Luke 9:1-27

Then calling together the twelve Apostles, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the infirm. And he said to them: "You should take nothing for the journey, neither staff, nor traveling bag, nor bread, nor money; and you should not have two tunics. And into whatever house you shall enter, lodge there, and do not move away from there. And whoever will not have received you, upon departing from that city, shake off even the dust on your feet, as a testimony against them." And going forth, they traveled around, through the towns, evangelizing and curing everywhere. Now Herod the tetrarch heard about all the things that were being done by him, but he doubted, because it was said by some, "For John has risen from the dead," yet truly, by others, "For Elijah has appeared," and by still others, "For one of the prophets from of old has risen again." And Herod said: "I beheaded John. So then, who is this, about whom I hear such things?" And he sought to see him. And when the Apostles returned, they explained to him all the things that they had done. And taking them with him, he withdrew to a deserted place apart, which belongs to Bethsaida. But when the crowd had realized this, they followed him. And he received them and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. And those who were in need of cures, he healed. Then the day began to decline. And drawing near, the twelve said to him: "Dismiss the crowds, so that, by going into the surrounding towns and villages, they may separate and find food. For we are here in a deserted place." But he said to them, "You give them something to eat." And they said, "There is with us no more than five loaves and two fish, unless perhaps we are to go and buy food for this entire multitude." Now there were about five thousand men. So he said to his disciples, "Have them recline to eat in groups of fifty." And they did so. And they caused them all to recline to eat. Then, taking the five loaves and the two fish, he gazed up to heaven, and he blessed and broke and distributed them to his disciples, in order to set them before the crowd. And they all ate and were satisfied. And twelve baskets of fragments were taken up, which were left over from them. And it happened that, when he was praying alone, his disciples also were with him, and he questioned them, saying: "Who do the multitudes say that I am?" But they answered by saying: "John the Baptist. But some say Elijah. Yet truly, others say that one of the prophets from before has risen again." Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" In response, Simon Peter said, "The Christ of God." But speaking sharply to them, he instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, "For the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the leaders of the priests and the scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again." Then he said to everyone: "If anyone is willing to come after me: let him deny himself, and take up his cross every day, and follow me. For whoever will have saved his life, will lose it. Yet whoever will have lost his life for my sake, will save it. For how does it benefit a man, if he were to gain the whole world, yet lose himself, or cause himself harm? For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words: of him the Son of man will be ashamed, when he will have arrived in his majesty and that of his Father and of the holy Angels. And yet, I tell you a truth: There are some standing here who shall not taste death, until they see the kingdom of God."