Daily Shots

Lk 9:57-62As Jesus and his disciples were proceedingon their journey, someone said to him,"I will follow you wherever you go."Jesus answered him,"Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests,but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head."And to another he said, "Follow me."But he replied, "Lord, let me go first and bury my father."But he answered him, "Let the dead bury their dead.But you, go and proclaim the Kingdom of God."And another said, "I will follow you, Lord,but first let me say farewell to my family at home."Jesus answered him, "No one who sets a hand to the plowand looks to what was left behind is fit for the Kingdom of God."

Lk 9:51-56When the days for Jesus to be taken up were fulfilled,he resolutely determined to journey to Jerusalem,and he sent messengers ahead of him.On the way they entered a Samaritan villageto prepare for his reception there,but they would not welcome himbecause the destination of his journey was Jerusalem.When the disciples James and John saw this they asked,"Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heavento consume them?"Jesus turned and rebuked them,and they journeyed to another village.

Jn 1:47-51Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him,"Here is a true child of Israel.There is no duplicity in him."Nathanael said to him, "How do you know me?"Jesus answered and said to him,"Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree."Nathanael answered him,"Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel."Jesus answered and said to him,"Do you believebecause I told you that I saw you under the fig tree?You will see greater things than this."And he said to him, "Amen, amen, I say to you,you will see heaven openedand the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man."

Lk 9:18-22Once when Jesus was praying in solitude,and the disciples were with him,he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?”They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah;still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.'”Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.”He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatlyand be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Lk 9:7-9Herod the tetrarch heard about all that was happening,and he was greatly perplexed because some were saying,"John has been raised from the dead";others were saying, "Elijah has appeared";still others, "One of the ancient prophets has arisen."But Herod said, "John I beheaded.Who then is this about whom I hear such things?"And he kept trying to see him.

Lk 9:1-6Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authorityover all demons and to cure diseases,and he sent them to proclaim the Kingdom of Godand to heal the sick.He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey,neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,and let no one take a second tunic.Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.And as for those who do not welcome you,when you leave that town,shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.”Then they set out and went from village to villageproclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.

Lk 8:19-21The mother of Jesus and his brothers came to himbut were unable to join him because of the crowd.He was told, "Your mother and your brothers are standing outsideand they wish to see you."He said to them in reply, "My mother and my brothersare those who hear the word of God and act on it."

Lk 8:16-18Jesus said to the crowd:"No one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vesselor sets it under a bed;rather, he places it on a lampstandso that those who enter may see the light.For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible,and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.Take care, then, how you hear.To anyone who has, more will be given,and from the one who has not,even what he seems to have will be taken away."

Lk 8:1-3Jesus journeyed from one town and village to another,preaching and proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom of God.Accompanying him were the Twelveand some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out,Joanna, the wife of Herod's steward Chuza,Susanna, and many otherswho provided for them out of their resources.

Lk 7:36-50A certain Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him,and he entered the Pharisee's house and reclined at table.Now there was a sinful woman in the citywho learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee.Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment,she stood behind him at his feet weepingand began to bathe his feet with her tears.Then she wiped them with her hair,kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment.When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself,"If this man were a prophet,he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him,that she is a sinner."Jesus said to him in reply,"Simon, I have something to say to you.""Tell me, teacher," he said."Two people were in debt to a certain creditor;one owed five hundred days' wages and the other owed fifty.Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both.Which of them will love him more?"Simon said in reply,"The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven."He said to him, "You have judged rightly."Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon,"Do you see this woman?When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet,but she has bathed them with her tearsand wiped them with her hair.You did not give me a kiss,but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered.You did not anoint my head with oil,but she anointed my feet with ointment.So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven;hence, she has shown great love.But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."He said to her, "Your sins are forgiven."The others at table said to themselves,"Who is this who even forgives sins?"But he said to the woman,"Your faith has saved you; go in peace."

Lk 7:31-35Jesus said to the crowds:"To what shall I compare the people of this generation?What are they like?They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,'We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,and you said, 'He is possessed by a demon.'The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,'Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

Lk 7:11-17Jesus journeyed to a city called Nain,and his disciples and a large crowd accompanied him.As he drew near to the gate of the city,a man who had died was being carried out,the only son of his mother, and she was a widow.A large crowd from the city was with her.When the Lord saw her,he was moved with pity for her and said to her,“Do not weep.”He stepped forward and touched the coffin;at this the bearers halted,and he said, “Young man, I tell you, arise!”The dead man sat up and began to speak,and Jesus gave him to his mother.Fear seized them all, and they glorified God, exclaiming,“A great prophet has arisen in our midst,”and “God has visited his people.”This report about him spread through the whole of Judeaand in all the surrounding region.

