His mother and His disciples; for it was the will of our blessed Lord to mix freely with the Jews, in their houses and their entertainments, wheresoever there was no sin. The Baptist lived apart from his fellow-creatures, like the prophet Elias, in whose spirit he came, and like the hermits of the Christian Church; Jesus Christ lived, as we say, in the world. And hence it was, that while the unbelieving Jews charged John Baptist with madness, they called Jesus a glutton and a winebibber, and a friend of sinners.

At the marriage-feast of Cana, after a while the wine failed, and Mary said to her Son, They have no wine. But Jesus replied in mysterious words, bidding her wait the moment when He would manifest His divine will. Mary then, as ever, pondering His words in her heart, bade the servants obey whatsoever Jesus should say to them. And there were six large water-pots standing by; and Jesus said to the servants: Fill the water-pots with water; and they filled them to the brim. And He bade them draw forth the water, and carry it to the master of the feast. And as they poured it, they beheld that it was become fine wine, by the almighty power of God. Thus, say the Scriptures, Jesus manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. He vouchsafed this display of His divine omnipotence for the consolation and strengthening of His followers, and they believed in Him with a faith more firm and rejoicing than before.

While the disciples of Jesus, still few in number, thus adored His love and wisdom, a violent persecution was raised against Him by others in Galilee. He came to Nazareth where He was brought up and He went into the synagogue, according to His custom 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 they wondered at the words of grace that proceeded from His mouth, and they said: Is not this the son of Joseph ? And He said to them: Doubtless you will say to Me this similitude: Physician, heal Thyself: as great things as we have heard done in Capharnaum, do also here in Thy own country. 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 heaven was shut up three years and six months: when there was a great famine throughout all the land: and to none of them was Elias sent, but to a widow at Sarepta of Sidon. 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. And He went down into Capharnaum, a city of Galilee, and there He taught them on the sabbath-days. And they were astonished at His doctrine: for His word was with power. And in the synagogue there was a man who had an unclean devil, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying: Let us alone, what have we to do with Thee, Jesus of Nazareth? art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee who Thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying: Hold thy peace, and go out of him. And when the devil had thrown him into the midst, he went out of him, and hurt him not at all. And there came fear upon all, and they talked among themselves, saying: What word is this, for with autho

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rity and power He commandeth the unclean spirits, and they go out? And the fame of Him was published in every place of the country.

CHAP. VIII. The Miraculous Draught of Fishes. Jesus heals many Diseases. The calling of Matthew.

THE almighty power of Jesus, who controlled all those laws of nature which He had Himself in the beginning appointed for the universe to obey, was now displayed in many wonderful miracles. He healed Simon's motherin-law of a fever; He cast out devils from those who were possessed, bidding the devils be silent as He cast them out. Near the lake of Genesareth, the multitudes pressed upon Him in crowds, to hear His preaching; and seeing two fishermen's vessels drawn up upon the bank, He entered into one of them, which belonged to Peter, and desired him to put out a short space from the shore; and from the boat He taught the people the word of God. And 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 was breaking. 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 be taking men. And they brought their ships to shore, and left all, and followed Jesus.

Another day, as He sat teaching, He was surrounded by a concourse of Pharisees, a sect of Jews who prided themselves on a close observance of every minute precept of the law, while they cared little for its great commands. There were present also many of the Scribes, men learned in all the laws and traditions of the Jews, and who, like the Pharisees, from the first abhorred the doctrines of Jesus, who, they foresaw, would destroy the authority they had usurped over the consciences of their fellow-creatures. And there was brought in a bed a man who had the palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before Him. And when they could not find by what way they might bring him in, because of the multitude, they went upon the roof, and let him down through the tiles, with his bed, into the midst, before Jesus. And when He saw their faith, He said: Man, thy sins are forgiven thee. And the Scribes and the Pharisees began to think, saying: Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone? And when Jesus knew their thoughts, answering He said to them: What is it you think in your hearts? Which is it easier to say: Thy sins are forgiven thee; or to say: Arise, and walk? But that you may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins (He said to the sick of the palsy), I say to thee, Arise, take up thy bed, and go into thy house. And immediately rising up before them, he took up the bed on which he lay; and he went away into his own house, glorifying God. And all were astonished; and they glorified God. And they were filled with fear, saying: We have seen wonderful things to-day.

Among those who followed Jesus most readily were many whose lives had hitherto been more openly vicious than those of the Pharisees, who cloaked their sins under an outward garb of rigid observances. The publicans, or tax-gatherers, were a class of men notorious for their cruelty and ungodly lives; but many of these men forsook their sins, and were received with mercy by Jesus. One of these, by name Levi, or Matthew,

became one of the twelve Apostles and rulers of the Christian Church. Jesus saw him sitting in the place where he received the customs, and said to him: Follow Me. And Matthew rose instantly, and forsook all his worldly goods, and followed Jesus. But first he made Him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that were at table with them. But their Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying to His disciples: Why do you eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering, said to them: They who are in health need not the physician; but they that are sick: I came not to call the just, but sinners to penance. And they said to Him: Why do the disciples of John fast often, and make prayers, and the disciples of the Pharisees in like manner; but thine eat and drink? And He said to them: Can you make the children of the bridegroom fast, whilst the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them; then shall they fast in those days.

CHAP. IX. Nicodemus. The Samaritan Woman.

AMONG the Pharisees there was one, distinguished for learning and power, whose heart was touched by the words of Jesus. Yet he dared not openly confess himself His disciple, but came to Him secretly by night, and said to Him: Rabbi, we know that Thou art come a teacher from God: for no man can do these miracles which Thou doest, unless God was with him. Jesus answered, and said to him: Amen, amen I say to thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith to Him: How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born again? Jesus answered: Amen, amen I say to thee, unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh, is flesh and that which is born of the spirit, is spirit.