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

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.”

And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father,

And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called.

Zechariah's Prophecy

And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,

the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us

And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him.

And when his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.”

And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”

Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.

Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.

“Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets.

Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.

And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child.

For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.

To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”

Jesus Rejoices in the Father's Will

In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

And he said to them, “When you pray, say: “Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come.

What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent;

If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed.