No one's second-best

Jesus, help me see the good things about each of my parents. Amen!

"If you love me, listen to my teachings," Jesus told the Apostles. "Then God will come and live in your heart. I'm leaving you soon to go back to heaven; but if you love me, don't be afraid. Remember, I'm going to be with my Father -- and the Holy Spirit will still be with you, even after I'm in heaven."

Do grownups look at you and say, "You are your father's son," "You're Daddy's little girl," or "You're so much like your mother"?

Some kids feel very close to one parent or the other because they have a lot in common or spend more time together. They might even feel disappointed when that parent is busy, and they have to spend time with the other one.

In a way, Jesus was like a favorite parent to all the Apostles. They knew other people; but once He came along, He was the one they wanted to spend time with most! In this week's Gospel (John 14:23-29), Jesus talks about that.

Choosing one parent over the other happens sometimes, but it isn't the best thing to do: It could hurt the other parent's feelings, and it also doesn't give kids the chance to see all the neat things about the other parent.

Jesus said something like that to the Apostles. He reminded them that even though He'd soon go back to heaven, the Holy Spirit would help them out. And the Holy Spirit wasn't second-best to Jesus; the Holy Spirit would be around even when Jesus couldn't be.

It's the same thing with kids. You might think your dad is cooler because he lets you watch Sponge Bob all the time, but your mom is probably pretty cool, too -- just in a different way. Jesus taught everyone to celebrate those differences!