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PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Jesus, help me to ask people what they're thinking, instead of trying to guess! Amen.


Jesus took Peter, James and John up a mountain. As they watched, He began to change. His face and clothes got brighter and brighter, until they couldn't even look at Him! Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus, and God's voice said, "This is my beloved Son. Listen to Him." Then the light went out and they were alone with Jesus again. "Don't tell anyone about this yet," Jesus said.

Do you ever try to guess what other people are thinking? Most kids - and adults - do that sometimes. They watch the expression on a person's face and their body language, and even think about what the person is not saying, instead of what's actually being said.

When you try to guess what's someone's thinking, you're often wrong. Just because someone makes a face doesn't mean she's mad at you; just because someone gets distracted when you're talking doesn't mean he's not interested.

One of the few people who was probably good at guessing what people were thinking was Jesus. He sure got it right in this week's Gospel (Mark 9:2-10)!

If you're guessing what another person is thinking, it's often because you're afraid. Maybe you made plans and changed your mind - and you look at your friend and think, "She's angry about it. I can tell." She's probably just thinking, "Oh, OK - another time."

Jesus really could tell that even the Apostles, His close friends, were unsure about whether He was really the Son of God, sent from heaven. So, He shows them - in a big way! That moment is called the "transfiguration," meaning that Jesus is "transfigured" or changed into the way He might appear in heaven. God's voice even speaks to assure the Apostles that Jesus is really God.

Guessing what someone is thinking is wrong. Leave the mind-reading to God, and just ask people what they think![[In-content Ad]]

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