It is said in the Prophet Isaiah--'Behold! I send my Messenger before thy face; He shall prepare thy way.'

The whole of Judea, as well as all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, went out to him; and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

And he proclaimed--"There is coming after me one more powerful than I, and I am not fit even to stoop down and unfasten his sandals.

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens rent apart, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him,

"The time has come, and the Kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the Good News."

As Jesus was going along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net in the Sea, for they were fishermen.

"What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are--the Holy One of God!"

And they were all so amazed that they kept asking: "What is this? Strange teaching indeed! He gives his commands with authority even to the foul spirits, and they obey him!"

As soon as they had come out from the Synagogue, they went, with James and John, into the house of Simon and Andrew.

and, when they found him, they exclaimed: "Every one is looking for you!"

But Jesus said to them: "Let us go somewhere else, into the country towns near, that I may make my proclamation in them also; for that was why I came."

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying as he did so: "I am willing; become clean."

"Be careful not to say anything to any one; but go and show yourself to the Priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

"Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins except God?"

Which is easier?--to say to the paralyzed man, 'Your sins are forgiven'? or to say 'Get up, and take up your mat, and walk about'?

The man got up, and immediately took up his mat, and went out before them all; at which they were amazed, and, as they praised God, they said: "We have never seen anything like this!"

As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax-office, and said to him: "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.

When the Teachers of the Law belonging to the party of the Pharisees saw that he was eating in the company of such people, they said to his disciples: "He is eating in the company of tax- gatherers and outcasts!"

Hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill. I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were keeping a fast, and people came and asked Jesus: "Why is it that John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, while yours do not?"

Jesus answered: "Can the bridegroom's friends fast, while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

No man ever sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; if he does, the patch tears away from it--the new from the old-- and a worse rent is made.

And no man ever puts new wine into old wine-skins; if he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the skins are lost. But new wine is put into fresh skins."

One Sabbath, as Jesus was walking through the cornfields, his disciples began to pick the ears of wheat as they went along.

"Look!" the Pharisees said to him, "why are they doing what is not allowed on the Sabbath?"

How he went into the House of God, in the time of Abiathar the High Priest, and ate 'the consecrated bread,' which only the priests are allowed to eat, and gave some to his comrades as well?"

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

On another occasion Jesus went in to a Synagogue, where they was a man whose hand was withered.

And to the people he said: "Is it allowable to do good on the Sabbath--or harm? to save a life, or destroy it?"

As they remained silent, Jesus looked round at them in anger, grieving at the hardness of their hearts, and said to the man: "Stretch out your hand." The man stretched it out; and his hand had become sound.

And he appointed twelve--whom he also named 'Apostles'--that they might be with him, and that he might send them out as his Messengers, to preach,

When a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot last;

And when a household is divided against itself, it will not be able to last.

So, if Satan is in revolt against himself and is divided, he cannot last--his end has come!

"Who is my mother? and my brothers?" was his reply.

Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother."

Jesus again began to teach by the Sea; and, as an immense crowd was gathering round him, he got into a boat, and sat in it on the Sea, while all the people were on the shore at the water's edge.

And presently, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path; and the birds came, and ate it up.

The People meant by the seed that falls along the path are these--where the Message is sown, but, as soon as they have heard it, Satan immediately comes and carries away the Message that has been sown in them.

But, as they have no root, they stand only for a short time; and so, when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Message, they fall away at once.

And Jesus said to them: "Is a lamp brought to be put under the corn-measure or under the couch, instead of being put on the lampstand?

Nothing is hidden unless it is some day to come to light, nor was anything ever kept hidden but that it should some day come into the light of day.

Jesus also said: "This is what the Kingdom of God is like-- like a man who has scattered seed on the ground,

And then sleeps by night and rises by day, while the seed is shooting up and growing--he knows not how.

But, as soon as the crop is ready, immediately he 'puts in the sickle because harvest has come'."

By what can we illustrate it? Perhaps by the growth of a mustard-seed. This seed, when sown in the ground, though it is smaller than all other seeds,

With many such parables Jesus used to speak to the people of his Message, as far as they were able to receive it;

In the evening of the same day, Jesus said to them: "Let us go across."

So, leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them, just as he was, in the boat; and there were other boats with him.

Jesus was in the stern asleep upon the cushion; and the disciples roused him and cried: "Teacher! is it nothing to you that we are lost?"

And, as soon as Jesus had got out of the boat, he met a man coming out of the tombs, who was under the power of a foul spirit,

And he asked him: "What is your name?" "My name," he said, "is Legion, for there are many of us;"

And the spirits begged Jesus: "Send us into the pigs, that we may take possession of them."

Then those who had seen it related to them all that had happened to the possessed man, as well as about the pigs;

As Jesus was getting into the boat, the possessed man begged him to let him stay with him.

