Brothers and sisters: Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if one has a grievance against another; as the Lord has forgiven you, so must you also do.

Beloved:/ What was from the beginning,/ what we have heard,/ what we have seen with our eyes,/ what we looked upon/ and touched with our hands/ concerns the Word of life—/ for the life was made visible;/ we have seen it and testify to it/ and proclaim to you the eternal life/ that was with the Father and was made visible to us—/ what we have seen and heard/ we proclaim now to you,/ so that you too may have fellowship with us;/ for our fellowship is with the Father/ and with his Son, Jesus Christ./ We are writing this so that our joy may be complete.

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

Stephen, filled with grace and power, was working great wonders and signs among the people.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Beware of men, for they will hand you over to courts and scourge you in their synagogues, and you will be led before governors and kings for my sake as a witness before them and the pagans.

Thus says the Lord God:/Lo, I am sending my messenger/ to prepare the way be­fore me;/ And suddenly there will come to the temple/ the Lord whom you seek,/ And the messenger of the covenant whom you desire./ Yes, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts./ But who will endure the day of his coming?/ And who can stand when he appears?/ For he is like the refiner’s fire,/ or like the fuller’s lye./ He will sit refining and purifying silver,/ and he will purify the sons of Levi,/ Refining them like gold or like silver/ that they may offer due sacrifice to the Lord./ Then the sacrifice of Judah and Jerusalem/ will please the Lord,/ as in the days of old, as in years gone by.

When the time arrived for Elizabeth to have her child she gave birth to a son.

Mary remained with Elizabeth about three months and then returned to her home.

In those days, Hannah brought Samuel with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and presented him at the temple of the Lord in Shiloh.

This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.