Daily Shots

Mt 10:17-22Jesus said to his disciples:"Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courtsand scourge you in their synagogues,and you will be led before governors and kings for my sakeas a witness before them and the pagans.When they hand you over,do not worry about how you are to speakor what you are to say.You will be given at that moment what you are to say.For it will not be you who speakbut the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.Brother will hand over brother to death,and the father his child;children will rise up against parents and have them put to death.You will be hated by all because of my name,but whoever endures to the end will be saved."

Jn 1:1-18    In the beginning was the Word,        and the Word was with God,        and the Word was God.    He was in the beginning with God.     All things came to be through him,        and without him nothing came to be.    What came to be through him was life,        and this life was the light of the human race;    the light shines in the darkness,        and the darkness has not overcome it.A man named John was sent from God.He came for testimony, to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.He was not the light,but came to testify to the light.The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.    He was in the world,        and the world came to be through him,        but the world did not know him.    He came to what was his own,        but his own people did not accept him.But to those who did accept himhe gave power to become children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born not by natural generation nor by human choice nor by a man's decision but of God.    And the Word became flesh        and made his dwelling among us,        and we saw his glory,        the glory as of the Father's only Son,        full of grace and truth.John testified to him and cried out, saying, “This was he of whom I said, ‘The one who is coming after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.'”From his fullness we have all received,grace in place of grace,because while the law was given through Moses, grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.No one has ever seen God.The only Son, God, who is at the Father's side, has revealed him.

Lk 1:67-79Zechariah his father, filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied, saying:“Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel;for he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty Savior,born of the house of his servant David.Through his prophets he promised of oldthat he would save us from our enemies,from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathersand to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham:to set us free from the hand of our enemies,free to worship him without fear,holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High,for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,to give his people knowledge of salvationby the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our Godthe dawn from on high shall break upon us,to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death,and to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

Lk 1:57-66When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her childshe gave birth to a son.Her neighbors and relatives heardthat the Lord had shown his great mercy toward her,and they rejoiced with her.When they came on the eighth day to circumcise the child,they were going to call him Zechariah after his father,but his mother said in reply,“No. He will be called John.”But they answered her,“There is no one among your relatives who has this name.”So they made signs, asking his father what he wished him to be called.He asked for a tablet and wrote, “John is his name,”and all were amazed.Immediately his mouth was opened, his tongue freed,and he spoke blessing God.Then fear came upon all their neighbors,and all these matters were discussedthroughout the hill country of Judea.All who heard these things took them to heart, saying,“What, then, will this child be?For surely the hand of the Lord was with him.”

Lk 1:46-56Mary said:“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;my spirit rejoices in God my savior.for he has looked upon his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for me,and holy is his Name.He has mercy on those who fear himin every generation.He has shown the strength of his arm,and has scattered the proud in their conceit.He has cast down the mighty from their thronesand has lifted up the lowly.He has filled the hungry with good things,and the rich he has sent away empty.He has come to the help of his servant Israelfor he remembered his promise of mercy,the promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children for ever.”Mary remained with Elizabeth about three monthsand then returned to her home.

Lk 1:5-25In the days of Herod, King of Judea,there was a priest named Zechariahof the priestly division of Abijah;his wife was from the daughters of Aaron,and her name was Elizabeth.Both were righteous in the eyes of God,observing all the commandmentsand ordinances of the Lord blamelessly.But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barrenand both were advanced in years.Once when he was serving as priestin his division's turn before God,according to the practice of the priestly service,he was chosen by lotto enter the sanctuary of the Lord to burn incense.Then, when the whole assembly of the people was praying outsideat the hour of the incense offering,the angel of the Lord appeared to him,standing at the right of the altar of incense.Zechariah was troubled by what he saw, and fear came upon him.But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah,because your prayer has been heard.Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son,and you shall name him John.And you will have joy and gladness,and many will rejoice at his birth,for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.He will drink neither wine nor strong drink.He will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from his mother's womb,and he will turn many of the children of Israelto the Lord their God.He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijahto turn the hearts of fathers toward childrenand the disobedient to the understanding of the righteous,to prepare a people fit for the Lord.”Then Zechariah said to the angel,“How shall I know this?For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.”And the angel said to him in reply,“I am Gabriel, who stand before God.I was sent to speak to you and to announce to you this good news.But now you will be speechless and unable to talkuntil the day these things take place,because you did not believe my words,which will be fulfilled at their proper time.”Meanwhile the people were waiting for Zechariahand were amazed that he stayed so long in the sanctuary.But when he came out, he was unable to speak to them,and they realized that he had seen a vision in the sanctuary.He was gesturing to them but remained mute.Then, when his days of ministry were completed, he went home.After this time his wife Elizabeth conceived,and she went into seclusion for five months, saying,“So has the Lord done for me at a time when he has seen fitto take away my disgrace before others.”

