Now the birth of Jesus the Messiah happened in this way. When his mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, before they lived together she was discovered to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit.

She will give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus, because he is the one who will save his people from their sins."

He did not have marital relations with her until she had given birth to a son; and he named him Jesus.

"A voice was heard in Ramah: wailing and great mourning. Rachel was crying for her children. She refused to be comforted, because they no longer existed."

He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Then she got up and began serving him.

While Jesus was telling them these things, an official came up and fell down before him. "My daughter has just died," he said. "But come and lay your hand on her, and she will live."

because she had been saying to herself, "If I just touch his robe, I will get well."

The queen of the south will stand up and condemn the people living today, because she came from so far away to hear the wisdom of Solomon. But look! Something greater than Solomon is here!"

This is the builder's son, isn't it? His mother is named Mary, isn't she? His brothers are James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas, aren't they?

But when Herod's birthday celebration was held, the daughter of Herodias danced before the guests. She pleased Herod

so much that he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked for.

Prompted by her mother, she said, "Give me, right here on a platter, the head of John the Baptist."

His head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she took it to her mother.

But he didn't answer her at all. Then his disciples came up and kept urging him, "Send her away, because she keeps on screaming as she follows us."

Then she came and fell down before him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

She said, "Yes, Lord. But even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' tables."

Then the mother of Zebedee's sons came to Jesus with her sons. She bowed down in front of him to ask him for a favor.

He asked her, "What do you want?" She told him, "Promise that in your kingdom these two sons of mine will sit on your right and on your left."

Now in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be, since all of them had married her?"

As a result, you will be held accountable for all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of the righteous Abel to the blood of Berechiah's son Zechariah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.

But knowing this, Jesus asked them, "Why are you bothering the woman? She has done a beautiful thing for me.

When she poured this perfume on my body, she was preparing me for burial.

I tell all of you with certainty, wherever this gospel is proclaimed throughout the whole world, what she has done will also be told as a memorial to her."