Lk 2:33-35Jesus' father and mother were amazed at what was said about him;and Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother,"Behold, this child is destinedfor the fall and rise of many in Israel,and to be a sign that will be contradictedand you yourself a sword will pierceso that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

Lk 6:39-42Jesus told his disciples a parable:“Can a blind person guide a blind person?Will not both fall into a pit?No disciple is superior to the teacher;but when fully trained,every disciple will be like his teacher.Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?How can you say to your brother,‘Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,'when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?You hypocrite!  Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;then you will see clearlyto remove the splinter in your brother's eye.”

Lk 6:27-38Jesus said to his disciples:"To you who hear I say, love your enemies,do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you,pray for those who mistreat you.To the person who strikes you on one cheek,offer the other one as well,and from the person who takes your cloak,do not withhold even your tunic.Give to everyone who asks of you,and from the one who takes what is yours do not demand it back.Do to others as you would have them do to you.For if you love those who love you,what credit is that to you?Even sinners love those who love them.And if you do good to those who do good to you,what credit is that to you?Even sinners do the same.If you lend money to those from whom you expect repayment,what credit is that to you?Even sinners lend to sinners,and get back the same amount.But rather, love your enemies and do good to them,and lend expecting nothing back;then your reward will be greatand you will be children of the Most High,for he himself is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.Be merciful, just as also your Father is merciful."Stop judging and you will not be judged.Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.Forgive and you will be forgiven.Give and gifts will be given to you;a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,will be poured into your lap.For the measure with which you measurewill in return be measured out to you."

Lk 6:20-26Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said:"Blessed are you who are poor,for the Kingdom of God is yours.Blessed are you who are now hungry,for you will be satisfied.Blessed are you who are now weeping,for you will laugh.Blessed are you when people hate you,and when they exclude and insult you,and denounce your name as evilon account of the Son of Man."Rejoice and leap for joy on that day!Behold, your reward will be great in heaven.For their ancestors treated the prophetsin the same way.But woe to you who are rich,for you have received your consolation.But woe to you who are filled now,for you will be hungry.Woe to you who laugh now,for you will grieve and weep.Woe to you when all speak well of you,for their ancestors treated the false prophets in this way."

Lk 6:12-19Jesus departed 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.And he came down with them and stood on a stretch of level ground.A great crowd of his disciples and a large number of the peoplefrom all Judea and Jerusalemand the coastal region of Tyre and Sidoncame to hear him and to be healed of their diseases;and even those who were tormented by unclean spirits were cured.Everyone in the crowd sought to touch himbecause power came forth from him and healed them all.

Mt 1:1-16, 18-23The 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.Now this 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."

Lk 5:33-39The scribes and Pharisees said to Jesus,"The disciples of John the Baptist fast often and offer prayers,and the disciples of the Pharisees do the same;but yours eat and drink."Jesus answered them, "Can you make the wedding guests fastwhile the bridegroom is with them?But the days will come, and when the bridegroom is taken away from them,then they will fast in those days."And he also told them a parable."No one tears a piece from a new cloak to patch an old one.Otherwise, he will tear the newand the piece from it will not match the old cloak.Likewise, no one pours new wine into old wineskins.Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins,and it will be spilled, and the skins will be ruined.Rather, new wine must be poured into fresh wineskins.And no one who has been drinking old wine desires new,for he says, 'The old is good.'"

Lk 5:1-11While the crowd was pressing in on Jesus and listening to the word of God,he was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret.He saw two boats there alongside the lake;the fishermen had disembarked and were washing their nets.Getting into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon,he asked him to put out a short distance from the shore.Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.After he had finished speaking, he said to Simon,"Put out into deep water and lower your nets for a catch."Simon said in reply,"Master, we have worked hard all night and have caught nothing,but at your command I will lower the nets."When they had done this, they caught a great number of fishand their nets were tearing.They signaled to their partners in the other boatto come to help them.They came and filled both boatsso that the boats were in danger of sinking.When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said,"Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man."For astonishment at the catch of fish they had made seized himand all those with him,and likewise James and John, the sons of Zebedee,who were partners of Simon.Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid;from now on you will be catching men."When they brought their boats to the shore,they left everything and followed him.