Mt 1:18-25This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded himand took his wife into his home.He had no relations with her until she bore a son,and he named him Jesus.

Mt 1:1-17The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ,the son of David, the son of Abraham.Abraham became the father of Isaac,Isaac the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers.Judah became the father of Perez and Zerah,whose mother was Tamar.Perez became the father of Hezron,Hezron the father of Ram,Ram the father of Amminadab.Amminadab became the father of Nahshon,Nahshon the father of Salmon,Salmon the father of Boaz,whose mother was Rahab.Boaz became the father of Obed,whose mother was Ruth.Obed became the father of Jesse,Jesse the father of David the king.David became the father of Solomon,whose mother had been the wife of Uriah.Solomon became the father of Rehoboam,Rehoboam the father of Abijah,Abijah the father of Asaph.Asaph became the father of Jehoshaphat,Jehoshaphat the father of Joram,Joram the father of Uzziah.Uzziah became the father of Jotham,Jotham the father of Ahaz,Ahaz the father of Hezekiah.Hezekiah became the father of Manasseh,Manasseh the father of Amos,Amos the father of Josiah.Josiah became the father of Jechoniah and his brothersat the time of the Babylonian exile.After the Babylonian exile,Jechoniah became the father of Shealtiel,Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,Zerubbabel the father of Abiud.Abiud became the father of Eliakim,Eliakim the father of Azor,Azor the father of Zadok.Zadok became the father of Achim,Achim the father of Eliud,Eliud the father of Eleazar.Eleazar became the father of Matthan,Matthan the father of Jacob,Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.Thus the total number of generationsfrom Abraham to Davidis fourteen generations;from David to the Babylonian exile, fourteen generations;from the Babylonian exile to the Christ,fourteen generations.

Mt 21:28-32Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:“What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said,‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' The son said in reply, ‘I will not,'but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,' but did not go. Which of the two did his father's will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,tax collectors and prostitutesare entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness,you did not believe him;but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that,you did not later change your minds and believe him.”

Mt 21:23-27When Jesus had come into the temple area,the chief priests and the elders of the people approached himas he was teaching and said,"By what authority are you doing these things?And who gave you this authority?"Jesus said to them in reply,"I shall ask you one question, and if you answer it for me,then I shall tell you by what authority I do these things.Where was John's baptism from?Was it of heavenly or of human origin?"They discussed this among themselves and said,"If we say 'Of heavenly origin,' he will say to us,'Then why did you not believe him?'But if we say, 'Of human origin,' we fear the crowd,for they all regard John as a prophet."So they said to Jesus in reply, "We do not know."He himself said to them,"Neither shall I tell you by what authority I do these things."

Lk 1:39-47Mary set outand traveled to the hill country in hasteto a town of Judah,where she entered the house of Zechariahand greeted Elizabeth.When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,the infant leaped in her womb,and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,cried out in a loud voice and said,“Most blessed are you among women,and blessed is the fruit of your womb.And how does this happen to me,that the mother of my Lord should come to me?For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,the infant in my womb leaped for joy.Blessed are you who believedthat what was spoken to you by the Lordwould be fulfilled.”And Mary said:“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;my spirit rejoices in God my savior.”

Mt 11:11-15Jesus said to the crowds:“Amen, I say to you,among those born of womenthere has been none greater than John the Baptist;yet the least in the Kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now,the Kingdom of heaven suffers violence,and the violent are taking it by force. All the prophets and the law prophesied up to the time of John. And if you are willing to accept it,he is Elijah, the one who is to come. Whoever has ears ought to hear.”

Mt 11:28-30Jesus said to the crowds:"Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me,for I am meek and humble of heart;and you will find rest for yourselves.For my yoke is easy, and my burden light."

Mt 18:12-14Jesus said to his disciples:"What is your opinion?If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray,will he not leave the ninety-nine in the hillsand go in search of the stray?And if he finds it, amen, I say to you, he rejoices more over itthan over the ninety-nine that did not stray.In just the same way, it is not the will of your heavenly Fatherthat one of these little ones be lost." 

Lk 1:26-38The angel Gabriel was sent from Godto a town of Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,of the house of David,and the virgin's name was Mary.And coming to her, he said,"Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you."But she was greatly troubled at what was saidand pondered what sort of greeting this might be.Then the angel said to her,"Do not be afraid, Mary,for you have found favor with God.Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son,and you shall name him Jesus.He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High,and the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father,and he will rule over the house of Jacob forever,and of his Kingdom there will be no end."But Mary said to the angel,"How can this be,since I have no relations with a man?"And the angel said to her in reply,"The Holy Spirit will come upon you,and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.Therefore the child to be bornwill be called holy, the Son of God.And behold, Elizabeth, your relative,has also conceived a son in her old age,and this is the sixth month for her who was called barren;for nothing will be impossible for God."Mary said, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.May it be done to me according to your word."Then the angel departed from her.

Mt 9:27-31As Jesus passed by, two blind men followed him, crying out,"Son of David, have pity on us!"When he entered the house,the blind men approached him and Jesus said to them,"Do you believe that I can do this?""Yes, Lord," they said to him.Then he touched their eyes and said,"Let it be done for you according to your faith."And their eyes were opened.Jesus warned them sternly,"See that no one knows about this."But they went out and spread word of him through all that land.

Mt 7:21, 24-27Jesus said to his disciples:“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,'will enter the Kingdom of heaven,but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on themwill be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. And everyone who listens to these words of minebut does not act on themwill be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came,and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

Mt 15:29-37At that time:Jesus walked by the Sea of Galilee,went up on the mountain, and sat down there.Great crowds came to him,having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, the mute,and many others.They placed them at his feet, and he cured them.The crowds were amazed when they saw the mute speaking,the deformed made whole,the lame walking,and the blind able to see,and they glorified the God of Israel.Jesus summoned his disciples and said,"My heart is moved with pity for the crowd,for they have been with me now for three daysand have nothing to eat.I do not want to send them away hungry,for fear they may collapse on the way."The disciples said to him,"Where could we ever get enough bread in this deserted placeto satisfy such a crowd?"Jesus said to them, "How many loaves do you have?""Seven," they replied, "and a few fish."He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.Then he took the seven loaves and the fish,gave thanks, broke the loaves,and gave them to the disciples, who in turn gave them to the crowds.They all ate and were satisfied.They picked up the fragments left over–seven baskets full.

Lk 10:21-24Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,"I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,for although you have hidden these thingsfrom the wise and the learnedyou have revealed them to the childlike.Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.All things have been handed over to me by my Father.No one knows who the Son is except the Father,and who the Father is except the Sonand anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him."Turning to the disciples in private he said,"Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.For I say to you,many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,but did not see it,and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it."

Mt 8:5-11When Jesus entered Capernaum,a centurion approached him and appealed to him, saying,"Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, suffering dreadfully."He said to him, "I will come and cure him."The centurion said in reply,"Lord, I am not worthy to have you enter under my roof;only say the word and my servant will be healed.For I too am a man subject to authority,with soldiers subject to me.And I say to one, 'Go,' and he goes;and to another, 'Come here,' and he comes;and to my slave, 'Do this,' and he does it."When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him,"Amen, I say to you, in no one in Israel have I found such faith.I say to you, many will come from the east and the west,and will recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacobat the banquet in the Kingdom of heaven."

Lk 21:29-33Jesus told his disciples a parable."Consider the fig tree and all the other trees.When their buds burst open,you see for yourselves and know that summer is now near;in the same way, when you see these things happening,know that the Kingdom of God is near.Amen, I say to you, this generation will not pass awayuntil all these things have taken place.Heaven and earth will pass away,but my words will not pass away."

Lk 21:20-28Jesus said to his disciples:“When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies,know that its desolation is at hand.Then those in Judea must flee to the mountains.Let those within the city escape from it,and let those in the countryside not enter the city,for these days are the time of punishmentwhen all the Scriptures are fulfilled.Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days,for a terrible calamity will come upon the earthand a wrathful judgment upon this people.They will fall by the edge of the swordand be taken as captives to all the Gentiles;and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentilesuntil the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.“There will be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars,and on earth nations will be in dismay,perplexed by the roaring of the sea and the waves.People will die of frightin anticipation of what is coming upon the world,for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.And then they will see the Son of Mancoming in a cloud with power and great glory.But when these signs begin to happen,stand erect and raise your headsbecause your redemption is at hand.”

