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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, on Thanksgiving, help me be grateful for finding you everywhere in my life! Amen.


"Watch out!" Jesus said. "You don't know when I'm coming back. I'm like a man who leaves on a trip, puts his servants in charge and tells them to watch for his return. Watch, because you don't know if the master of this house will come at midnight or sunrise. If I come back suddenly, I'd better not find you sleeping. Watch!"

The day after Thanksgiving is known as "Black Friday." It's the first real day of Christmas shopping - and a lot of stores open really early. Some people actually like to go shopping at 3 a.m.!

Most kids do not get up and go shopping on Black Friday. But the adults who do are convinced that, by waking up so incredibly early, they'll find great sales and better deals on Christmas presents. Sometimes, they're even right!

This week's Gospel (Mark 13:33-37) is about staying awake and alert so you don't miss good things. Jesus tells the story of a man who goes away and asks people to watch for his homecoming.

The man is God, and the people are us. Jesus wants us to look for God all the time - not just at church or in religion class, but in the people we meet, in nature and in our own promises to help others, especially at this time of year.

If a shopper oversleeps on Black Friday, he or she might miss a sale on gifts they'd like to give for Christmas. If a servant oversleeps when waiting for her master to come home, he might find the door locked and the house dark instead of a happy welcome.

If we stop looking for Jesus everywhere, every day, we might miss out on seeing Him everywhere, every day. As Jesus said, keep watch! The best deal of all is to find Jesus here today AND meet Him face-to-face someday in heaven![[In-content Ad]]

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