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

All this happened in fulfillment of these words of the Lord in the Prophet, where he says--

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

When King Herod heard of this, he was much troubled, and so, too, was all Jerusalem.

This is he who was spoken of in the Prophet Isaiah, where he says--'The voice of one crying aloud in the Wilderness: "Make ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight."'

"Let it be so for the present," Jesus answered, "since it is fitting for us thus to satisfy every claim of religion." Upon this, John consented.

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

Let your words be simply 'Yes' or 'No'; anything beyond this comes from what is wrong.

For, if you love only those who love you, what reward will you have? Even the tax-gatherers do this!

And, if you show courtesy to your brothers only, what are you doing more than others? Even the Gentiles do this!

Everyone, therefore, that listens to this teaching of mine and acts upon it may be compared to a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock.

And every one that listens to this teaching of mine and does not act upon it may be compared to a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.

For I myself am a man under the orders of others, with soldiers under me; and, if I say to one of them 'Go,' he goes, and to another 'Come,' he comes, and to my slave 'Do this,' he does it."

Jesus was surprised to hear this, and said to those who were following him: "Never I tell you, in any Israelite have I met with such faith as this!

The men were amazed, and exclaimed: "What kind of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!"

At this the men who tended them ran away and went to the town, carrying the news of all that had occurred, and of what had happened to the possessed men.

Then some of the teachers of the Law said to themselves: "This man is blaspheming!"

When the crowd saw this, they were awe-struck, and praised God for giving such power to men.

When the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples: "Why does your Teacher eat in the company of tax-gatherers and outcasts?"

On hearing this, Jesus said: "It is not those who are in health that need a doctor, but those who are ill.

Go and learn what this means--'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice'; for I did not come to call the religious, but the outcast."

While Jesus was saying this, a President of a Synagogue came up and bowed to the ground before him. "My daughter," he said, "Has just died; but come and place your hand on her, and she will be restored to life."

The report of this spread through all that part of the country.

When he had gone indoors, the blind men came up to him; and Jesus asked them: "Do you believe that I am able to do this?" "Yes, Master!" they answered.

And, as soon as the demon had been driven out, the dumb man spoke. The people were astonished at this, and exclaimed: "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel!"

This is the man of whom Scripture says--'Behold, I am myself sending my Messenger before thy face, And he shall prepare thy way before thee.'

From the time of John the Baptist to this very hour, the Kingdom of Heaven has been taken by force, and men using force have been seizing it.

And you, Capernaum! Will you 'exalt yourself to Heaven'? 'You shall go down to the Place of Death.' For, if the miracles which have been done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have been standing to this day.

Yes, Father, I thank thee that this has seemed good to thee.

But, when the Pharisees saw this, they said: "Look! your disciples are doing what it is not allowable to do on a Sabbath!"

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

At this point, some Teachers of the Law and Pharisees interposed. "Teacher," they said, " we want to see some sign from you."

At the Judgment, the men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation, and will condemn it, because they repented at Jonah's proclamation; and here is more than a Jonah!

Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in, and make their home there; and the last state of that man proves to be worse than the first. So, too, will it be with this wicked generation."

Someone told him this, and Jesus replied:

For the mind of this nation has grown dense, And their ears are dull of hearing, Their eyes also have they closed; Lest some day they should perceive with their eyes, And with their ears they should hear, And in their mind they should understand, and should turn--And I should heal them.'

When any one hears the Message of the Kingdom without understanding it, the Evil One comes and snatches away what has been sown in his mind. This is the man meant by the seed which was sown along the path.

Another parable which Jesus told them was this-- "The Kingdom of Heaven is compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

On this the owner's servants came to him, and said 'Was not it good seed that you sowed in your field? Where, then, do the tares in it come from?'

'An enemy has done this,' was his answer. 'Do you wish us, then,' they asked,' to go and gather them together?'

Another parable which he told them was this-- "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard-seed, which a man took and sowed in his field.

This seed is smaller than all other seeds, but, when it has grown up, it is larger than the herbs and becomes a tree, so that 'the wild birds come and roost in its branches.'"

This was another parable which Jesus related-- "The Kingdom of Heaven is like some yeast which a woman took and covered up in three pecks of flour, until the whole had risen."

Of all this Jesus spoke to the crowd in parables; indeed to them he used never to speak at all except in parables,

Have you understood all this?" Jesus asked. "Yes," they answered.

Going to his own part of the country, he taught the people in their Synagogue in such a manner that they were deeply impressed. "Where did he get this wisdom?" they said, "and the miracles?

