---

PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me learn how to be kind to all the kids at school, not just my close friends! Amen.

Jesus told this story: "A man heard his servant was wasting his money and said he'd be fired. 'What will I do?' the servant worried. He figured people would help him if he helped them, so he called those who owed his master money. 'Whatever you owe, now you only owe half,' he told them. The master praised his servant for being smart. Like that servant," Jesus finished, "you won't be trusted with big things like going to heaven if you can't be trusted with small things like money now."

The best part about starting school is seeing friends again. Right away, you want to make time to get together on weekends for video games, sleepovers and just hanging out.

Then there are the people at school you wouldn't care if you ever saw again: the kids who are unfriendly, who bully or just ignore others. What do you do about them?

This week's Gospel (Luke 16:1-13) gives some ideas!

Jesus talks about a man who hasn't been doing his job well. The man knows he's going to be fired, so he does something interesting: He tells everyone who owes his master some money not to worry about paying it all back.

As you settle in at school, you're happy to see friends - and, sometimes, wondering how to get along with kids in your class who aren't as friendly. The message of the Gospel story is to treat them the same way.

The man who was losing his job wasn't just nice to his friends; he cancelled everyone's debts. That way, everyone would help him when he was jobless. You can do the same thing at school: Be nice even to kids who are unpleasant. People will think well of you, and you might find new friends.

It's great to have play dates and sleepovers with close friends. But if you're kind to even kids you're not close to, you're creating more kindness in the world -- and making Jesus proud![[In-content Ad]]

---