And one of the Presidents of the Synagogue, whose name was Jaeirus, came and, as soon as he saw Jesus, threw himself at his feet with repeated entreaties.

"My little daughter," he said, "is at the point of death; I beg you to come and place your hands on her, that her life may be spared."

Before he had finished speaking, some people from the house of the President of the Synagogue came and said: "Your daughter is dead! Why should you trouble the Teacher further?"

"Why this confusion and weeping?" he said on entering. "The little child is not dead; she is asleep."

The little girl stood up at once, and began to walk about; for she was twelve years old. And, as soon as they saw it, they were overwhelmed with amazement;

When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the Synagogue; and the people, as they listened, were deeply impressed. "Where did he get this?" they said, "and what is this wisdom that has been given him? and these miracles which he is doing?

Is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters, too, living here among us?" This proved a hindrance to their believing in him;

On which Jesus said: "A prophet is not without honor, except in his own country, and among his own relations, and in his own home."

He called the Twelve to him, and began to send them out as his Messengers, two and two, and gave them authority over foul spirits.

And if a place does not welcome you, or listen to you, as you go out of it shake off the dust that is on the soles of your feet, as a protest against them."

Now King Herod heard of Jesus; for his name had become well known. People were saying--"John the Baptizer must have risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him."

Others again said--"He is Elijah," and others--"He is a Prophet, like one of the great Prophets."

And when his daughter--that is, the daughter of Herodias--came in and danced, she delighted Herod and those who were dining with him. 'Ask me for whatever you like,' the King said to the girl, 'and I will give it to you';

So she went in as quickly as possible to the King, and made her request. 'I want you,' she said, 'to give me at once, on a dish, the head of John the Baptist.'

When it grew late, his disciples came up to him, and said: "This is a lonely spot, and it is already late.

But Jesus answered: "It is for you to give them something to eat." "Are we to go and buy twenty pounds' worth of bread," they asked, "to give them to eat?"

And they picked up enough broken pieces to fill twelve baskets, as well as some of the fish.

For all of them saw him, and were terrified. But Jesus at once spoke to them. "Courage!" he said, "it is I; do not be afraid!"

When they come from market, they will not eat without first sprinkling themselves; and there are many other customs which they have inherited and hold to, such as the ceremonial washing of cups, and jugs, and copper pans).

So the Pharisees and the Teachers of the Law asked Jesus this question--"How is it that your disciples do not follow the traditions of our ancestors, but eat their food with defiled hands?"

His answer was: "It was well said by Isaiah when he prophesied about you hypocrites in the words--'This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;

You say 'If a man says to his father or mother "Whatever of mine might have been of service to you is Korban"' (which means 'Given to God')--

There is nothing external to a man, which by going into him can 'defile' him; but the things that come out from a man are the things that defile him."

"What, do even you understand so little?" exclaimed Jesus. "Do not you see that there is nothing external to a man, which by going into a man, can 'defile' him,

Because it does not pass into his heart, but into his stomach, and is afterwards got rid of?--in saying this Jesus pronounced all food 'clean.'

"It is what comes out from a man," he added, "that defiles him,

For it is from within, out of the hearts of men, that there come evil thoughts--unchastity, theft, murder, adultery,

For a woman, whose little daughter had a foul spirit in her, heard of him immediately, and came and threw herself at his feet--

"Let the children be satisfied first," answered Jesus. "For it is not fair to take the children's food, and throw it to dogs."

"My heart is moved at the sight of all these people, for they have already been with me three days and they have nothing to eat;

They had also a few small fish; and, after he had said the blessing, he told the disciples to serve out these as well.

The man looked up, and said: "I see the people, for, as they walk about, they look to me like trees."

Jesus, however, turning round and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter. "Out of my sight, Satan!" he exclaimed. "For you look at things, not as God does, but as man does."

What good is it to a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?

For what could a man give that is of equal value with his life?

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my teaching, in this unfaithful and wicked generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his Father's Glory with the holy angels."

"Rabbi," said Peter, interposing, "it is good to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

Then a cloud came down and enveloped them; and from the cloud there came a voice--"This is my Son, the Beloved; him you must hear."

As they were going down the mountain-side, Jesus cautioned them not to relate what they had seen to any one, till after the Son of Man should have risen again from the dead.

"How is it," they asked Jesus, "that our Teachers of the Law say that Elijah has to come first?"

But I tell you that Elijah has come, and people have treated him just as they pleased, as Scripture says of him."

But, as soon as they saw Jesus, all the people, in great astonishment, ran up and greeted him.

"Teacher," answered a man in the crowd, "I brought my son to see you, as he has a dumb spirit in him;

And, wherever it seizes him, it dashes him down; he foams at the mouth and grinds his teeth, and he is pining away. I asked your disciples to drive the spirit out, but they failed."

"From his childhood," he answered; "and it has often thrown him into fire and into water to put an end to his life; but, if you can possibly do anything, take pity on us, and help us!"