born of the Spirit.' Nicodemus answered, and said to Him; 'How can these things be done? Jesus answered, and said to him: Art thou a master in Israel, and knowest not these things? Amen, amen, I say to thee, that we speak what we know, and we testify what we have seen, and you receive not our testimony. If I have spoken to you earthly things, and you believe not; how will you believe, if I shall speak to you heavenly things? And no man hath ascended into heaven, but He that descended from heaven, the Son of man who is in heaven. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God so loved the world, as to give His onlybegotten Son; that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have life everlasting. For God sent not His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world may be saved by Him. He that believeth in Him is not judged; but he that doth not believe is already judged, because he believeth not in the name of the only-begotten Son of God. And this is the judgment: because the light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than the light, for their works were evil: for every one that doeth evil hateth the light, and cometh not to the light, that his works may not be reproved. But he that doth truth cometh to the light, that his works may be made manifest, because they are done in God' (John iii. 1-21). § 12. Jesus leaves the Jordan, where His disciples were baptising; and on His way to Galilee discourses with a woman of Samaria. He returns to Nazareth; and then removes His abode to Capharnaum, on the banks of the Sea of Tiberias. He cometh therefore to a city of Samaria, which is called Sichar, near the land which Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus on the well. It was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus saith to her: 'Give Me to drink.' For His disciples were gone into the city to buy meats. Then that Samaritan woman saith to Him: 'How dost Thou, being a Jew, ask of me to drink, who am a Samaritan woman? For the Jews do not communicate with the Samaritans. Jesus answered, and said to her: If thou didst know the gift of God, and who He is that saith to thee, "Give Me to drink," thou perhaps wouldst have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water.' The woman saith to Him: Sir, Thou hast nothing wherein to draw, and the well is deep from whence then hast Thou living water? Art Thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children and his cattle?' Jesus answered, and said to her: Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but he that shall drink of the water that I will give him, shall not thirst for ever: but the water that I will give shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into life everlasting.' The 6 woman saith to Him: Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come hither to draw.' Jesus saith to her: 'Go, call thy husband, and come hither.' The woman answered, and said: 'I have no husband.' Jesus saith to her: Thou hast said well, "I have no husband;" for JESUS DISCOURSES WITH THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA. thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. This thou hast said truly.' The woman saith to Him: 'Sir, I perceive that Thou art a prophet. Our fathers adored on this mountain, and You say that at Jerusalem is the place where men must adore.' Jesus saith to her: Woman, believe Me, that the hour cometh when you shall neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, adore the Father. You adore that which you know not, we adore that which we know; for salvation is of the Jews.' (John iv.) 6 And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up, and entered, according to His custom, into the synagogue, on the Sabbath-day; and He rose up to read. And the book of Isaias the prophet was delivered unto Him. And as He unfolded the book, He found the place where it was written: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Wherefore He hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, He hath sent me to heal the contrite of heart; to preach deliverance to the captives, and sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of reward.' And when He had folded the book, He restored it to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them: This day is fulfilled this scripture in your ears.' And all gave testimony to Him. And He said: 'Amen, I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country. In truth I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elias in Israel, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, when there was a great famine throughout all the earth. And to none of them was Elias sent but to Sarepta of Sidon, to a widow woman. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed but Naaman the Syrian.' And all they in the synagogue hearing these things, were filled with anger. And they rose up and thrust Him out of the city and they brought Him to the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong. But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way. (Luke iv.) : VIEW OF THE VILLAGE AND LAKE OF TIBERIAS, OTHERWISE CALLED THE And He went down to Capharnaum, on the sea of Tiberias, to dwell there; and it came to pass, that when the multitudes pressed upon Him to hear the word of God, He stood by the lake of Genesareth, and saw two ships standing by the lake; but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. And going into one of the ships that was Simon's, He desired him to draw back a little from the land. And sitting He taught the multitudes out of the ship. Now when He had ceased to speak, He said to Simon: Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.' And Simon answering, said to Him: Master, we have laboured all the night, and have taken nothing; but at Thy word I will let down the net.' And when they had done this, they enclosed a very great multitude of fishes, and their net broke. And they beckoned to their partners that were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they were almost sinking; which when Simon Peter saw, he fell down at Jesus's knees, saying: 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.' For he was wholly astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken. And so were also James and John the sons of Zebedee, who were Simon's partners. And Jesus saith to Simon: Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.' And having brought their ships to land, leaving all things, they followed Him. (Luke v.) § 13. The Sermon on the Mount. The Faith of the Paralytic, and the Call of St. Matthew. And His fame went throughout all Syria, and they presented to Him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and such as were possessed by devils, and lunatics, and those that had the palsy, and He cured them: and much people followed Him from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan. And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain, and when He was sat down, His disciples came unto Him. And opening His mouth He taught them, saying: THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice for they shall have their fill. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart: for they shall see God. : Blessed are the peace-makers for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for My sake: Be glad and rejoice, for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you. On His descending from the mountain to Capharnaum, it was heardthat. He was in the house, and many came together, so that there was no room, no, not even at the door; and He spoke to them the word. And they came to Him, bringing one sick of the palsy, who was carried by four. And when they could not offer him unto Him for the multitude, they uncovered the roof where He was; and opening it, they let down the bed wherein the man sick of the palsy lay. And when Jesus had seen their faith, He saith to the sick of the palsy: Son, thy sins are forgiven thee.' And there were some of the scribes sitting there, and thinking in their hearts: 'Why doth this Man speak thus? He blasphemeth. Who can forgive sins but God only? Which, Jesus pre sently knowing in His spirit, that they so thought within themselves, saith to them: 'Why think you these things in your hearts? Which is easier to say to the sick of the palsy, "Thy sins are forgiven thee," or to say, "Arise, take up thy bed, and walk"? But that you may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins,' He saith to the sick of the palsy: I say to thee, arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house.' And immediately he arose, and taking up his bed, went his way in the sight of all, so that all wondered, and glorified God, saying: 'We never saw the like.' And He went forth again to the seaside; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. And when He was passing by, He saw Levi, the son of Alpheus, sitting at the receipt of custom; and He saith to him: 'Follow Me.' And rising up, he followed Him. And it came to pass, that as He sat at meat in his house, LEVI IS CALLED TO BE A DISCIPLE, FROM THE RECEIPT OF CUSTOM. many publicans and sinners sat down together with Jesus and His dis ciples; for they were many who also followed Him. And the scribes and the Pharisees, seeing that He ate with publicans and sinners, said to His disciples: Why doth your Master eat and drink with publicans and sinners? Jesus, hearing this, saith to them: They that are well have no need of a physician, but they that are sick. For I came not to call the just, but sinners.' |