1. Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert that he be put to the test by the devil.

2. After spending forty days and nights without food, Jesus was hungry.

3. Then the devil came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, order these stones to turn into bread."

4. But Jesus answered, "Scripture says: one does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."

5. Then the devil took Jesus to the holy city, set him on the highest wall of the temple, and said to him,

6. "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for scripture says, God has given orders to his angels about you. Their hands will hold you up lest you hurt your foot against a stone."

7. Jesus answered, "But scripture also says: You shall not put to the test the Lord your God."

8. Then the devil took Jesus to a very high mountain and showed him all the nations of the world in all their greatness and splendor. And he said,

9. "All this I will give you, if you kneel and worship me."

10. Then Jesus answered, "Be off, Satan! Scripture says: worship the Lord your God and serve him alone."

11. Then the devil left him, and angels came to serve him.

12. When Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee.

13. He left Nazareth and went to settle down in Capernaum, a town by the lake of Galilee, at the border of Zebulun and Naphtali.

14. In this way the word of the prophet Isaiah was fulfilled:

15. Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali crossed by the Road of the Sea, and you who live by the Jordan, Galilee, land of pagans, listen:

16. The people who lived in darkness have seen a great light; on those who live in the land of the shadow of death, a light has shone.

17. From that time on Jesus began to proclaim his message, "Change your ways: the kingdom of heaven is near."

18. As Jesus walked by the lake of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.

19. He said to them, "Come, follow me, and I will make you fish for people."

20. At once they left their nets and followed him.

21. He went on from there and saw two other brothers, James, the son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets. Jesus called them.

22. At once they left the boat and their father and followed him.

23. Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom, and curing all kinds of sickness and disease among the people.

24. The news about him spread through the whole of Syria, and the people brought all their sick to him, and all those who suffered: the possessed, the deranged, the paralyzed, and he healed them all.

25. Large crowds followed him from Galilee and the Ten Cities, from Jerusalem, Judea, and from across the Jordan.





“Seja perseverante nas orações e nas santas leituras.” São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina