The angel replied,<n id="1" /> &#8220;The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow<n id="2" /> you. Therefore the child<n id="3" /> to be born<n id="4" /> will be holy;<n id="5" /> he will be called the Son of God.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Now<n id="1" /> there was a man in Jerusalem<n id="2" /> named Simeon who was righteous<n id="3" /> and devout, looking for the restoration<n id="4" /> of Israel, and the Holy Spirit<n id="5" /> was upon him.

Then<n id="1" /> Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, &#8220;Listen carefully:<n id="2" /> This child<n id="3" /> is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising<n id="4" /> of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected.<n id="5" />

When<n id="1" /> his parents<n id="2" /> saw him, they were overwhelmed. His<n id="3" /> mother said to him, &#8220;Child,<n id="4" /> why have you treated<n id="5" /> us like this? Look, your father and I have been looking for you anxiously.&#8221;<n id="6" />

They<n id="1" /> were all amazed and began to say<n id="2" /> to one another, &#8220;What&#8217;s happening here?<n id="3" /> For with authority and power<n id="4" /> he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">The next morning<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> departed and went to a deserted place. Yet<n id="3" /> the crowds were seeking him, and they came to him and tried to keep him from leaving them.

Then<n id="1" /> he ordered the man<n id="2" /> to tell no one,<n id="3" /> but commanded him,<n id="4" /> &#8220;Go<n id="5" /> and show yourself to a priest, and bring the offering<n id="6" /> for your cleansing, as Moses commanded,<n id="7" /> as a testimony to them.&#8221;<n id="8" />

When<n id="1" /> the woman saw that she could not escape notice,<n id="2" /> she came trembling and fell down before him. In<n id="3" /> the presence of all the people, she explained why<n id="4" /> she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed.

Jesus answered,<n id="1" /> &#8220;You<n id="2" /> unbelieving<n id="3" /> and perverse generation! How much longer<n id="4" /> must I be with you and endure<n id="5" /> you?<n id="6" /> Bring your son here.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;Woe to you, Chorazin!<n id="1" /> Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if<n id="2" /> the miracles<n id="3" /> done in you had been done in Tyre<n id="4" /> and Sidon,<n id="5" /> they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

He<n id="1" /> went up to him<n id="2" /> and bandaged his wounds, pouring oil<n id="3" /> and wine on them. Then<n id="4" /> he put him on<n id="5" /> his own animal,<n id="6" /> brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

But Martha was distracted<n id="1" /> with all the preparations she had to make,<n id="2" /> so<n id="3" /> she came up to him and said, &#8220;Lord, don&#8217;t you care<n id="4" /> that my sister has left me to do all the work<n id="5" /> alone? Tell<n id="6" /> her to help me.&#8221;

I tell you, even though the man inside<n id="1" /> will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man&#8217;s<n id="2" /> sheer persistence<n id="3" /> he will get up and give him whatever he needs.p>

Consider how the flowers<n id="1" /> grow; they do not work<n id="2" /> or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these!

Sell your possessions<n id="1" /> and give to the poor.<n id="2" /> Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out &#8211; a treasure in heaven<n id="3" /> that never decreases,<n id="4" /> where no thief approaches and no moth<n id="5" /> destroys.

Blessed are those slaves<n id="1" /> whom their master finds alert<n id="2" /> when he returns! I tell you the truth,<n id="3" /> he will dress himself to serve,<n id="4" /> have them take their place at the table,<n id="5" /> and will come<n id="6" /> and wait on them!<n id="7" />

<t /><p class="bodytext">Then<n id="1" /> Jesus<n id="2" /> told this parable: &#8220;A man had a fig tree<n id="3" /> planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

Look, your house is forsaken!<n id="1" /> And I tell you, you will not see me until you say, &#8216;<b><i>Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!i>b>&#8217;&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">Jesus<n id="1" /> also said to the disciples, &#8220;There was a rich man who was informed of accusations<n id="2" /> that his manager<n id="3" /> was wasting<n id="4" /> his assets.

So<n id="1" /> he called the manager<n id="2" /> in and said to him, &#8216;What is this I hear about you?<n id="3" /> Turn in the account of your administration,<n id="4" /> because you can no longer be my manager.&#8217;