knew who it was, and said to Peter, "It is the Lord." And Peter was so glad, that he sprang out of the boat, and came hurrying through the water to His Master's feet. And Jesus said, "Come and dine;" and the disciples found a fire ready lighted on the bank, with the broiled fish and bread; When they had eaten, the Lord said, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these?" "Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee," Peter answered. "Feed my sheep," our Lord said. Then again He asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" "Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee," said Peter. "Feed my lambs," He said; and again He asked, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" Then Peter was grieved, and said, "Lord, Thou knowest all things; Thou knowest that I love Thee." And again Jesus said, "Feed my sheep." Peter knew that our Lord is the Good Shepherd, and that His sheep and lambs are the people and the children of His flock, the Church; and that he was to show his love for His Master by taking care of them. QUESTIONS.
THIRD READING.
FOR forty days our Lord came in ways like what I have told you to see and teach His disciples. Once, five hundred of them saw Him together; but He never came to the wicked unbelieving Jews again. But when the feast of weeks was near, the disciples went back to keep it at Jerusalem. There our Lord came to them again, and He led the eleven apostles out THE ASCENSION.—Luke 24:50, 51. And then He bade them stay at Jerusalem until they should be endued with power from on high. And while He talked with them, He was parted from them, and went rising up into heaven, going higher and higher, till a cloud received Him out of their sight. While they still looked up after Him, two angels stood by them, and said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." And so it was that our blessed Lord Jesus ascended up to His throne in heaven again, after He had been born, and lived, and died to save us. And there He is in heaven, now watching over us, and laying all our prayers before His Father in heaven, and getting ready our home there for each of us. QUESTIONS.
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