“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple.

for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He must never drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.

And he will go as forerunner before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him.”

“And look, your relative Elizabeth has also become pregnant with a son in her old age – although she was called barren, she is now in her sixth month!

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

Her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her.

So the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen; everything was just as they had been told.

She had lived as a widow since then for eighty-four years. She never left the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day.

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.

Just then some men showed up, carrying a paralyzed man on a stretcher. They were trying to bring him in and place him before Jesus.

Then astonishment seized them all, and they glorified God. They were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen incredible things today.”

After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector named Levi sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him.

Then Levi gave a great banquet in his house for Jesus, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them.

When morning came, he called his disciples and chose twelve of them, whom he also named apostles:

To the person who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other as well, and from the person who takes away your coat, do not withhold your tunic either.

Soon afterward Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went with him.

At that very time Jesus cured many people of diseases, sicknesses, and evil spirits, and granted sight to many who were blind.

and Joanna the wife of Cuza (Herod’s household manager), Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their own resources.

After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. So they kept silent and told no one at that time anything of what they had seen.

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