Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the Gospel
of Luke chapter 8 and the Gospel of Matthew chapter
8. Luke chapter 8. Now it came to pass afterward
that he went through every city and village,
preaching and bringing the glad tidings of the
kingdom of God, and the twelve were with him.
And certain women who had been healed of evil
spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene,
out of whom had come seven demons, and Joanna
the wife of Shuzah, Herod's steward, and Susanna,
and many others, who provided for him from their
sustenance. And when a great multitude had gathered,
and Neh had come to him from every city, he spoke
by a parable. A sower went out to sow his seed,
and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and
it was trampled down, and the birds of the air
devoured it. Some fell on rock. And as soon as
it sprang up, it withered away, because it lacked
moisture. And some fell among thorns, and a thorn
sprang up with it and choked it. But others fell
on good ground, sprang up and yielded a crop
a hundredfold. When he had said these things,
he cried, He who has ears, to hear, let him hear.
Then the disciples asked him, saying, What does
this parable mean? And he said, To you it has
been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom
of God. But to the rest it is given in parables,
that seeing they may not see, and hearing they
may not understand. Now the parable is this,
the seed is the word of God. Those by the wayside
are the ones who hear, then the devil comes and
takes away the word out of their hearts, lest
they should believe and be saved. But the ones
on the rock are those who, when they hear, receive
the word with joy, and these have no roots, who
believe for a while, and in time of temptation,
fall away now the ones that fell among thorns
are those who when they have heard go out and
are choked with cares riches and pleasures of
life and bring no fruit to maturity but the ones
that fell on the good ground are those who having
heard the word with a noble and good heart keep
it and bear fruit with patience no one when he
has lit a lamp covers it with a vessel or puts
it under a bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that
those who enter may see the light. For nothing
is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything
hidden that will not be known, and come to light.
Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever
has, to him more will be given, and whoever does
not have, even what he seems to have will be
taken from him. Then his mother and brothers
came to him, and could not approach him because
of the crowd. And it was told him by some, who
said, Your mother and your brothers are standing
outside desiring to see you. But he answered
and said to them, My mother and my brothers are
these who hear the word of God and do it. Now
it happened on a certain day that he got into
a boat with his disciples, and he said to them,
Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.
And they launched out. But as they sailed, he
fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the
lake, and they were filling with water. and were
in jeopardy. And they came to him and awoke him,
saying, Master, Master, we are perishing. Then
he arose and rebuked the wind and the raging
of the water, and they ceased, and there was
calm. But he said to them, Where is your faith?
And they were afraid and marveled, saying to
one another, Who can this be? For he commands
even the winds and water, and they obey him.
Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes,
which is opposite Galilee. And when he stepped
out on the land, There met him a certain man
from the city who had demons for a long time,
and he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a
house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he
cried out, fell down before him, and with a loud
voice said, What have I to do with you, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment
me. For he had commanded the unclean spirit to
come out of the man, for it had often seized
him, and he was kept under guard. bound with
chains and shackles. And he broke the bonds and
was driven by the demon into the wilderness.
Jesus asked him, saying, What is your name? And
he said, Legion, because many demons had entered
him. And they begged him that he would not command
them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of
many swine was feeding there on the mountain.
So they begged him that he would permit them
to enter them. And he permitted them. Then the
demons went out of the man and entered the swine.
and the herd ran violently down a steep place
into the lake and drowned. When those who fed
them saw what had happened, they fled and told
it in the city and in the country. Then they
went out to see what had happened, and came to
Jesus and found the man from whom the demons
had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed
and in his right mind. And they were afraid.
They also who had seen it told them by what means
he who had been demon -possessed was healed.
Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region
of the Gadarenes asked him to depart from them,
for they were seized with great fear. And he
got into the boat and returned. Now the man from
whom the demons had departed begged him that
he might be with him. But Jesus sent him away,
saying, Return to your own house, and tell what
great things God has done for you. And he went
his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city
what great things Jesus had done for him. So
it was when Jesus returned that the multitude
welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him.