Lk 21:12-19Jesus said to the crowd:"They will seize and persecute you,they will hand you over to the synagogues and to prisons,and they will have you led before kings and governorsbecause of my name.It will lead to your giving testimony.Remember, you are not to prepare your defense beforehand,for I myself shall give you a wisdom in speakingthat all your adversaries will be powerless to resist or refute.You will even be handed over by parents,brothers, relatives, and friends,and they will put some of you to death.You will be hated by all because of my name,but not a hair on your head will be destroyed.By your perseverance you will secure your lives."

Lk 21:5-11While some people were speaking abouthow the temple was adorned with costly stones and votive offerings,Jesus said, "All that you see here–the days will come when there will not be lefta stone upon another stone that will not be thrown down."Then they asked him,"Teacher, when will this happen?And what sign will there be when all these things are about to happen?"He answered,"See that you not be deceived,for many will come in my name, saying,'I am he,' and 'The time has come.'Do not follow them!When you hear of wars and insurrections,do not be terrified; for such things must happen first,but it will not immediately be the end."Then he said to them,"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.There will be powerful earthquakes, famines, and plaguesfrom place to place;and awesome sights and mighty signs will come from the sky."

Lkk 21:1-4When Jesus looked up he saw some wealthy peopleputting their offerings into the treasuryand he noticed a poor widow putting in two small coins.He said, "I tell you truly,this poor widow put in more than all the rest;for those others have all made offerings from their surplus wealth,but she, from her poverty, has offered her whole livelihood."

Lk 19:45-48Jesus entered the temple area and proceeded to drive outthose who were selling things, saying to them,    “It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer,    but you have made it a den of thieves.”And every day he was teaching in the temple area.The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people, meanwhile,were seeking to put him to death,but they could find no way to accomplish their purposebecause all the people were hanging on his words.

Lk 19:41-44As Jesus drew near Jerusalem,he saw the city and wept over it, saying,“If this day you only knew what makes for peace–but now it is hidden from your eyes.For the days are coming upon youwhen your enemies will raise a palisade against you;they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides.They will smash you to the ground and your children within you,and they will not leave one stone upon another within youbecause you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”

Lk 19:11-28While people were listening to Jesus speak,he proceeded to tell a parable because he was near Jerusalemand they thought that the Kingdom of Godwould appear there immediately.So he said,"A nobleman went off to a distant countryto obtain the kingship for himself and then to return.He called ten of his servants and gave them ten gold coinsand told them, 'Engage in trade with these until I return.'His fellow citizens, however, despised himand sent a delegation after him to announce,'We do not want this man to be our king.'But when he returned after obtaining the kingship,he had the servants called, to whom he had given the money,to learn what they had gained by trading.The first came forward and said,'Sir, your gold coin has earned ten additional ones.'He replied, 'Well done, good servant!You have been faithful in this very small matter;take charge of ten cities.'Then the second came and reported,'Your gold coin, sir, has earned five more.'And to this servant too he said,'You, take charge of five cities.'Then the other servant came and said,'Sir, here is your gold coin;I kept it stored away in a handkerchief,for I was afraid of you, because you are a demanding man;you take up what you did not lay downand you harvest what you did not plant.'He said to him,'With your own words I shall condemn you,you wicked servant.You knew I was a demanding man,taking up what I did not lay downand harvesting what I did not plant;why did you not put my money in a bank?Then on my return I would have collected it with interest.'And to those standing by he said,'Take the gold coin from himand give it to the servant who has ten.'But they said to him,'Sir, he has ten gold coins.'He replied, 'I tell you,to everyone who has, more will be given,but from the one who has not,even what he has will be taken away.Now as for those enemies of mine who did not want me as their king,bring them here and slay them before me.'"After he had said this,he proceeded on his journey up to Jerusalem.

Lk 18:35-43As Jesus approached Jerichoa blind man was sitting by the roadside begging,and hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what was happening.They told him,"Jesus of Nazareth is passing by."He shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me!"The people walking in front rebuked him,telling him to be silent,but he kept calling out all the more,"Son of David, have pity on me!"Then Jesus stopped and ordered that he be brought to him;and when he came near, Jesus asked him,"What do you want me to do for you?"He replied, "Lord, please let me see."Jesus told him, "Have sight; your faith has saved you."He immediately received his sightand followed him, giving glory to God.When they saw this, all the people gave praise to God.

