And cried aloud: "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is your unborn child!

Mighty are the deeds of his arm; He scatters the proud with their own devices,

"What are we to do then?" the people asked.

Even tax-gatherers came to be baptized, and said to John: "Teacher, what are we to do?"

And when some soldiers on active service asked "And we--what are we to do?" he said: "Never use violence, or exact anything by false accusation; and be content with your pay."

So the Devil said to him: "If you are God's Son, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread."

The Devil next led him into Jerusalem, and, placing him on the parapet of the Temple, said: "If you are God's Son throw yourself down from here,

"Stop! 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 lost in amazement, and kept saying to one another: "What words are these? For he gives his commands to the foul spirits with a marvelous authority, and they come out."

And even demons came out from many people, screaming 'You are the Son of God.' Jesus rebuked them, and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.

On one occasion Jesus was staying in a town, when he saw a man who was covered with leprosy. When the leper saw Jesus, he threw himself on his face and implored his help: "Master, if only you are willing, you are able to make me clean."

When Jesus became aware of the way in which they were debating, he turned to them and exclaimed: "What are you debating with yourselves?

In answer Jesus said: "It is not those who are well that need a doctor, but those who are ill.

"John's disciples," they said to Jesus, "Often fast and say prayers, and so do the disciples of the Pharisees, while yours are eating and drinking!"

"Why are you doing what it is not allowable to do on the Sabbath?" asked some of the Pharisees.

That he went into the House of God, and took the consecrated bread and ate it, and gave some to his companions, though only the priests are allowed to eat it?"

Then, raising his eyes and looking at his disciples, Jesus spoke as follows: "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh.

Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they expel you from among them, and taunt you, and reject your Name as an evil thing--on account of the Son of Man.

But 'alas for you who are rich,' for you have had your comforts in full.

Alas for you who are sated now, for you will hunger. Alas for you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep.

So he summoned two of them, and sent them to the Master to ask--"Are you 'The Coming One,' or are we to look for some one else?"

When these men found Jesus, they said: "John the Baptist has sent us to you to ask--'Are you 'The Coming One,' or are we to look for somebody else?'"

So his answer to the question was: "Go and report to John what you have witnessed and heard--the blind recover their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are made clean, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, the Good News is told to the poor.

"What did you go out into the Wilderness to look at? A reed waving in the wind? If not, what did you go out to see? A man dressed in rich clothing? Why, those who are accustomed to fine clothes and luxury live in royal palaces.

"To what then," Jesus continued, "shall I compare the people of the present generation? What are they like?

They are like some little children who are sitting in the market-place and calling out to one another--'We have played the flute for you, but you have not danced; We have wailed, but you have not wept!'

For now that John the Baptist has come, not eating bread or drinking wine, you are saying 'He has a demon in him';

And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, you are saying 'Here is a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax- gatherers and outcasts.'

"I suppose," answered Simon, "it will be the man to whom he forgave the greater debt." "You are right," said Jesus,

And for this, I tell you, her sins, many as they are, have been pardoned, because she has loved greatly; but one who has little pardoned him, loves but little."

By the seed which fell along the path are meant those who hear the Message; but then comes the Devil and carries away the Message from their minds, to prevent their believing it and being saved.

By the seed which fell upon the rock are meant those who, as soon as they hear the Message, welcome it joyfully; but they have no root, and believe it only for a time, and, when the time of temptation comes, they draw back.

By that which fell among the brambles are meant those who hear the Message, but who, as they go on their way, are completely choked by this world's cares and wealth and pleasures, and bring nothing to perfection.

But by that in the good ground are meant those who, having heard the Message, keep it in the good, rich soil of their hearts, and patiently yield a return.

So word was brought to him--'Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.'

His reply, spoken to them all, was: "My mother and my brothers are those who listen to God's teaching and do what it bids."

So the disciples came and roused him. "Sir, Sir," they cried, "we are lost!" Jesus rose and rebuked the wind and the rushing waves, and they fell, and a calm followed.

"Who was it that touched me?" Jesus asked; and, while everyone was denying having done so, Peter exclaimed: "Why, Sir, the people are crowding round you and pressing upon you!"

The day was drawing to a close, when the twelve came up to him, and said: "Send the crowd away, so that they may make their way to the villages and farms round about, and find themselves lodgings and provisions, for we are in a lonely spot here."

But Jesus said: "It is for you to give them something to eat." "We have not more than five loaves and two fishes," they answered; "unless indeed we are to go and buy food for all these people."

"John the Baptist," was their answer; "others, however, say that you are Elijah, while others say that one of the old Prophets has risen again."

Indeed, I tell you, some who are standing before me will not know death, till they have seen the Kingdom of God."

"The harvest," he said, "is abundant, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray to the Owner of the harvest to send laborers to gather in his harvest.

Then, turning to his disciples, Jesus said to them alone: "Blessed are the eyes that see what you are seeing;

For, I tell you, many Prophets and Kings wished for the sight of the things which you are seeing, yet never heard them."

