"The Holy Spirit shall descend upon you," answered the angel, "and the Power of the Most High shall overshadow you; and therefore the child will be called 'holy,' and 'Son of God.'

In that same country-side were shepherds out in the open fields, watching their flocks that night,

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

The child grew and became strong and wise, and the blessing of God was upon him.

And John went through the whole district of the Jordan, proclaiming baptism upon repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.

And the Holy Spirit descended, in a visible form, like a dove, upon him, and from the heavens came a voice--"Thou art my Son, the Beloved; in thee I delight."

'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, For he has consecrated me to bring Good News to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and restoration of sight to the blind, To set the oppressed at liberty,

Then, closing the book and returning it to the attendant, he sat down. The eyes of all in the Synagogue were fixed upon him,

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

At sunset, all who had friends suffering from various diseases took them to Jesus; and he placed his hands upon every one of them and cured them.

And then Jesus impressed upon him that he was not to say a word to any one, "but," he added, "set out and show yourself to the priest, and make the offerings for your cleansing, in the manner directed by Moses, as evidence of your cure."

On one of those days, when Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and Doctors of the Law were sitting near by. (They had come from all the villages in Galilee and Judea, and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was upon Jesus, so that he could work cures.)

Then, as an illustration, Jesus said to them: "No man ever tears a piece from a new garment and puts it upon an old one; for, if he does, he will not only tear the new garment, but the piece from the new one will not match the old.

Every one who comes to me and listens to my teaching and acts upon it--I will show you to whom he may be compared.

He may be compared to a man building a house, who dug, and went deep, and laid the foundation upon the rock. Then, when a flood came, the river swept down upon that house, but had no power to shake it, because it had been built well.

But those who have listened and not acted upon what they have heard may be compared to a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation. The river swept down upon it, and the house immediately collapsed; and great was the crash that followed."

"The sower went out to sow his seed; and, as he was sowing, some of the seed fell along the path and was trodden upon; and the wild birds ate it up.

Other seed fell upon rock, and, as soon as it began to grow, having no moisture, withered away.

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.

So they put off. While they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. A squall swept down upon the lake, and their boat was filling and they were in danger.

There was a drove of many pigs close by feeding upon the hill- side; and the demons begged Jesus to give them leave to enter into them. Jesus gave them leave.

Upon which all the people in the neighborhood of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, for they were terrified. Jesus got into a boat and returned.

"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!"

Then, if any one there is deserving of a blessing, your blessing will rest upon him; but if not, it will come back upon yourselves.

Remember, I have given you the power to 'trample upon serpents and scorpions,' and to meet all the strength of the Enemy. Nothing shall ever harm you in any way.

But a Samaritan, traveling that way, came upon the man, and, when he saw him, he was moved with compassion.

But, if it is by the hand of God that I drive out demons, then the Kingdom of God must already be upon you.

When Jesus left the house, the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees began to press him hard and question him closely upon many subjects,

Laying traps for him, so as to seize upon anything that he might say.

Meanwhile the people had gathered in thousands, so that they trod upon one another, when Jesus, addressing himself to his disciples, began by saying to them: "Be on your guard against the leaven--that is, the hypocrisy--of the Pharisees.

Hence all that you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear, within closed doors, will be proclaimed upon the housetops.

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.

I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what more can I wish, if it is already kindled?

When once the master of the house has got up and shut the door, while you begin to say, as you stand outside and knock, 'Sir, open the door for us.' His answer will be--'I do not know where you come from.'

"What man among you who has a hundred sheep, and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine out in the open country, and go after the lost sheep till he finds it?

On that night, I tell you, of two men upon the same bed, one will be taken and the other left;

For he will be given up to the Gentiles, mocked, insulted and spat upon;

Then they led it back to Jesus, and threw their cloaks on the foal and put Jesus upon it.

For a time is coming upon you when your enemies will surround you with earthworks, and encircle you, and hem you in on all sides;

They will trample you down and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know 'the time of your visitation.'"

Yet they could not see what to do, for the people all hung upon his words.

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."

Men's hearts will fail them through dread of what is coming upon the world; for 'the forces of the heavens will be convulsed.'

Be on your guard lest your minds should ever be dulled by debauches or drunkenness or the anxieties of life, and lest 'That Day' should come suddenly upon you, like a snare.

For come it will upon all who are living upon the face of the whole earth.

Yet see! the hand of the man that is betraying me is beside me upon the table!

So that you may eat and drink at my table in my Kingdom, and be seated upon twelve thrones as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Was not the Christ bound to undergo this suffering before entering upon his Glory?"

And now I am myself about to send upon you that which my Father has promised. But you must remain in the city until you have been invested with power from above."