And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and
he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell
down at Jesus' feet and begged him to come to
his house, for he had an only daughter about
twelve years of age, and she was dying. But as
he went, the multitudes thronged him. Now a woman,
having a flow of blood for twelve years, who
had spent all her livelihood on physicians, and
could not be healed by any, came from behind
and touched the border of his garment, and immediately
her flow of blood stopped. And Jesus said, Who
touched me? When all denied it, Peter and those
with him said, Master, the multitudes throng
and press you. And you say, Who touched me? But
Jesus said, Somebody touched me, for I perceived
power going out from me. Now when the woman saw
that she was not hidden, she came trembling.
And falling down before him, she declared to
him in the presence of all the people the reason
she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
And he said to her daughter, Be of good cheer.
Your faith has made you well. Go in peace. While
he was still speaking, someone came from the
ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him,
Your daughter is dead. Do not trouble the teacher.
But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying,
Do not be afraid, only believe, and she will
be made well. When he came into the house, he
permitted no one to go in except Peter, James,
and John, and the father and mother of the girl.
Now all wept and mourned for her, but he said,
Do not weep, she is not dead, but sleeping. And
they ridiculed him, knowing that she was dead.
But he put them all outside. took her by the
hand and called, saying, Little girl, arise.
Then her spirit returned, and she arose immediately,
and he commanded that she be given something
to eat. And her parents were astonished, but
he charged them to tell no one what had happened.
When he had come down from the mountain, great
multitudes followed him. And behold, a leper
came and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if you
are willing, you can make me clean. Then Jesus
put out his hand and touched him, saying, I am
willing, be cleansed. Immediately his leprosy
was cleansed. And Jesus said to him, See that
you tell no one, but go your way, show yourself
to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses
commanded as a testimony to them. Now when Jesus
had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him
pleading with him, saying, Lord, my servant is
lying at home, paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.
And Jesus said to him, I will come and heal him.
The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not
worthy that you should come under my roof, but
only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.
For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers
under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes,
and to another, Come, and he comes, and to my
servant, Do this, and he does it. When Jesus
heard it, he marveled and said to those who followed,
Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such
great faith, not even in Israel. And I say to
you that many will come from east and west and
sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the
kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom
will be cast out into outer darkness. There will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Then Jesus
said to the centurion, Go your way, and as you
have believed, so let it be done for you. And
his servant was healed that same hour. Now when
Jesus had come into Peter's house, he saw his
wife's mother lying sick with a fever. So he
touched her hand, and the fever left her, and
she arose and served them. When evening had come,
they brought to him many who were demon -possessed,
and he cast out the spirits with a word, and
healed all who were sick, that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,
He himself took our infirmities and bore our
sicknesses. And when Jesus saw great multitudes
about him, he gave a command to depart to the
other side. Then a certain scribe came and said
to him, Teacher, I will follow you wherever you
go. And Jesus said to him, Foxes have holes and
birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man
has nowhere to lay his head. Then another of
his disciples said to him, Lord, let me first
go and bury my father. But Jesus said to him,
Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.
Now when he got into a boat, his disciples followed
him, and suddenly a great tempest arose on the
sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves,
but he was asleep. Then his disciples came to
him and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us, we
are perishing. But he said to them, Why are you
fearful, O you of little faith? Then he arose
and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there
was a great calm. So the men marveled, saying,
Who can this be? that even the winds and the
sea obey him. When he had come to the other side,
to the country of the Gergesenes, there met him
two demon -possessed men coming out of the tombs,
exceedingly fierce, so that no one could pass
that way. And suddenly they cried out, saying,
What have we to do with you, Jesus, you son of
God? Have you come here to torment us before
the time? Now a good way off from there there
was a herd of many swine feeding. So the demons
begged him, saying, If you cast us out, permit
us to go away into the herd of swine. And he
said to them, Go. So when they had come out,
they went into the herd of swine, and suddenly
the whole herd of swine ran violently down a
steep place into the sea and perished in the
water. Then those who kept them fled, and they
went away into the city and told everything,
including what had happened to the demon -possessed
men. And behold, the whole city came out to meet
Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him
to depart from their region. I hope you enjoyed
today's reading as much as I did. And I look
forward to seeing you again tomorrow to continue
on our journey. God bless you and have a great
day.