And, as it was the Hour of Incense, the people were all praying outside.

For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord; he shall not drink any wine or strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Spirit from the very hour of his birth,

To a maiden there who was betrothed to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. Her name was Mary.

Gabriel came into her presence and said: "Hail, you who have been highly favored! The Lord is with you."

And Elizabeth, your cousin, is herself also expecting a son in her old age; and it is now the sixth month with her, though she is called barren;

"I am the servant of the Lord," exclaimed Mary; "let it be with me as you have said." Then the angel left her.

Soon after this Mary set out, and made her way quickly into the hill-country, to a town in Judah;

When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child moved within her, and Elizabeth herself was filled with the Holy Spirit,

For he has remembered his servant in her lowliness; And from this hour all ages will count me happy!

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

And her neighbors and relations, hearing of the great goodness of the Lord to her, came to share her joy.

While they were there her time came,

And she gave birth to her first child, a son. And because there was no room for them in the inn, she swathed him round and laid him in a manger.

While Mary treasured up all that they said, and dwelt upon it in her thoughts.

There was also a Prophetess named Hannah, a daughter of Phanuel and of the tribe of Asher. She was far advanced in years, having lived with her husband for seven years after marriage,

However he went down with them to Nazareth, and submitted himself to their control; and his mother treasured all that was said in her heart.

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,

"Doubtless," said Jesus, "you will remind me of the saying-- 'Doctor, cure yourself;' and you will say 'Do here in your own country all that we have heard that has been done at Capernaum.'

On leaving the Synagogue, Jesus went into Simon's house. Now Simon's mother-in-law was suffering from a severe attack of fever, and they asked Jesus to cure her.

Bending over her, he rebuked the fever; the fever left her, and she immediately got up and began to wait upon them.

Who had come to hear him and to be restored to health. Those, too, who were troubled with foul spirits were cured;

But to you who hear I say--Love your enemies, show kindness to those who hate you,

Jesus was surprised to hear these words from him; and, turning to the crowd which was following him, he said: "I tell you, nowhere in Israel have I met with such faith as this!"

Just as he approached the gate of the town, there was a dead man being carried out for burial--an only son, and his mother was a widow. A large number of the people of the town were with her.

When he saw her, the Master was moved with compassion for her, and he said to her: "Do not weep."

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.

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.'

And yet Wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

And placed herself behind Jesus, near his feet, weeping. Then she began to make his feet wet with her tears, and she dried them with the hair of her head, repeatedly kissing his feet and anointing them with the perfume.

And then, turning to the woman, he said to Simon: "Do you see this woman? I came into your house--you gave me no water for my feet, but she has made my feet wet with her tears and dried them with her hair.

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."

Other seed fell into rich soil, and grew, and gave a hundred-fold return." After saying this, Jesus cried aloud: "Let him who has ears to hear with hear."

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.

Then the woman, when she saw that she was discovered, came forward trembling, and threw herself down before him; and, in the presence of all the people, she told him her reason for touching him, and that she had been cured instantly.

And every one was weeping and mourning for her. "Do not weep," Jesus said, "she is not dead; she is asleep."

But, taking her by the hand, Jesus said in a loud voice: "Child, rise!"

The child's spirit returned to her, and she instantly stood up; and Jesus ordered them to give her something to eat.

Her parents were amazed, but Jesus impressed on them that they were not to tell any one what had happened.

But Herod himself said: "John I beheaded; but who is this of whom I hear such things?" And he endeavored to see him.

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."

And, as Moses and Elijah were passing away from Jesus, Peter exclaimed: "Sir, it is good to be here; let us make three tents, one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." He did not know what he was saying;

And from the cloud came a voice which said--"This is my Son, the Chosen One; him you must hear."

"O faithless and perverse generation!" Jesus exclaimed; "how long must I be with you and have patience with you? Lead your son here."

As they continued their journey, Jesus came to a village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him to her house.

But Martha was distracted by the many preparations that she was making. So she went up to Jesus and said: "Master, do you approve of my sister's leaving me to make preparations alone? Tell her to help me."

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

As Jesus was saying this, a woman in the crowd, raising her voice, exclaimed: "Happy was the mother who bore you and nursed you!"