Lk 17:26-37Jesus said to his disciples:"As it was in the days of Noah,so it will be in the days of the Son of Man;they were eating and drinking,marrying and giving in marriage up to the daythat Noah entered the ark,and the flood came and destroyed them all.Similarly, as it was in the days of Lot:they were eating, drinking, buying,selling, planting, building;on the day when Lot left Sodom,fire and brimstone rained from the sky to destroy them all.So it will be on the day the Son of Man is revealed.On that day, someone who is on the housetopand whose belongings are in the housemust not go down to get them,and likewise one in the fieldmust not return to what was left behind.Remember the wife of Lot.Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it,but whoever loses it will save it.I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed;one will be taken, the other left.And there will be two women grinding meal together;one will be taken, the other left."They said to him in reply, "Where, Lord?"He said to them, "Where the body is,there also the vultures will gather."

Lk 17:20-25Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,Jesus said in reply,"The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,and no one will announce, 'Look, here it is,' or, 'There it is.'For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you."Then he said to his disciples,"The days will come when you will long to seeone of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.There will be those who will say to you,'Look, there he is,' or 'Look, here he is.'Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.For just as lightning flashesand lights up the sky from one side to the other,so will the Son of Man be in his day.But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation."

Lk 17:11-19As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,"Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!"And when he saw them, he said,"Go show yourselves to the priests."As they were going they were cleansed.And one of them, realizing he had been healed,returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.He was a Samaritan.Jesus said in reply,"Ten were cleansed, were they not?Where are the other nine?Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?"Then he said to him, "Stand up and go;your faith has saved you."

Lk 17:7-10Jesus said to the Apostles:"Who among you would say to your servantwho has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,'Come here immediately and take your place at table'?Would he not rather say to him,'Prepare something for me to eat.Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.You may eat and drink when I am finished'?Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?So should it be with you.When you have done all you have been commanded, say,'We are unprofitable servants;we have done what we were obliged to do.'"

Lk 17:1-6Jesus said to his disciples,"Things that cause sin will inevitably occur,but woe to the one through whom they occur.It would be better for him if a millstone were put around his neckand he be thrown into the seathan for him to cause one of these little ones to sin.Be on your guard!If your brother sins, rebuke him;and if he repents, forgive him.And if he wrongs you seven times in one dayand returns to you seven times saying, 'I am sorry,'you should forgive him."And the Apostles said to the Lord, "Increase our faith."The Lord replied, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,you would say to this mulberry tree,'Be uprooted and planted in the sea,' and it would obey you."

Lk 16:1-8Jesus said to his disciples, “A rich man had a stewardwho was reported to him for squandering his property.He summoned him and said,‘What is this I hear about you?Prepare a full account of your stewardship,because you can no longer be my steward.'The steward said to himself, ‘What shall I do,now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me?I am not strong enough to dig and I am ashamed to beg.I know what I shall do so that,when I am removed from the stewardship,they may welcome me into their homes.'He called in his master's debtors one by one.To the first he said, ‘How much do you owe my master?'He replied, ‘One hundred measures of olive oil.'He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note.Sit down and quickly write one for fifty.'Then to another he said, ‘And you, how much do you owe?'He replied, ‘One hundred measures of wheat.'  He said to him, ‘Here is your promissory note;write one for eighty.'And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently.For the children of this worldare more prudent in dealing with their own generationthan the children of light.”

Lk 15:1-10The tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to listen to Jesus,but the Pharisees and scribes began to complain, saying,"This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."So Jesus addressed this parable to them."What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of themwould not leave the ninety-nine in the desertand go after the lost one until he finds it?And when he does find it,he sets it on his shoulders with great joyand, upon his arrival home,he calls together his friends and neighbors and says to them,'Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.'I tell you, in just the same waythere will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repentsthan over ninety-nine righteous peoplewho have no need of repentance."Or what woman having ten coins and losing onewould not light a lamp and sweep the house,searching carefully until she finds it?And when she does find it,she calls together her friends and neighborsand says to them,'Rejoice with me because I have found the coin that I lost.'In just the same way, I tell you,there will be rejoicing among the angels of Godover one sinner who repents."