Lk 4:38-44After Jesus left the synagogue, he entered the house of Simon.Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a severe fever,and they interceded with him about her.He stood over her, rebuked the fever, and it left her.She got up immediately and waited on them.At sunset, all who had people sick with various diseases brought them to him.He laid his hands on each of them and cured them.And demons also came out from many, shouting, "You are the Son of God."But he rebuked them and did not allow them to speakbecause they knew that he was the Christ.At daybreak, Jesus left and went to a deserted place.The crowds went looking for him, and when they came to him,they tried to prevent him from leaving them.But he said to them, "To the other towns alsoI must proclaim the good news of the Kingdom of God,because for this purpose I have been sent."And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

Lk 4:31-37Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee.He taught them on the sabbath,and they were astonished at his teachingbecause he spoke with authority.In the synagogue there was a man with the spirit of an unclean demon,and he cried out in a loud voice,"What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?Have you come to destroy us?I know who you are–the Holy One of God!"Jesus rebuked him and said, "Be quiet! Come out of him!"Then the demon threw the man down in front of themand came out of him without doing him any harm.They were all amazed and said to one another,"What is there about his word?For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits,and they come out."And news of him spread everywhere in the surrounding region.

Lk 4:16-30Jesus came to Nazareth, where he had grown up,and went according to his custominto the synagogue on the sabbath day.He stood up to read and was handed a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.He unrolled the scroll and found the passage where it was written:The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,because he has anointed meto bring glad tidings to the poor.He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captivesand recovery of sight to the blind,to let the oppressed go free,and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.Rolling up the scroll,he handed it back to the attendant and sat down,and the eyes of all in the synagogue looked intently at him.He said to them,"Today this Scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing."And all spoke highly of himand were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth.They also asked, "Is this not the son of Joseph?"He said to them, "Surely you will quote me this proverb,'Physician, cure yourself,' and say, 'Do here in your native placethe things that we heard were done in Capernaum.'"And he said,"Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.Indeed, I tell you,there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijahwhen the sky was closed for three and a half yearsand a severe famine spread over the entire land.It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.Again, there were many lepers in Israelduring the time of Elisha the prophet;yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian."When the people in the synagogue heard this,they were all filled with fury.They rose up, drove him out of the town,and led him to the brow of the hillon which their town had been built, to hurl him down headlong.But he passed through the midst of them and went away.

Mk 6:17-29Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prisonon account of Herodias,the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.John had said to Herod,“It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.”Herodias harbored a grudge against himand wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,and kept him in custody.When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,yet he liked to listen to him.She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,gave a banquet for his courtiers,his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.Herodias' own daughter came inand performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.The king said to the girl,“Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you.”He even swore many things to her,“I will grant you whatever you ask of me,even to half of my kingdom.”She went out and said to her mother,“What shall I ask for?”She replied, “The head of John the Baptist.”The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,“I want you to give me at onceon a platter the head of John the Baptist.”The king was deeply distressed,but because of his oaths and the guestshe did not wish to break his word to her.So he promptly dispatched an executioner with ordersto bring back his head.He went off and beheaded him in the prison.He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.The girl in turn gave it to her mother.When his disciples heard about it,they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Mt 24:42-51Jesus said to his disciples:"Stay awake!For you do not know on which day your Lord will come.Be sure of this: if the master of the househad known the hour of night when the thief was coming,he would have stayed awakeand not let his house be broken into.So too, you also must be prepared,for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come."Who, then, is the faithful and prudent servant,whom the master has put in charge of his householdto distribute to them their food at the proper time?Blessed is that servant whom his master on his arrival finds doing so.Amen, I say to you, he will put him in charge of all his property.But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is long delayed,'and begins to beat his fellow servants,and eat and drink with drunkards,the servant's master will come on an unexpected dayand at an unknown hour and will punish him severelyand assign him a place with the hypocrites,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth."

Mt 23:27-32Jesus said,"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing."Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You build the tombs of the prophetsand adorn the memorials of the righteous,and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.'Thus you bear witness against yourselvesthat you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;now fill up what your ancestors measured out!"

Mt 23:23-26Jesus said:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You pay tithes of mint and dill and cummin,and have neglected the weightier things of the law:judgment and mercy and fidelity.But these you should have done, without neglecting the others.Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You cleanse the outside of cup and dish,but inside they are full of plunder and self-indulgence.Blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup,so that the outside also may be clean.”

