Now the whole crowd of people were praying outside at the hour of the incense offering.

The angel came to her and said, "Greetings, favored one, the Lord is with you!"

So the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God!

"And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age -- although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month!

So Mary said, "Yes, I am a servant of the Lord; let this happen to me according to your word." Then the angel departed from her.

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.

And blessed is she who believed that what was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled."

So Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

Now the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, and she gave birth to a son.

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

They said to her, "But none of your relatives bears this name."

While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child.

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering in her heart what they might mean.

There was also a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old, having been married to her husband for seven years until his death.

Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. But his mother kept all these things in her heart.

Then the devil brought him to Jerusalem, had him stand on the highest point of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here,

Jesus said to them, "No doubt you will quote to me the proverb, 'Physician, heal yourself!' and say, 'What we have heard that you did in Capernaum, do here in your hometown too.'"

They were all amazed and began to say to one another, "What's happening here? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"

After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Jesus to help her.

So he stood over her, commanded the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and began to serve them.

Now Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, and the crowd was pressing around him to hear the word of God.

But the news about him spread even more, and large crowds were gathering together to hear him and to be healed of their illnesses.

But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Get up and stand here." So he rose and stood there.

Then he came down with them and stood on a level place. And a large number of his disciples had gathered along with a vast multitude from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon. They came to hear him and to be healed of their diseases,

As he approached the town gate, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother (who was a widow), and a large crowd from the town was with her.

When the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep."

So he answered them, "Go tell John what you have seen and heard: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have good news proclaimed to them.

But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

As she stood behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil.

Then, turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house. You gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair.

Therefore I tell you, her sins, which were many, are forgiven, thus she loved much; but the one who is forgiven little loves little."

Then Jesus said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."

But other seed fell on good soil and grew, and it produced a hundred times as much grain." As he said this, he called out, "The one who has ears to hear had better listen!"

He said, "You have been given the opportunity to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand.

Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing fall away.

As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature.

But he replied to them, "My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it."

Then he said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace."

Now they were all wailing and mourning for her, but he said, "Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep."

But Jesus gently took her by the hand and said, "Child, get up."

Her spirit returned, and she got up immediately. Then he told them to give her something to eat.

Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them to tell no one what had happened.

Herod said, "I had John beheaded, but who is this about whom I hear such things?" So Herod wanted to learn about Jesus.

But I tell you most certainly, there are some standing here who will not experience death before they see the kingdom of God."

Then as the men were starting to leave, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three shelters, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he was saying.

Jesus answered, "You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you and endure you? Bring your son here."

For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

But Martha was distracted with all the preparations she had to make, so she came up to him and said, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do all the work alone? Tell her to help me."

But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things,

but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her."

because a friend of mine has stopped here while on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him.'

But he replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!"

The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon -- and now, something greater than Solomon is here!

The people of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, because they repented when Jonah preached to them -- and now, something greater than Jonah is here!

And which of you by worrying can add an hour to his life?

And if this is how God clothes the wild grass, which is here today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, how much more will he clothe you, you people of little faith!

But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into.

You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."

then the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not foresee, and will cut him in two, and assign him a place with the unfaithful.

They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law."

When Jesus saw her, he called her to him and said, "Woman, you are freed from your infirmity."

Then he placed his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

At that time, some Pharisees came up and said to Jesus, "Get away from here, because Herod wants to kill you."

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you would have none of it!

But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host approaches he will say to you, 'Friend, move up here to a better place.' Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you.

It is of no value for the soil or for the manure pile; it is to be thrown out. The one who has ears to hear had better listen!"

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were coming to hear him.

Then when she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'

But when he came to his senses he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger!

So he called the manager in and said to him, 'What is this I hear about you? Turn in the account of your administration, because you can no longer be my manager.'

"Everyone who divorces his wife and marries someone else commits adultery, and the one who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.

Besides all this, a great chasm has been fixed between us, so that those who want to cross over from here to you cannot do so, and no one can cross from there to us.'

nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst."

Then people will say to you, 'Look, there he is!' or 'Look, here he is!' Do not go out or chase after them.

yet because this widow keeps on bothering me, I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.'"

Then another slave came and said, 'Sir, here is your mina that I put away for safekeeping in a piece of cloth.

But as for these enemies of mine who did not want me to be their king, bring them here and slaughter them in front of me!'"

telling them, "Go to the village ahead of you. When you enter it, you will find a colt tied there that has never been ridden. Untie it and bring it here.

But when the tenants saw him, they said to one another, 'This is the heir; let's kill him so the inheritance will be ours!'

Then the experts in the law and the chief priests wanted to arrest him that very hour, because they realized he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.

and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children.

In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her."

For they all offered their gifts out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in everything she had to live on."

And when you hear of wars and rebellions, do not be afraid. For these things must happen first, but the end will not come at once."

Yet not a hair of your head will perish.

Now when the hour came, Jesus took his place at the table and the apostles joined him.

So they said, "Look, Lord, here are two swords." Then he told them, "It is enough."

Day after day when I was with you in the temple courts, you did not arrest me. But this is your hour, and that of the power of darkness!"

And after about an hour still another insisted, "Certainly this man was with him, because he too is a Galilean."

But they persisted in saying, "He incites the people by teaching throughout all Judea. It started in Galilee and ended up here!"

He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,

So they got up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem. They found the eleven and those with them gathered together

And while they still could not believe it (because of their joy) and were amazed, he said to them, "Do you have anything here to eat?"