Then, on the right side of the incense table, an angel of the Lord came and stood before Zechariah.

When he saw the angel, Zechariah was upset and very afraid.

But the angel said to him, “Zechariah, don’t be afraid. Your prayer has been heard by God. Your wife Elizabeth will give birth to a baby boy, and you will name him John.

Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I know that what you say is true? I am an old man, and my wife is also old.”

The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, the one who always stands ready before God. He sent me to talk to you and to tell you this good news.

The Virgin Mary

During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to a virgin girl who lived in Nazareth, a town in Galilee. She was engaged to marry a man named Joseph from the family of David. Her name was Mary.

The angel came to her and said, “Greetings! The Lord is with you; you are very special to him.”

But Mary was very confused about what the angel said. She wondered, “What does this mean?”

The angel said to her, “Don’t be afraid, Mary, because God is very pleased with you.

Mary said to the angel, “How will this happen? I am still a virgin.”

The angel said to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come to you, and the power of the Most High God will cover you. The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.

Mary said, “I am the Lord’s servant. Let this thing you have said happen to me!” Then the angel went away.

An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord was shining around them. The shepherds were very afraid.

The angel said to them, “Don’t be afraid. I have some very good news for you—news that will make everyone happy.

Then a huge army of angels from heaven joined the first angel, and they were all praising God, saying,

The angels left the shepherds and went back to heaven. The shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this great event the Lord has told us about.”

When they saw the baby, they told what the angels said about this child.

The shepherds went back to their sheep, praising God and thanking him for everything they had seen and heard. It was just as the angel had told them.

When the baby was eight days old, he was circumcised, and he was named Jesus. This name was given by the angel before the baby began to grow inside Mary.

The Scriptures say, ‘God will command his angels to take care of you.’

Don’t be ashamed of me and my teaching. If that happens, I will be ashamed of you when I come with my divine greatness and that of the Father and the holy angels.

Don’t Be Ashamed of Your Faith

“I tell you, if you stand before others and are willing to say you believe in me, then I will say that you belong to me. I will say this in the presence of God’s angels.

But if you stand before others and say you do not believe in me, then I will say that you do not belong to me. I will say this in the presence of God’s angels.

In the same way, it’s a happy time for the angels of God when one sinner decides to change.”

“Later, Lazarus died. The angels took him and placed him in the arms of Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried.