1. The Pharisees and Sadducees appeared. They wanted to put Jesus to the test and asked him for some heavenly sign.

2. Jesus answered, "(When evening comes, you say: 'It will be a good day for the sky is red.'

3. And in the morning you say: 'Stormy weather today, for the sky in the east is red.' If you know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, why can't you interpret the signs of the times?)

4. An evil and unbelieving people want a sign, but no sign will be given them except the sign of Jonah." So Jesus left them and went away.

5. When the disciples went to the other side, they forgot to take bread.

6. It was then that Jesus said to them, "Beware and do not trust the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees."

7. And the disciples said to one another, "He means the bread we did not bring."

8. Jesus was aware of this, so he said to them, "You of little faith! Why do you speak about the bread you haven't got?

9. Do you still not understand? Do you not remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you gathered?

10. Or the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many wicker baskets you gathered?

11. How can you fail to understand that I was not talking of bread when I told you: Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees?"

12. Then they understood that he was not talking of yeast for bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13. After that Jesus came to Caesarea Philippi. He asked his disciples, "What do people say of the Son of Man? Who do they say I am?"

14. They said, "For some of them you are John the Baptist, for others Elijah or Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15. Jesus asked them, "But you, who do you say I am?"

16. Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

17. Jesus replied, "It is well for you, Simon Barjona, for it is not flesh or blood that has revealed this to you but my Father in heaven.

18. And now I say to you: You are Peter (or Rock) and on this rock I will build my Church; and never will the powers of death overcome it.

19. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what you unbind on earth shall be unbound in heaven."

20. Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ.

21. From that day Jesus began to make it clear to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem; he would suffer many things from the Jewish authorities, the chief priests and the teachers of the Law. He would be killed and be raised on the third day.

22. Then Peter took him aside and began to reproach him, "Never, Lord! No, this must never happen to you."

23. But Jesus turned to him and said, "Get behind me, Satan! You would have me stumble. You are their King not as God does, but as people do."

24. Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If you want to follow me, deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me.

25. For whoever chooses to save his life will lose it, but the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.

26. What will one gain by winning the whole world if he destroys himself? There is nothing you can give to recover your own self.

27. Know that the Son of Man will come in the Glory of his Father with the holy angels, and he will reward each one according to his deeds.

28. Truly, I tell you, there are some here who will not die before they see the Son of Man coming as king."





“O medo excessivo nos faz agir sem amor, mas a confiança excessiva não nos deixa considerar o perigo que vamos enfrentar”. São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina