He had been dwelling upon this, when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. "Joseph, son of David," the angel said, "do not be afraid to take Mary for your wife, for her child has been conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit.

She shall give birth to a son; and you shall give him the name Jesus, for it is he who shall save his people from their sins."

'Behold! the virgin shall be with child and shall give birth to a son, And they will give him the name Immanuel'--a word which means 'God is with us.'

He made Mary his wife, but did not live with her as her husband until after the birth of her son; and to this son he gave the name Jesus.

And there he stayed until Herod's death; in fulfillment of these words of the Lord in the Prophet, where he says--'Out of Egypt I called my Son.'

And from the heavens there came a voice which said: "This is my son, the Beloved, in whom I delight."

And the Tempter came to him, and said: "If you are God's Son, tell these stones to become loaves of bread."

"If you are God's Son, throw yourself down, for Scripture says- -'He will give his angels commands about thee, And on their hands they will upbear thee, Lest ever thou shouldst strike thy foot against a stone.'"

Going further on, he saw two other men who were also brothers, James, Zebediah's son, and his brother John, in their boat with their father, mending their nets. Jesus called them,

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called Sons of God.

That you may become Sons of your Father who is in Heaven; for he causes his sun to rise upon bad and good alike, and sends rain upon the righteous and upon the unrighteous.

Who among you, when his son asks him for a loaf, will give him a stone,

"Foxes have holes," answered Jesus, "and wild birds their roosting-places, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

Suddenly they shrieked out: "What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before our time?"

But, that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins"--then he said to the paralyzed man-- "Get up, take up your bed, and return to your home."

As Jesus was passing on from there, he was followed by two blind men, who kept calling out: "Take pity on us, Son of David!"

The names of the twelve Apostles are these: First Simon, also known as Peter, and his brother Andrew; James the son of Zebediah, and his brother John;

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax-gather; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;

But, when they persecute you in one town, escape to the next; for, I tell you, you will not have come to the end of the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

And now that the Son of Man has come, eating and drinking, they are saying 'Here is a glutton and a wine-drinker, a friend of tax-gatherers and outcasts!' And yet Wisdom is vindicated by her actions."

Everything has been committed to me by my Father; nor does any one fully know the Son, except the Father, or fully know the Father, except the Son and those to whom the Son may choose to reveal him.

For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath."

At this all the people were astounded. "Is it possible that this is the son of David?" they exclaimed.

And, if it is by Baal-zebub's help that I drive out demons, by whose help is it that your own sons drive them out? Therefore they shall themselves be your judges.

Whoever speaks against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in the present age, or in the age to come.

For, just as 'Jonah was inside the sea-monster three days and three nights,' so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

And he answered: "The sower of the good seed is the Son of Man.

The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom all that hinders and those who live in sin,

Is not he the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary, and his brothers James, and Joseph, and Simon, and Judas?

But the men in the boat threw themselves on their faces before him, and said: "You are indeed God's Son."

There, a Canaanite woman of that district came out and began calling to Jesus: "Take pity on me, Master, Son of David; my daughter is grievously possessed by a demon."

On coming into the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples this question-- "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"

And to this Simon Peter answered: "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God."

"Blessed are you, Simon, Son of Jonah," Jesus replied. "For no human being has revealed this to you, but my Father who is in Heaven.

For the Son of Man is to come in his Father's Glory, with his angels, and then he 'will give to every man what his actions deserve.'

I tell you, some of those who are standing here will not know death till they have seen the Son of Man coming into his Kingdom."

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and there was a voice from the cloud that said-- "This is my Son, the Beloved, in whom I delight; him you must hear."

As they were going down the mountain side, Jesus gave them this warning-- "Do not speak of this vision to any one, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead."

And I tell you that Elijah has already come, and people have not recognized him, but have treated him just as they pleased. In the same way, too, the Son of Man is destined to undergo suffering at men's hands."

"Master, take pity on my son, for he is epileptic and suffers terribly; indeed, he often falls into the fire and into the water;

While Jesus and his disciples were together in Galilee, he said to them: "The Son of Man is destined to be betrayed into the hands of his fellow-men,

"Yes," answered Peter. But, on going into the house, before he could speak, Jesus said: "What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings take taxes or tribute? From their sons, or from others?"

"From others," answered Peter. "Well then," continued Jesus, "their sons go free.

"I tell you," answered Jesus, "that at the New Creation, 'when the Son of Man takes his seat on his throne of glory,' you who followed me shall be seated upon twelve thrones, as judges of the twelve tribes of Israel.

"Listen! We are going up to Jerusalem; and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and Teachers of the Law, and they will condemn him to death,

Then the mother of Zebediah's sons came to him with her sons, bowing to the ground, and begging a favor.

"What is it that you want?" he asked. "I want you to say," she replied, "that in your Kingdom these two sons of mine may sit, one on your right, and the other on your left."

Just as the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Two blind men who were sitting by the road-side, hearing that Jesus was passing, called out: "Take pity on us, Master, Son of David!"

The crowd told them to be quiet; but the men only called out the louder: "Take pity on us, Master, Son of David!"

The crowds that led the way, as well as those that followed behind, kept shouting: "God save the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! God save him from on high!"

But, when the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the boys who were calling out in the Temple Courts "God save the Son of David!", they were indignant,

What do you think of this? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the elder and said 'Go and work in the vineyard to-day my son.'

Then the father went to the second son, and said the same. 'I will not,' he answered; but afterwards he was sorry and went.

Which of the two sons did as his father wished?" " The second," they said. "I tell you," added Jesus, "that tax-gatherers and prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God before you.

As a last resource he sent his son to them. 'They will respect my son,' he said.

But the tenants, on seeing his son, said to each other 'Here is the heir! Come, let us kill him, and get his inheritance.'

"The Kingdom of Heaven," he said, "may be compared to a king who gave a banquet in honor of his son's wedding.

"What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "David's," they said.

Since, then, David calls him 'lord,' how is he David's son?"

in order that upon your heads may fall every drop of innocent 'blood split on earth,' from the blood of innocent Abel down to that of Zechariah, Barachiah's son, whom you murdered between the Temple and the altar.

For, just as lightning will start from the east and flash across to the west, so will it be with the Coming of the Son of Man.

Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in the heavens; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the heavens,' with power and great glory;

But about that Day and Hour, no one knows--not even the angels of Heaven, nor yet the Son--but only the Father himself.

For, just as in the days of Noah, so will it be at the Coming of the Son of Man.

Taking not notice till the flood came and swept them one and all away; and so will it be at the Coming of the Son of Man.

Therefore, do you also prepare, since it is just when you are least expecting him that the Son of Man will come.

When the Son of Man has come in his glory and all the angels with him, then he 'will take his seat on his throne of glory';

"You know that in two days time the Festival of the Passover will be here; and that the Son of Man is to be given up to be crucified."

True, the Son of Man must go, as Scripture says of him, yet alas for that man by whom the Son of Man is being betrayed! For that man 'it would be better never to have been born!'"

Taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebediah, he began to show signs of sadness and deep distress of mind.

Then he came to the disciples, and said: "Sleep on now, and rest yourselves. Hark! my time is close at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of wicked men.

But Jesus remained silent. On this the High Priest said to him: "I adjure you, by the Living God, to tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."

"It is true," Jesus answered; "Moreover I tell you all that hereafter you shall 'see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of the Almighty, and coming on the clouds of the heavens.'"

"You who 'destroy the Temple and build one in three days,' save yourself! If you are God's Son, come down from the cross!"

He has trusted in God; if God wants him, let him deliver him now; for he said 'I am God's Son.'"

The Roman Captain, and the men with him who were watching Jesus, on seeing the earthquake and all that was happening, became greatly frightened and exclaimed: "This must indeed have been God's Son!"

Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebediah's sons.

Therefore go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the Faith of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,

And from the heavens came a voice--"Thou art my Son, the Beloved; in thee I delight."

Going on a little further, he saw James, Zebediah's son, and his brother John, who also were in their boat mending the nets.

But that you may know that the Son of Man has power to forgive sins on earth"--here he said to the paralyzed man--

As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting in the tax-office, and said to him: "Follow me." Levi got up and followed him.

So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."

The foul spirits, too, whenever they caught sight of him, flung themselves down before him, and screamed out: "You are the Son of God"!

James, the son of Zebediah, and his brother John (to whom he gave the name of Boanerges, which means the Thunderers),

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot,

Shrieking out in a loud voice: "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? For God's sake do not torment me!"

Is not he the carpenter, the son of Mary, and the brother of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon? And are not his sisters, too, living here among us?" This proved a hindrance to their believing in him;

Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo much suffering, and that he must be rejected by the Councillors, and the Chief Priests, and the Teachers of the Law, and be put to death, and rise again after three days.

Whoever is ashamed of me and of my teaching, in this unfaithful and wicked generation, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed, when he comes in his Father's Glory with the holy angels."

Then a cloud came down and enveloped them; and from the cloud there came a voice--"This is my Son, the Beloved; him you must hear."

As they were going down the mountain-side, Jesus cautioned them not to relate what they had seen to any one, till after the Son of Man should have risen again from the dead.

"Elijah does indeed come first," answered Jesus, "and re-establish everything; and does not Scripture speak, with regard to the Son of Man, of his undergoing much suffering and being utterly despised?

"Teacher," answered a man in the crowd, "I brought my son to see you, as he has a dumb spirit in him;

for he was instructing his disciples, and telling them-- "The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of his fellow men, and they will put him to death, but, when he has been put to death, he will rise again after three days."

"Listen!" he said. "We are going up to Jerusalem; and there the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and the Teachers of the Law, and they will condemn him to death, and they will give him up to the Gentiles,

James and John, the two sons of Zebediah, went to Jesus, and said: "Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask."

For even the Son of Man came, not be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."