Lk 14:25-33Great crowds were traveling with Jesus,and he turned and addressed them,"If anyone comes to me without hating his father and mother,wife and children, brothers and sisters,and even his own life,he cannot be my disciple.Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after mecannot be my disciple.Which of you wishing to construct a towerdoes not first sit down and calculate the costto see if there is enough for its completion?Otherwise, after laying the foundationand finding himself unable to finish the workthe onlookers should laugh at him and say,'This one began to build but did not have the resources to finish.'Or what king marching into battle would not first sit downand decide whether with ten thousand troopshe can successfully oppose another kingadvancing upon him with twenty thousand troops?But if not, while he is still far away,he will send a delegation to ask for peace terms.In the same way,everyone of you who does not renounce all his possessionscannot be my disciple."

Lk 14:15-24One of those at table with Jesus said to him,"Blessed is the one who will dine in the Kingdom of God."He replied to him,"A man gave a great dinner to which he invited many.When the time for the dinner came,he dispatched his servant to say to those invited,'Come, everything is now ready.'But one by one, they all began to excuse themselves.The first said to him,'I have purchased a field and must go to examine it;I ask you, consider me excused.'And another said, 'I have purchased five yoke of oxenand am on my way to evaluate them;I ask you, consider me excused.'And another said, 'I have just married a woman,and therefore I cannot come.'The servant went and reported this to his master.Then the master of the house in a rage commanded his servant,'Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the townand bring in here the poor and the crippled, the blind and the lame.'The servant reported, 'Sir, your orders have been carried outand still there is room.'The master then ordered the servant,'Go out to the highways and hedgerowsand make people come in that my home may be filled.For, I tell you, none of those men who were invited will taste my dinner.'"

Lk 14:12-14On a sabbath Jesus went to dineat the home of one of the leading Pharisees.He said to the host who invited him,"When you hold a lunch or a dinner,do not invite your friends or your brothers or sistersor your relatives or your wealthy neighbors,in case they may invite you back and you have repayment.Rather, when you hold a banquet,invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind;blessed indeed will you be because of their inability to repay you.For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous."

Lk 14:1-6On a sabbath Jesus went to dineat the home of one of the leading Pharisees,and the people there were observing him carefully.In front of him there was a man suffering from dropsy.Jesus spoke to the scholars of the law and Pharisees in reply, asking,"Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath or not?"But they kept silent; so he took the man and,after he had healed him, dismissed him.Then he said to them"Who among you, if your son or ox falls into a cistern,would not immediately pull him out on the sabbath day?"But they were unable to answer his question.

Lk 13:31-35Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said,"Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you."He replied, "Go and tell that fox,'Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow,and on the third day I accomplish my purpose.Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day,for it is impossible that a prophet should dieoutside of Jerusalem.'"Jerusalem, Jerusalem,you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,how many times I yearned to gather your children togetheras a hen gathers her brood under her wings,but you were unwilling!Behold, your house will be abandoned.But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say,Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord."

Lk 6:12-16Jesus went up to the mountain to pray,and he spent the night in prayer to God.When day came, he called his disciples to himself,and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles:Simon, whom he named Peter, and his brother Andrew,James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew,Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus,Simon who was called a Zealot,and Judas the son of James,and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

Lk 13:10-17Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath.And a woman was there who for eighteen yearshad been crippled by a spirit;she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect.When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said,"Woman, you are set free of your infirmity."He laid his hands on her,and she at once stood up straight and glorified God.But the leader of the synagogue,indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath,said to the crowd in reply,"There are six days when work should be done.Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day."The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites!Does not each one of you on the sabbathuntie his ox or his ass from the mangerand lead it out for watering?This daughter of Abraham,whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now,ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath dayfrom this bondage?"When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated;and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.

Lk 12:54-59Jesus said to the crowds,"When you see a cloud rising in the westyou say immediately that it is going to rain–and so it does;and when you notice that the wind is blowing from the southyou say that it is going to be hot–and so it is.You hypocrites!You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky;why do you not know how to interpret the present time?"Why do you not judge for yourselves what is right?If you are to go with your opponent before a magistrate,make an effort to settle the matter on the way;otherwise your opponent will turn you over to the judge,and the judge hand you over to the constable,and the constable throw you into prison.I say to you, you will not be releaseduntil you have paid the last penny."