"Martha, Martha," replied the Master, "you are anxious and trouble yourself about many things;

But only a few are necessary, or rather one. Mary has chosen the good part, and it shall not be taken away from her."

And suppose that the other should answer from inside 'Do not trouble me; the door is already fastened, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything';

If you, then, naturally wicked though you are, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in Heaven give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him!"

But Jesus replied: "Rather, happy are those who listen to God's Message and keep it."

But the Master said to him: "You Pharisees do, it is true, clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but inside you yourselves are filled with greed and wickedness.

Alas for you! You are like unsuspected graves, over which men walk unawares."

Here one of the Students of the Law interrupted him by saying: "Teacher, when you say this, you are insulting us also."

But Jesus went on: "Alas for you, too, you Students of the Law! You load men with loads that are too heavy to carry, but do not, yourselves, touch them with one of your fingers.

You are actually witnesses to your ancestors' acts and show your approval of them, because, while they killed the Prophets, you build tombs for them.

To you who are my friends I say, Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but after that can do no more.

Are not five sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them has escaped God's notice.

No, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

So it is with those who lay by wealth for themselves and are not rich to the glory of God."

Think of the ravens--they neither sow nor reap; they have neither storehouse nor barn; and yet God feeds them! And how much more precious are you than birds!

These are the things for which all the nations of the world are seeking, and your Father knows that you need them.

And be like men who are waiting for their Master's return from his wedding, so that, when he comes and knocks, they may open the door for him at once.

Happy are those servants whom, on his return, the Master will find watching. I tell you that he will make himself ready, and bid them take their places at table, and will come and wait upon them.

Whether it is late at night, or in the early morning that he comes, if he finds all as it should be, then happy are they.

Do you also prepare, for when you are least expecting him the Son of Man will come."

"Master," said Peter, "are you telling this parable with reference to us or to every one?"

For from this time, if there are five people in a house, they will be divided, three against two, and two against three.

When, for instance, you are going with your opponent before a magistrate, on your way to the court do your best to be quit of him; for fear that he should drag you before the judge, when the judge will hand you over to the bailiff of the court, and the bailiff throw you into prison.

When Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said: "Woman, you are released from your weakness."

But the President of the Synagogue, indignant that Jesus had worked the cure on the Sabbath, interposed and said to the people: "There are six days on which work ought to be done; come to be cured on one of those, and not on the Sabbath."

"Master," some one asked, "are there but few in the path of Salvation?" And Jesus answered:

'I do not know where you come from. Leave my presence, all you who are living in wickedness.'

There, there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the Prophets, in the Kingdom of God, while you yourselves are being driven outside.

there are some who are last now who will then be first, and some who are first now who will then be last!"

"When you are invited by any one to a wedding banquet, do not seat yourself in the best place, for fear that some one of higher rank should have been invited by your host;

No, when you are invited, go and take the lowest place, so that, when he who has invited you comes, he may say to you 'Friend, come higher up'; and then you will be honored in the eyes of all your fellow-guests.

'Child,' the father answered, 'you are always with me, and everything that I have is yours.

His master complimented this dishonest steward on the shrewdness of his action. And indeed men of the world are shrewder in dealing with their fellow-men than those who have the Light.

"You," said Jesus, "are the men who justify themselves before the world, but God can read your hearts; and what is highly esteemed among men may be an abomination in the sight of God.

'Child,' answered Abraham, 'remember that you in your lifetime received what you thought desirable, just as Lazarus received what was not desirable; but now he has his consolation here, while you are suffering agony.

And so with you--when you have done all that you have been told, still say 'We are but useless servants; we have done no more than we ought to have done.'"

"Were not all the ten made clean? exclaimed Jesus. But the nine--where are they?

Gathering the Twelve round him, Jesus said to them: "Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there everything that is written in the Prophets will be done to the Son of Man.

The Son of Man has come to 'search for those who are lost' and to save them."

Another servant also came and said 'Sir, here are your ten pounds; I have kept them put away in a handkerchief.

For I was afraid of you, because you are a stern man. You take what you have not planted, and reap what you have not sown.'

And, if anybody asks you 'Why are you untying it?,' you are to say this--'The Master wants it.'"

While they were untying the foal, the owners asked them--"Why are you untying the foal?"

But Jesus answered: "I tell you that if these men are silent, the very stones will call out."

But, if we say 'human,' the people will all stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a Prophet."

These men asked Jesus a question. They said: "Teacher, we know that you are right in what you say and teach, and that you do not take any account of a man's position, but teach the Way of God honestly;

Are we right in paying tribute to the Emperor or not?"

"Show me a florin. Whose head and title are on it?"

"The men and women of this world," said Jesus, "marry and are given in marriage;

But, for those who are thought worthy to attain to that other world and the resurrection from the dead, there is no marrying or being married,

Nor indeed can they die again, for they are like angels and, having shared in the resurrection, they are God's Sons.

Now he is not God of dead men, but of living. For in his sight all are alive."

These are the men who rob widows of their houses, and make a pretense of saying long prayers. Their sentence will be all the heavier."

"As for these things that you are looking at, a time is coming when not one stone will be left upon another here, which will not be thrown down."