he was chosen by lot, according to the custom of the priesthood, to enter the holy place of the Lord and burn incense.

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.

She exclaimed with a loud voice, "Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child in your womb!

to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

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.

When the angels left them and went back to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, that the Lord has made known to us."

a light, for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel."

Even now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan River and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness,

Then the devil led him up to a high place and showed him in a flash all the kingdoms of the world.

Now in the synagogue there was a man who had the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,

But since they found no way to carry him in because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down on the stretcher through the roof tiles right in front of Jesus.

He also told them a parable: "Someone who is blind cannot lead another who is blind, can he? Won't they both fall into a pit?

How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me remove the speck from your eye,' while you yourself don't see the beam in your own? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.

"No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand so that those who come in can see the light.

For nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing concealed that will not be made known and brought to light.

One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, "Let's go across to the other side of the lake." So they set out,

When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and shouted with a loud voice, "Leave me alone, Jesus, Son of the Most High God! I beg you, do not torment me!"

Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission.

Now when he came to the house, Jesus did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child's father and mother.

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 said to another, "Follow me." But he replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father."

But Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Yet another said, "I will follow you, Lord, but first let me say goodbye to my family."

and forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And do not lead us into temptation."

"No one after lighting a lamp puts it in a hidden place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, so that those who come in can see the light.

Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is full of light, but when it is diseased, your body is full of darkness.

Therefore see to it that the light in you is not darkness.

If then your whole body is full of light, with no part in the dark, it will be as full of light as when the light of a lamp shines on you."

But Jesus replied, "Woe to you experts in religious law as well! You load people down with burdens difficult to bear, yet you yourselves refuse to touch the burdens with even one of your fingers!

So then whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops.

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.

But the one who did not know his master's will and did things worthy of punishment will receive a light beating. From everyone who has been given much, much will be required, and from the one who has been entrusted with much, even more will be asked.

Then the Lord answered him, "You hypocrites! Does not each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or his donkey from its stall, and lead it to water?

Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, 'Lord, let us in!' But he will answer you, 'I don't know where you come from.'

Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish the tower, all who see it will begin to make fun of him.

"Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins and loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it?

Bring the fattened calf and kill it! Let us eat and celebrate,

The master commended the dishonest manager because he acted shrewdly. For the people of this world are more shrewd in dealing with their contemporaries than the people of light.

Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.

Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot, people were eating, drinking, buying, selling, planting, building;

but on the day Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

Remember Lot's wife!

But Jesus called for the children, saying, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

"What do you want me to do for you?" He replied, "Lord, let me see again."

As he approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen:

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!'

They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led away as captives among all nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

Then they arrested Jesus, led him away, and brought him into the high priest's house. But Peter was following at a distance.

When day came, the council of the elders of the people gathered together, both the chief priests and the experts in the law. Then they led Jesus away to their council

But they were insistent, demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified. And their shouts prevailed.

As they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country. They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.

Two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him.

The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!"

because the sun's light failed. The temple curtain was torn in two.

Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" And after he said this he breathed his last.

The women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee followed, and they saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it.

Then Jesus led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands, he blessed them.