Lk 12:49-53Jesus said to his disciples:"I have come to set the earth on fire,and how I wish it were already blazing!There is a baptism with which I must be baptized,and how great is my anguish until it is accomplished!Do you think that I have come to establish peace on the earth?No, I tell you, but rather division.From now on a household of five will be divided,three against two and two against three;a father will be divided against his sonand a son against his father,a mother against her daughterand a daughter against her mother,a mother-in-law against her daughter-in-lawand a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Lk 12:39-48Jesus said to his disciples:"Be sure of this:if the master of the house had known the hourwhen the thief was coming,he would not have let his house be broken into.You also must be prepared,for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."Then Peter said,"Lord, is this parable meant for us or for everyone?"And the Lord replied,"Who, then, is the faithful and prudent stewardwhom the master will put in charge of his servantsto distribute the food allowance at the proper time?Blessed is that servant whom his master on arrival finds doing so.Truly, I say to you, he will put himin charge of all his property.But if that servant says to himself,'My master is delayed in coming,'and begins to beat the menservants and the maidservants,to eat and drink and get drunk,then that servant's master will comeon an unexpected day and at an unknown hourand will punish the servant severelyand assign him a place with the unfaithful.That servant who knew his master's willbut did not make preparations nor act in accord with his willshall be beaten severely;and the servant who was ignorant of his master's willbut acted in a way deserving of a severe beatingshall be beaten only lightly.Much will be required of the person entrusted with much,and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more."

Lk 12:35-38Jesus said to his disciples:"Gird your loins and light your lampsand be like servants who await their master's return from a wedding,ready to open immediately when he comes and knocks.Blessed are those servantswhom the master finds vigilant on his arrival.Amen, I say to you, he will gird himself,have them recline at table, and proceed to wait on them.And should he come in the second or third watchand find them prepared in this way,blessed are those servants."

Lk 12:13-21Someone in the crowd said to Jesus,"Teacher, tell my brother to share the inheritance with me."He replied to him,"Friend, who appointed me as your judge and arbitrator?"Then he said to the crowd,"Take care to guard against all greed,for though one may be rich,one's life does not consist of possessions."Then he told them a parable."There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest.He asked himself, 'What shall I do,for I do not have space to store my harvest?'And he said, 'This is what I shall do:I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones.There I shall store all my grain and other goodsand I shall say to myself, "Now as for you,you have so many good things stored up for many years,rest, eat, drink, be merry!"'But God said to him,'You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you;and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong?'Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himselfbut is not rich in what matters to God."

Lk 12:1-7At that time:So many people were crowding togetherthat they were trampling one another underfoot.Jesus began to speak, first to his disciples,"Beware of the leaven–that is, the hypocrisy–of the Pharisees."There is nothing concealed that will not be revealed,nor secret that will not be known.Therefore whatever you have said in the darknesswill be heard in the light,and what you have whispered behind closed doorswill be proclaimed on the housetops.I tell you, my friends,do not be afraid of those who kill the bodybut after that can do no more.I shall show you whom to fear.Be afraid of the one who after killinghas the power to cast into Gehenna;yes, I tell you, be afraid of that one.Are not five sparrows sold for two small coins?Yet not one of them has escaped the notice of God.Even the hairs of your head have all been counted.Do not be afraid.You are worth more than many sparrows."

Lk 11:47-54The Lord said:"Woe to you who build the memorials of the prophetswhom your fathers killed.Consequently, you bear witness and give consentto the deeds of your ancestors,for they killed them and you do the building.Therefore, the wisdom of God said,'I will send to them prophets and Apostles;some of them they will kill and persecute'in order that this generation might be chargedwith the blood of all the prophetsshed since the foundation of the world,from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariahwho died between the altar and the temple building.Yes, I tell you, this generation will be charged with their blood!Woe to you, scholars of the law!You have taken away the key of knowledge.You yourselves did not enter and you stopped those trying to enter."When Jesus left, the scribes and Phariseesbegan to act with hostility toward himand to interrogate him about many things,for they were plotting to catch him at something he might say.

Lk 11:42-46The Lord said:“Woe to you Pharisees!You pay tithes of mint and of rue and of every garden herb,but you pay no attention to judgment and to love for God.These you should have done, without overlooking the others.Woe to you Pharisees!You love the seat of honor in synagoguesand greetings in marketplaces.  Woe to you!You are like unseen graves over which people unknowingly walk.”Then one of the scholars of the law said to him in reply,“Teacher, by saying this you are insulting us too.”And he said, “Woe also to you scholars of the law!You impose on people burdens hard to carry,but you yourselves do not lift one finger to touch them.”