Zechariah and Elizabeth were righteous in God’s eyes, careful to obey all of the Lord’s commandments and regulations.

Elizabeth gave a glad cry and exclaimed to Mary, “God has blessed you above all women, and your child is blessed.

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed.

He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him.

When the baby was eight days old, they all came for the circumcision ceremony. They wanted to name him Zechariah, after his father.

“What?” they exclaimed. “There is no one in all your family by that name.”

Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us.

All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census.

but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people.

All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished,

but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often.

The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them.

which you have prepared for all people.

When Jesus’ parents had fulfilled all the requirements of the law of the Lord, they returned home to Nazareth in Galilee.

All who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

Then he returned to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. And his mother stored all these things in her heart.

Jesus grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.

And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.’”

where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. Jesus ate nothing all that time and became very hungry.

Then the devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

I will give it all to you if you will worship me.”

He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.

“Master,” Simon replied, “we worked hard all last night and didn’t catch a thing. But if you say so, I’ll let the nets down again.”

Jesus Heals a Paralyzed Man

One day while Jesus was teaching, some Pharisees and teachers of religious law were sitting nearby. (It seemed that these men showed up from every village in all Galilee and Judea, as well as from Jerusalem.) And the Lord’s healing power was strongly with Jesus.

Jesus Chooses the Twelve Apostles

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night.