Mt 13:13-22Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men.You do not enter yourselves,nor do you allow entrance to those trying to enter.“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.You traverse sea and land to make one convert,and when that happens you make him a child of Gehennatwice as much as yourselves.“Woe to you, blind guides, who say,‘If one swears by the temple, it means nothing,but if one swears by the gold of the temple, one is obligated.'Blind fools, which is greater, the gold,or the temple that made the gold sacred?And you say, ‘If one swears by the altar, it means nothing,but if one swears by the gift on the altar, one is obligated.'You blind ones, which is greater, the gift,or the altar that makes the gift sacred?One who swears by the altar swears by it and all that is upon it;one who swears by the temple swears by itand by him who dwells in it;one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of Godand by him who is seated on it.”

Mt 22:44-30When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,they gathered together, and one of them,a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"He said to him,"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,with all your soul, and with all your mind.This is the greatest and the first commandment.The second is like it:You shall love your neighbor as yourself.The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

Mt 22:1-14Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parablessaying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a kingwho gave a wedding feast for his son.He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,but they refused to come.A second time he sent other servants, saying,‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,my calves and fattened cattle are killed,and everything is ready; come to the feast.”'Some ignored the invitation and went away,one to his farm, another to his business.The rest laid hold of his servants,mistreated them, and killed them.The king was enraged and sent his troops,destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,but those who were invited were not worthy to come.Go out, therefore, into the main roadsand invite to the feast whomever you find.'The servants went out into the streetsand gathered all they found, bad and good alike,and the hall was filled with guests.But when the king came in to meet the guestshe saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.He said to him, ‘My friend, how is itthat you came in here without a wedding garment?'But he was reduced to silence.Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,and cast him into the darkness outside,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

Mt 20:1-16Jesus told his disciples this parable:"The Kingdom of heaven is like a landownerwho went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,he sent them into his vineyard.Going out about nine o'clock,he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,and I will give you what is just.'So they went off.And he went out again around noon,and around three o'clock, and did likewise.Going out about five o'clock,he found others standing around, and said to them,'Why do you stand here idle all day?'They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,beginning with the last and ending with the first.'When those who had started about five o'clock came,each received the usual daily wage.So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,but each of them also got the usual wage.And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,'These last ones worked only one hour,and you have made them equal to us,who bore the day's burden and the heat.'He said to one of them in reply,'My friend, I am not cheating you.Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?Take what is yours and go.What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?Are you envious because I am generous?'Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Mt 19:23-30Jesus said to his disciples:“Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is richto enter the Kingdom of heaven.Again I say to you,it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needlethan for one who is rich to enter the Kingdom of God.”When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and said,“Who then can be saved?”Jesus looked at them and said,“For men this is impossible,but for God all things are possible.”Then Peter said to him in reply,“We have given up everything and followed you.What will there be for us?”Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to youthat you who have followed me, in the new age,when the Son of Man is seated on his throne of glory,will yourselves sit on twelve thrones,judging the twelve tribes of Israel.And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sistersor father or mother or children or landsfor the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more,and will inherit eternal life.But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Mt 19:16-22A young man approached Jesus and said,“Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?”He answered him, “Why do you ask me about the good?There is only One who is good.If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.”He asked him, “Which ones?”And Jesus replied, “You shall not kill;you shall not commit adultery;you shall not steal;you shall not bear false witness;honor your father and your mother;and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”The young man said to him,“All of these I have observed. What do I still lack?”Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go,sell what you have and give to the poor,and you will have treasure in heaven.Then come, follow me.”When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad,for he had many possessions.

Lk 1:39-56Mary 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,“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 Saviorfor he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.From this day all generations will call me blessed:the Almighty has done great things for meand 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 thrones,and 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 has remembered his promise of mercy,the promise he made to our fathers,to Abraham and his children forever.”Mary remained with her about three monthsand then returned to her home.

Mt 18:21-19:1Peter approached Jesus and asked him,"Lord, if my brother sins against me,how often must I forgive him?As many as seven times?"Jesus answered, "I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a kingwho decided to settle accounts with his servants.When he began the accounting,a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.Since he had no way of paying it back,his master ordered him to be sold,along with his wife, his children, and all his property,in payment of the debt.At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.'Moved with compassion the master of that servantlet him go and forgave him the loan.When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servantswho owed him a much smaller amount.He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,'Pay back what you owe.'Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,'Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.'But he refused.Instead, he had the fellow servant put in prisonuntil he paid back the debt.Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,they were deeply disturbed,and went to their master and reported the whole affair.His master summoned him and said to him, 'You wicked servant!I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,as I had pity on you?'Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturersuntil he should pay back the whole debt.So will my heavenly Father do to you,unless each of you forgives his brother from his heart."When Jesus finished these words, he left Galileeand went to the district of Judea across the Jordan.

Mt 18:15-20Jesus said to his disciples:"If your brother sins against you,go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.If he does not listen,take one or two others along with you,so that every fact may be establishedon the testimony of two or three witnesses.If he refuses to listen to them, tell the Church.If he refuses to listen even to the Church,then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector.Amen, I say to you,whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven,and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.Again, amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earthabout anything for which they are to pray,it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father.For where two or three are gathered together in my name,there am I in the midst of them."

Mt 18:1-5, 10, 12-14The disciples approached Jesus and said,"Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven?"He called a child over, placed it in their midst, and said,"Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children,you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven.Whoever becomes humble like this childis the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.And whoever receives one child such as this in my name receives me."See that you do not despise one of these little ones,for I say to you that their angels in heavenalways look upon the face of my heavenly Father.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."

Mt 17:22-27As Jesus and his disciples were gathering in Galilee,Jesus said to them,"The Son of Man is to be handed over to men,and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day."And they were overwhelmed with grief.When they came to Capernaum,the collectors of the temple tax approached Peter and said,"Does not your teacher pay the temple tax?""Yes," he said.When he came into the house, before he had time to speak,Jesus asked him, "What is your opinion, Simon?From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax?From their subjects or from foreigners?"When he said, "From foreigners," Jesus said to him,"Then the subjects are exempt.But that we may not offend them, go to the sea, drop in a hook,and take the first fish that comes up.Open its mouth and you will find a coin worth twice the temple tax.Give that to them for me and for you."

Mt 16:24-28Jesus said to his disciples,"Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself,take up his cross, and follow me.For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.What profit would there be for one to gain the whole worldand forfeit his life?Or what can one give in exchange for his life?For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory,and then he will repay each according to his conduct.Amen, I say to you, there are some standing herewho will not taste deathuntil they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."

Mt 16:13-23Jesus went into the region of Caesarea Philippiand he asked his disciples,“Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”They replied, “Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah,still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”Simon Peter said in reply,“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah.For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father.And so I say to you, you are Peter,and upon this rock I will build my Church,and the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of heaven.Whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven;and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”Then he strictly ordered his disciplesto tell no one that he was the Christ.From that time on, Jesus began to show his disciplesthat he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatlyfrom the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes,and be killed and on the third day be raised.Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him,“God forbid, Lord!  No such thing shall ever happen to you.”He turned and said to Peter,“Get behind me, Satan!  You are an obstacle to me.You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.”

Lk 9:28b-36Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up a mountain to pray.While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white.And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here;let us make three tents,one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”But he did not know what he was saying.While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

Mt 14:22-36Jesus made the disciples get into a boatand precede him to the other side of the sea,while he dismissed the crowds.After doing so, he went up on the mountain by himself to pray.When it was evening he was there alone.Meanwhile the boat, already a few miles offshore,was being tossed about by the waves, for the wind was against it.During the fourth watch of the night,he came toward them, walking on the sea.When the disciples saw him walking on the sea they were terrified.“It is a ghost,” they said, and they cried out in fear.At once Jesus spoke to them, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”Peter said to him in reply,“Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.”He said, “Come.”Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus.But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened;and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”Immediately Jesus stretched out his hand and caught him,and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”After they got into the boat, the wind died down.Those who were in the boat did him homage, saying,“Truly, you are the Son of God.”After making the crossing, they came to land at Gennesaret.When the men of that place recognized him,they sent word to all the surrounding country.People brought to him all those who were sickand begged him that they might touch only the tassel on his cloak,and as many as touched it were healed.

Mt 14:13-21When Jesus heard of the death of John the Baptist,he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.The crowds heard of this and followed him on foot from their towns.When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd,his heart was moved with pity for them, and he cured their sick.When it was evening, the disciples approached him and said,"This is a deserted place and it is already late;dismiss the crowds so that they can go to the villagesand buy food for themselves."He said to them, "There is no need for them to go away;give them some food yourselves."But they said to him,"Five loaves and two fish are all we have here."Then he said, "Bring them here to me,"and he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass.Taking the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven,he said the blessing, broke the loaves,and gave them to the disciples,who in turn gave them to the crowds.They all ate and were satisfied,and they picked up the fragments left over–twelve wicker baskets full.Those who ate were about five thousand men,not counting women and children.

Mt 13:54-58Jesus came to his native place and taught the people in their synagogue.They were astonished and said,"Where did this man get such wisdom and mighty deeds?Is he not the carpenter's son?Is not his mother named Maryand his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas?Are not his sisters all with us?Where did this man get all this?"And they took offense at him.But Jesus said to them,"A prophet is not without honor except in his native placeand in his own house."And he did not work many mighty deeds therebecause of their lack of faith.

Mt 13:47-53Jesus said to the disciples:"The Kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea,which collects fish of every kind.When it is full they haul it ashoreand sit down to put what is good into buckets.What is bad they throw away.Thus it will be at the end of the age.The angels will go out and separate the wicked from the righteousand throw them into the fiery furnace,where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.""Do you understand all these things?"They answered, "Yes."And he replied,"Then every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heavenis like the head of a household who brings from his storeroomboth the new and the old."When Jesus finished these parables, he went away from there.

Mt 13:44-46Jesus said to his disciples:"The Kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field,which a person finds and hides again,and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.Again, the Kingdom of heaven is like a merchantsearching for fine pearls.When he finds a pearl of great price,he goes and sells all that he has and buys it."

Lk 10:38-42Jesus entered a villagewhere a woman whose name was Martha welcomed him.She had a sister named Marywho sat beside the Lord at his feet listening to him speak.Martha, burdened with much serving, came to him and said,“Lord, do you not carethat my sister has left me by myself to do the serving?Tell her to help me.”The Lord said to her in reply,“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things.There is need of only one thing.Mary has chosen the better partand it will not be taken from her.”

Mt 13:31-35Jesus proposed a parable to the crowds.“The Kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seedthat a person took and sowed in a field.It is the smallest of all the seeds,yet when full-grown it is the largest of plants.It becomes a large bush,and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.”He spoke to them another parable.“The Kingdom of heaven is like yeastthat a woman took and mixed with three measures of wheat flouruntil the whole batch was leavened.”All these things Jesus spoke to the crowds in parables.He spoke to them only in parables,to fulfill what had been said through the prophet:I will open my mouth in parables,I will announce what has lain hidden from the foundation of the world.

Mt 20:20-28The mother of the sons of Zebedee approached Jesus with her sonsand did him homage, wishing to ask him for something.He said to her,"What do you wish?"She answered him,"Command that these two sons of mine sit,one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom."Jesus said in reply,"You do not know what you are asking.Can you drink the chalice that I am going to drink?"They said to him, "We can."He replied,"My chalice you will indeed drink,but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to givebut is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."When the ten heard this,they became indignant at the two brothers.But Jesus summoned them and said,"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them,and the great ones make their authority over them felt.But it shall not be so among you.Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant;whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave.Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be servedbut to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many."

Mt 13:10-17The disciples approached Jesus and said,"Why do you speak to the crowd in parables?"He said to them in reply,"Because knowledge of the mysteries of the Kingdom of heavenhas been granted to you, but to them it has not been granted.To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich;from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away.This is why I speak to them in parables, becausethey look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand.Isaiah's prophecy is fulfilled in them, which says:You shall indeed hear but not understand,you shall indeed look but never see.Gross is the heart of this people,they will hardly hear with their ears,they have closed their eyes,lest they see with their eyesand hear with their earsand understand with their hearts and be convertedand I heal them."But blessed are your eyes, because they see,and your ears, because they hear.Amen, I say to you, many prophets and righteous peoplelonged to see what you see but did not see it,and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

Mt 13:1-9On that day, Jesus went out of the house and sat down by the sea.Such large crowds gathered around himthat he got into a boat and sat down,and the whole crowd stood along the shore.And he spoke to them at length in parables, saying:“A sower went out to sow.And as he sowed, some seed fell on the path,and birds came and ate it up.Some fell on rocky ground, where it had little soil.It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep,and when the sun rose it was scorched,and it withered for lack of roots.Some seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it.But some seed fell on rich soil, and produced fruit,a hundred or sixty or thirtyfold.Whoever has ears ought to hear.”