At the Judgment the Queen of the South will rise up with the men of this generation, and will condemn them, because she came from the very ends of the earth to listen to the wisdom of Solomon; and here is more than a Solomon!

At the Judgment the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation; and here is more than a Jonah!

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

And Jesus said to his disciples: "That is why I say to you, Do not be anxious about the life here--what you can get to eat; nor yet about your body--what you can get to wear.

That servant's master will come on a day when he does not expect him, and at an hour of which he is unaware, and will flog him severely and assign him his place among the untrustworthy.

Do you think that I am here to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but to cause division.

'Father will be opposed to son and son to father, mother to daughter and daughter to mother, mother-in-law to her daughter-in- law and daughter-in-law to her mother-in-law.'"

And he saw before him a woman who for eighteen years had suffered from weakness owing to her having an evil spirit in her. She was bent double, and was wholly unable to raise herself.

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

He placed his hands on her, and she was instantly made straight, and began to praise God.

But this woman, a daughter of Abraham, who has been kept in bondage by Satan for now eighteen years, ought not she to have been released from her bondage on the Sabbath?"

Jerusalem! Jerusalem! she who slays the Prophets and stones the messengers sent to her--Oh, how often have I wished to gather your children round me, as a hen takes her brood under her wings, and you would not come!

"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.

On his return the servant told his master all these answers. Then in anger the owner of the house said to his servant 'Go out at once into the streets and alleys of the town, and bring in here the poor, and the crippled, and the blind, and the lame.'

And say 'Here is a man who began to build and was not able to finish!'

It is not fit either for the land or for the manure heap. Men throw it away. Let him who has ears to hear with hear!"

And, when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, and says 'Come and rejoice with me, for I have found the coin which I lost.'

But, when he came to himself, he said 'How many of my father's hired servants have more bread than they can eat, while here am I starving to death!

For here is my son who was dead, and is alive again, was lost, and is found.' So they began making merry.

We could but make merry and rejoice, for here is your brother who was dead, and is alive; who was lost, and is found.'"

So the master called him and said 'What is this that I hear about you? Give in your accounts, for you cannot act as steward any longer.'

'Four hundred and forty gallons of oil,' answered the man. 'Here is your agreement,' he said; 'sit down at once and make it two hundred and twenty.'

And you, the steward said to the next, 'how much do you owe?' 'Seventy quarters of wheat,' he replied. 'Here is your agreement,' the steward said; 'make it fifty-six.'

'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 not only that, but between you and us there lies a great chasm, so that those who wish to pass from here to you cannot, nor can they cross from there to us.'

Nor will people say 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!'; for the Kingdom of God is within you!

People will say to you 'There he is! or 'Here he is!' Do not go and follow them.

Yet, as this widow is so troublesome, I will grant her justice, to stop her from plaguing me with her endless visits.'"

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

But as for my enemies, these men who would not have me as their King, bring them here and put them to death in my presence.'"

"Go to the village facing us," he said, " and, when you get there, you will find a foal tethered, which no one has yet ridden; untie it and lead it here.

But, on seeing him, the tenants consulted with one another. 'Here is the heir!' they said. 'Let us kill him, and then the inheritance will become ours.'

The second and third brothers both took her as their wife;

About the woman, then--at the resurrection, whose wife is she to be, all seven brothers having had her as their wife?"

For every one else here put in something from what he had to spare, while she, in her need, has put in all she had to live upon."

"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."

And, when you hear of wars and disturbances, do not be terrified, for these things must occur first; but the end will not be at once."

Yet not a single hair of your heads shall be lost!

As soon, however, as you see Jerusalem surrounded by armed camps, then you may know that the hour of her desecration is at hand.

"Master," they exclaimed, "look, here are two swords!" "Enough!" said Jesus.

Presently a maidservant saw him sitting near the blaze of the fire. Fixing her eyes on him, she said: "Why, this man was one of his companions!"

About an hour later another man declared positively: "This man also was certainly with him. Why, he is a Galilean!"

But from this hour 'the Son of Man will be seated on the right hand of God Almighty.'"

But they insisted: "He is stirring up the people by his teaching all through Judea; he began with Galilee and has now come here."

[He is not here; but he has risen.] Remember how he spoke to you before he left Galilee--

While they were still unable to believe it all for very joy, and were wondering if it were true, Jesus said to them: "Have you anything here to eat?"