1. Jesus was now full of Holy Spirit. As he returned from the Jordan, the Spirit led him into the desert

2. where he was tempted by the devil for forty days. He did not eat anything during that time, and in the end he was hungry.

3. The devil then said to him, "If you are son of God, tell this stone to turn into bread."

4. But Jesus answered, "Scripture says: People cannot live on bread alone."

5. Then the devil took him up to a high place and showed him in a flash all the nations of the world.

6. And he said to Jesus, "I can give you power over all the nations and their wealth will be yours, for power and wealth have been delivered to me and I give them to whom I wish.

7. All this will be yours provided you worship me."

8. But Jesus replied, "Scripture says: You shall worship the Lord your God and serve him alone."

9. Then the devil took him up to Jerusalem and set him on the highest wall of the Temple; and he said, "If you are son of God, throw yourself down from here,

10. for it is written: God will order his angels to take care of you

11. and again: They will hold you in their hands, lest you hurt your foot on the stones."

12. But Jesus replied, "It is written: You shall not challenge the Lord your God."

13. When the devil had exhausted every way of tempting Jesus he left him, to return another time.

14. Jesus acted with the power of the Spirit, and on his return to Galilee the news about him spread throughout all that territory.

15. He began teaching in the synagogues of the Jews and everyone praised him.

16. When Jesus came to Nazareth where he had been brought up, he entered the synagogue on the sabbath as he usually did.

17. He stood up to read and they handed him the book of the prophet Isaiah. Jesus then unrolled the scroll and found the place where it is written:

18. "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. He has anointed me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives and new sight to the blind; to free the oppressed

19. and announce the Lord's year of mercy."

20. Jesus then rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down, while the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

21. Then he said to them, "Today these prophetic words come true even as you listen."

22. All agreed with him and were lost in wonder, while he kept on speaking of the grace of God. Nevertheless they asked, "Who is this but Joseph's son?"

23. So he said, "Doubtless you will quote me the saying: Doctor, heal yourself! Do here in your town what they say you did in Capernaum."

24. Jesus added, "No prophet is honored in his own country.

25. Truly, I say to you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens withheld rain for three years and six months and a great famine came over the whole land.

26. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow of Zarephath, in the country of Sidon.

27. There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha, the prophet, and no one was healed except Naaman, the Syrian."

28. On hearing these words, the whole assembly became indignant.

29. They rose up and brought him out of the town,

30. to the edge of the hill on which Nazareth is built, intending to throw him down the cliff. But he passed through their midst and went his way.

31. Jesus went down to Capernaum, a town of Galilee, and began teaching the people at the sabbath meetings.

32. They were astonished at the way he taught them, for his word was spoken with authority.

33. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by an evil spirit who shouted in a loud voice,

34. "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I recognize you: you are the Holy One of God."

35. Then Jesus said to him sharply, "Be silent and leave this man!" The evil spirit then threw the man down in front of them and came out of him without doing him harm.

36. Amazement seized all these people and they said to one another, "What does this mean? He commands the evil spirits with authority and power. He orders, and you see how they come out!"

37. And news about Jesus spread throughout the surrounding area.

38. Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went to the house of Simon. His mother-in-law was suffering from high fever and they asked him to do something for her.

39. Bending over her, he rebuked the fever, and it left her. Immediately she got up and waited on them.

40. At sunset, people suffering from many kinds of sickness were brought to Jesus. Laying his hands on each one, he healed them.

41. Demons were driven out, howling as they departed from their victims, "You are the Son of God!" He rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, for they knew he was the Messiah.

42. Jesus left at daybreak and looked for a solitary place. People went out in search of him and, finding him, they tried to dissuade him from leaving.

43. But he said, "I have to go to other towns to announce the good news of the kingdom of God. That is what I was sent to do."

44. So Jesus continued to preach in the synagogues of the Jewish country.





“Os corações fortes e generosos não se lamentam, a não ser por grandes motivos e,ainda assim,não permitem que tais motivos penetrem fundo no seu íntimo.(P.e Pio) São Padre Pio de Pietrelcina