And his sisters, too--are not they all living among us? Where, then did he get all this?"

And said to his attendants: " This must be John the Baptist; he must be risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are active in him."

The king was distressed at this; yet, on account of his oath and of the guests at his table, he ordered it to be given her.

In the evening the disciples came up to him, and said: " This is a lonely spot, and the day is now far advanced; send the crowds away, that they may go to the villages, and buy themselves food."

The boat was by this time some miles from shore, laboring in the waves, for the wind was against her.

He is in no way bound to honor his father.' In this way you have nullified the words of God on account of your traditions.

'This is a people that honor me with their lips, While their hearts are far removed from me;

On this his disciples came up to him, and said: "Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked on hearing what you said?"

Upon this, Peter said to Jesus: "Explain this saying to us."

On leaving that place, Jesus went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee; and then went up the hill, and sat down., you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!' it would be done.

"Where can we," his disciples asked, "in a lonely place find enough bread for such a crowd as this?"

On noticing this, Jesus said: "Why are you talking among yourselves about your being short of bread, O men of little faith?

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

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

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

Yes, and I say to you, Your name is 'Peter--a Rock, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the Powers of the Place of Death shall not prevail over it.

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

The disciples, on hearing this, fell on their faces, greatly afraid.

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

"Because you have so little faith," he answered; "for, I tell you, if your faith were only like a mustard-seed, you could say to this mountain 'Move from this place to that!' and it would be moved; and nothing would be impossible to you."

Therefore, any one who will humble himself like this child-- that man shall be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

And any one who, for the sake of my Name, welcomes even one little child like this, is welcoming me.

At the conclusion of this teaching, Jesus withdrew from Galilee, and went into that district of Judea which is on the other side of the Jordan.

And said--'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother, and be united to his wife, and the man and his wife shall become one'?

"It is not every one," replied Jesus, "who can accept this teaching, but only those who have been enabled to do so.

At this, Jesus said to his disciples: "I tell you that a rich man will find it hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

On hearing this, the disciples exclaimed in great astonishment: "Who then can possibly be saved?"

But Jesus looked at them, and said: "With men this is impossible, but with God everything is possible." Then Peter turned and said to Jesus:

Take what belongs to you, and go. I choose to give to this last man the same as to you.

On hearing of this, the ten others were very indignant about the two brothers.

And, if any one says anything to you, you are to say this-- 'The Master wants them'; and he will send them at once."

This happened in fulfillment of these words in the Prophet--

"Who is this?", to which the crowd replied--"This is the Prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee."

When the disciples saw this, they exclaimed in astonishment: "How suddenly the fig tree withered up!"

"I tell you," replied Jesus, "if you have faith, without ever a doubt, you will do what not only what has been done to the fig tree, but, even if you should say to this hill 'Be lifted up and hurled into the sea!' it would be done.

After Jesus had come into the Temple Courts, the Chief Priests and the Councillors of the Nation came up to him as he was teaching, and said: " What authority have you to do these things? Who gave you this authority?"

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

For when John came to you, walking in the path of righteousness, you did not believe him, but tax-gatherers and prostitutes did; and yet you, though you saw this, even then were not sorry, nor did you believe him.

Then Jesus added: "Have you never read in the Scriptures?-- 'The very stone which the builders despised--Has now itself become the corner-stone; This corner-stone has come from the Lord, And is marvelous in our eyes.'

Yes, and he who falls on this stone will be dashed to pieces, while any one on whom it falls--it will scatter him as dust."

That same day some Sadducees came up to Jesus, maintaining that there is no resurrection. Their question was this:--

Then one of them, a Student of the Law, to test him, asked this question--

This is the great first commandment.

The second, which is like it, is this--'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thou dost thyself.'

Before the Pharisees separated, Jesus put this question to them--

By doing this you are furnishing evidence against yourselves that you are true children of the men who murdered the Prophets.

All this, I tell you, will come home to the present generation.

So, while Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came up to him privately and said: "Tell us when this will be, and what will be the sign of your Coming, and of the close of the age."

All this, however, will be but the beginning of the birth pangs!

And this Good News of the Kingdom shall be proclaimed throughout the world as a witness to all nations; and then will come the end.

As soon, then, as you see 'the Foul Desecration,' mentioned by the Prophet Daniel, standing in the Holy Place," (the reader must consider what this means)

But this you do know, that, had the owner of the house known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have been on the watch, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into.

Happy will that servant be whom his master, when he comes home, shall find doing this.

When Jesus had finished all this teaching, he said to his disciples: